Supa Dupa Fly - Missy Elliott (1997)
Missy her close collaborator Timbaland had worked in obscurity for the first half of the 90s but gained a lot of attention for their songwriting, production, and arrangements around the time they cut Missy’s first record under her own name. That was roughly all it took for Missy’s outsized personality and oddball vocal delivery to take the world by storm.
Timbaland put his stamp on some of the most successful and unique hip hop of this period, under his own name and with Elliot and Ginuine. He often weaves liberal helpings of samples into herky jerky rhythms that take a few bars to gel but then hit hard. That’s kind of how Elliott’s flow works as well, so it’s a great match.
The Rain is based heavily on samples of Ann Peebles’ 1974 track I Can’t Stop The Rain, a particular favorite of mine.
Elliott’s vocals are charsimatic, playful, and always keep you guessing what’s coming next. This was a blast to listen to again.
