Missy Elliott

Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, is an American rapper, singer, dancer and record producer. Elliott embarked on her music career with all-female R&B group Sista in the early 1990s and later became a member of the Swing Mob collective along with childhood friend and longtime collaborator Timbaland, with whom she worked on projects for Aaliyah, 702, Total, and SWV. Following several collaborations and guest appearances, she launched her solo career in 1997 with her debut album Supa Dupa Fly, which spawned the hit singles “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” and “Sock It 2 Me”. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting debut for a female rapper at the time.

Written by Dianne Washington

Timbaland

Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ. Timbaland’s first full credit production work was in 1996 on Ginuwine…the Bachelor for R&B singer Ginuwine. After further work on Aaliyah’s 1996 album One in a Million and Missy Elliott’s 1997 album Supa Dupa Fly, Timbaland became a prominent producer for R&B and hip hop artists. As a rapper he initially released several albums with fellow rapper Magoo, followed by his debut solo album Tim’s Bio in 1998. In 2002, Timbaland produced the hit single “Cry Me a River” for Justin Timberlake, going on to produce most of Timberlake’s subsequent LPs such as FutureSex/LoveSounds and The 20/20 Experience and their respective hit singles. A Timbaland-owned imprint label, Mosley Music Group, featured artists such as Nelly Furtado, whose Timbaland-produced album Loose (2006) was a commercial and critical success. In 2007, Timbaland released a solo album, Shock Value, which was followed by Shock Value II in 2009.

Aside from the aforementioned artists, Timbaland’s production credits from the 2000s forward include work with Jay-Z, Nas, Ludacris, Bubba Sparxxx, Madonna, Rihanna, OneRepublic, Brandy, Drake, Rick Ross and others. As a songwriter he has written as of 2014, 85 UK hits and 99 hits Stateside. Timbaland has received widespread acclaim for his production style. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly stated that “just about every current pop trend can be traced back to him — from sultry, urban-edged R&B songstresses … to the art of incorporating avant-garde sounds into No. 1 hits.

Timothy Zachery Mosley was born on March 10, 1972 in Norfolk, Virginia, to Latrice, who ran a homeless shelter, and Garland Mosley, an Amtrak employee. He graduated from Salem High School of Virginia Beach, Virginia. During his time as a DJ, he was known as “DJ Tim” or “DJ Timmy Tim”. His brother, Sebastian, is reportedly around nine years younger. His sister Courtney Rashon is a makeup artist and author from New Jersey. While attending high school, Timbaland began a long-term collaboration with rapper Melvin (Magoo) Barcliff. The teenage Mosley also joined the production ensemble S.B.I. (which stood for ‘Surrounded By Idiots’) which also featured Neptunes producer Pharrell. Mosley was also high school friends with brothers Terrence and Gene Thornton, who would become known as Pusha T and Malice of the rap group Clipse, respectively. In 1986, when Timbaland was 14 years old, he was accidentally shot by a co-worker at a local Red Lobster restaurant and was partially paralyzed for nine months. During this time, he began to learn how to DJ using his left hand.

Singer and rapper Missy Elliott heard his material and began working with him. She and her R&B group, Sista, auditioned for DeVante Swing, a producer and member of the successful R&B act Jodeci. DeVante signed Sista to his Swing Mob record label and Elliott brought Mosley and Barcliff along with her to New York, where Swing Mob was based. It was DeVante who renamed the young producer Timbaland, after the Timberland brand of construction boots.[citation needed] He and Magoo became part of SCI Zakys School stable of Swing Mob signees known as “Da Bassment” crew, joining artists such as R&B singer Ginuwine, male vocal group Playa (Smoke E. Digglera, Static Major and Digital Black), and the girl group Sugah. Timbaland did production work on a number of projects with DeVante, including the 1995 Jodeci LP The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel, and Sista’s (unreleased) début LP 4 All the Sistas Around da World. Elliott began receiving recognition as a songwriter for artists such as R&B girl group 702 and MC Lyte. Due to Timbaland’s connection with her, he was often contacted to produce remixes of her songs.

Written by Dianne Washington

Magoo

Where the hell is Magoo?

Timbaland & Magoo are a rap duo consisting of producer and rapper Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley and rapper Melvin “Magoo” Barcliff. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, the duo first met when they were teenagers. They later paired up as a duo and released their debut album Welcome to Our World, spawning their highest-charting single “Up Jumps da Boogie”. They would release two more studio albums as a group, Indecent Proposal in 2001 and Under Construction, Part II in 2003. The latter was meant as a sequel to Missy Elliott’s fourth album Under Construction.

Written by Dianne Washington

Supa Dupa Fly: The 20th Anniversary

Once again, another great classic hip hop album has reached a milestone. It’s like excitement and disbelief at the same time because I was once a kid listening to it when it came out. To give a quick recap, Missy Elliott is one of hip hop’s most creative artists. She got her start in an R&B group called Sista under the management and direction of Jodeci’s own DeVanté Swing but when things started to take a change for the worst, Missy abandoned the group and everything she worked hard for at the time. Fast forward to the summer of 1996. Missy appears on Gina Thompson’s remix of “The Things That You Do” and she also wrote and produced on Aaliyah’s “One In a Million.” Then, a year later, on July 15th, 1997, Missy released her debut album “Supa Dupa Fly.” An album with a sound that was like no other. Timbaland’s production and Missy’s creative, bright and colorful music videos and catchy songs full of R&B vocals and raps made Missy an innovator right out the gate. Her and Busta Rhymes both had music videos that were super cartoonish and creative. Missy brings you, rapping, singing, dancing, and a bunch of other stuff that you’ve never heard and/or seen before and it made you want more. Singles like “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)”, “Hit ‘Em Wit Da Hee”, “Beep Me 911” and “Sock It 2 Me” were all on heavy rotation during 1997 and 1998. Other albums cuts like “Best Friends” and the catchy and dope interlude skit “Bite Our Style” were my favorites outside the singles. Missy’s style and look was also something innovative. She brought back the finger waves that was out during the 80’s, with baggy clothes and sneakers. Ski goggles, garbage bags, oversized baseball jerseys, track suit pants and big sunglasses. A combination of looks that came with a person who was very confident in her size and it also proved to women that you can be yourself. Being plus sized was also beautiful, especially in a world where they only celebrate being thin. 20 years later, Missy is still someone who doesn’t get the credit she deserves as a producer but that’s something normal in hip hop, something that shouldn’t be. Women not getting the same or equal recognition as the men. Makes women like Missy shine even brighter and makes her even more legendary for always staying true to herself in a male dominated field. She’s always “Supa Dupa Fly.”

Miss E… So Addictive: The Legacy of Missy Elliott

Hands down, she is one of the greatest to ever do it. The most creative woman in hip hop. Between both her and Busta Rhymes with the most creative, funniest, and wackiest music videos, her ability to do both singing and rapping and is an incredible writer and producer as well. She’s worked with so many artists that the list is endless. They say her ability to create should be a crime, almost like a misdemeanor. The Misdemeanor herself, aka Missy Elliott, the Virginia native that been through it all and still came out on top to be one of hip hop’s most respected in the game. She grew up an only child with an imagination that reflected very well in her personality and art. While she was in high school, she met a guy named Tim Mosley, who we all know today as Timbaland. Their chemistry worked and they became something that was dope, they were a duo, like peanut butter and jelly, ketchup and mustard. They Always hung out to create something. Timbaland was a DJ while Missy sang and rapped and they would feed off of each other to help make each other’s skills stronger. She also became part of an all girl group who named themselves Fayze. They only had one joint out called “The First Move.” After high school, she and her group went to a Jodeci concert dressed as the female version of them, which was Missy’s idea. They performed for DeVante and they were part of his crew called Da Basement under his label called “Swing Mob.” Other members of Da Basement who we all know as well were Magoo, Tweet, Playa and Ginuwine. DeVante changed Missy’s group name to Sista and in 1994 they released an album called “4 All The Sistas Around Da World” with the only hit single “Brand New.” By 1995, Swing Mob was no longer in effect and Missy left it behind. She then returned as just a producer and writer and ended up being featured on Gina Thompson’s 1996 remix of “The Things That You Do.” Missy also did hits for Total, SWV, 702, Nicole Wray, Destiny’s Child, MC Lyte and worked with Aaliyah on her album “One In a Million.” By 1997, Missy finally released her debut album “Supa Dupa Fly.” Her single “The Rain” came with a video that was way ahead of its time. Directed by Hype Williams, Missy’s Videos during that time was something that was never seen or done before by a female in hip hop. Hype Williams is a director, who at the time, was doing music videos that was far more creative and different from the rest. After breaking out for her debut in 1997, Missy continues to keep putting out albums and hits for days. She’s also writing and producing for other artists as well. With more albums under her name like “Da Real World”, “Miss E… So Addictive”, “Under Construction”, “This Is Not a Test!”, and “The Cookbook”, Missy never loses her touch. She continues to keep going and she’s gotten more greater each time. She was honored at VH1’s 2007 Hip Hop Honors and she’s done a lot of philanthropic work and was even a spokesperson for women who were abused by sharing her story of what happened to her as a child. Forever innovative and creative, imaginative and magical, Missy is definitely a legend. She’s so fly and so addictive!