Monday, April 7, 2008

MISSY ALBUM UPDATE


After taking a break from working with Timbo on Cookbook, Elliott has recently rejoined her creative partner to forage into pastures (sort of) new on her forthcoming as-yet-untitled album... and RWD were there to hear the results. As well as Tim, Missy has teamed with Danjahands, Swizzy and Souldiggaz. Ciara is once again featured on the album.

"I'm talking real-talk here," Missy confesses. "I let me heart guide my pen. To know where hip hop's going, you got to know where it's been." Hip Hop Don't Die is the most revolutionary track on the record. Not because the music (vocals from Ciara) is that genre-bending or mind-blowing, but because for once, as she said herself, Missy's actually talking about herself. As she guides us through her incredible career, you finally get a glimpse into, if not who Missy is exactly, then at least what's important to her. There's no bragging or boring 'I'm the donn-age' going on, just a reflection over her past and present career that is both funny and surprising in equal parts.

Here's some lyrical highlights (excuse any mistakes, it was a one-listen, write as fast as you can thing):"They say I was more insane that Janet dating Jermaine, more strange that Jay without Dame...""Shot the first video in a black, plastic bag.. Everyone questioned how the big girl gon' dance/ Question if I'm gay cos they never see me with a man/ I don't need a man...." (didn't catch the rest!)And then something about how hip hop keeps getting blamed for all that is wrong in the world: "I blame the president for not letting us read books... opps!"

Not since Gossip Folks have you gotten a sense of Missy's personality - the true one, anyway. Here's she's a bit political, she addresses the gay rumours and her weight and even pokes fun at her peers. Something she's maybe done a line of here and there over the years, but never all in one go. This is the song that got the room abuzz.

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