Arguably the most influential album ever released by a female hip-hop artist, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, is a boundary-shattering postmodern masterpiece. It had a tremendous impact on hip-hop, and an even bigger one on R&B, as its futuristic, nearly experimental style became the de facto sound of urban radio at the close of the millennium. A substantial share of the credit has to go to producer Timbaland, whose lean, digital grooves are packed with unpredictable arrangements and stuttering rhythms that often resemble slowed-down drum'n'bass breakbeats. The results are not only unique, they're nothing short of revolutionary, making Timbaland a hip name to drop in electronica circles as well. For her part, Elliott impresses with her versatility -- she's a singer, a rapper, and an equal songwriting partner, and it's clear from the album's accompanying videos that the space-age aesthetic of the music doesn't just belong to her producer. She's no technical master on the mic; her raps are fairly simple, delivered in the slow purr of a heavy-lidded stoner. Yet they're also full of hilariously surreal free associations that fit the off-kilter sensibility of the music to a tee. Actually, Elliott sings more on Supa Dupa Fly than she does on her subsequent albums, making it her most R&B-oriented effort; she's more unique as a rapper than she is as a singer, but she has a smooth voice and harmonizes well. Guest rappers Busta Rhymes, Lil' Kim, and da Brat all appear on the first three tracks, which almost pulls focus away from Elliott until she unequivocally takes over with the brilliant single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"; elsewhere, "Sock It 2 Me," "Beep Me 911," and the weeded-out "Izzy Izzy Ahh" nearly match its genius. Elliott and Timbaland would continue to refine and expand this blueprint, sometimes with even greater success, but Supa Dupa Fly contains the roots of everything that followed. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
While in high school, Elliott formed a group called Fayze—later to be renamed Sista—with three of her friends.[1][2] The group attracted the attention of record producer DeVante Swing, who was part of the R&B group Jodeci. After being signed the Swing Mob record label, Sista recorded an album in New York, but was never released. This led to subsequent termination of Sista's recording contract. Elliott returned to Portsmouth, Virginia, where she and record producer Timbaland began writing songs and contributed to singer Aaliyah's album One in a Million. In 1996, Elliott was signed to Elektra Records and was given her own record label, The Goldmind Inc.. Chairmen and chief executive officer (CEO) of Elektra at the time, Sylvia Rhone encouraged Elliott to embark in a solo career.[1] Recording sessions of the Supa Dupa Fly took place at the Master Sound Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia.[3] The album was produced solely by Timbaland.[1]
Marketing and promotion
The first single released from the album was "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)".[4] As part of the promotional drive for her album, Elliott took part of the 1998 Lilith Fair tour; she became the first female rapper to perform at the event.[5] She also joined rapper Jay-Z's Rock the Mic tour.[5]
Musical content
Supa Dupa Fly contains elements of alternative hip hop, pop rap, dance, R&B, and soul.[6][7] According to author Mickey Hess, the album's lyrical content "reveals Elliott's complex, creative, and challenging discussion about womanhood; her demand for respect, respect for her personal voice and her desire for fulfilling intimacy with lovers and friends".[8] The album's opening track, "Busta's Intro", features rapper Busta Rhymes as a town crier warning of a "historical event about to unfold".[8] "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" contains a sample of Ann Peebles' 1973 song "I Can't Stand the Rain".[9]
Upon its release, Supa Dupa Fly received critical acclaim among music critics. Writers lauded record producer Timbaland's production as unique and revolutionary, whose "lean, digital grooves are packed with unpredictable arrangements and stuttering rhythms".[6] Music critic Garry Mulholland described Timbaland's production, "eschewing samples for a bump 'n' grind electronica, strongly influenced by the digital rhythms of dancehall reggae, but rounder, fuller, fatter".[15] Elliott's rapping, singing and songwriting also received much acclaim. The 2004 edition of The New Rolling Stone Album Guide rated the album five out of five stars, noting that the avant-garde sound of the album "made Elliott and Timbaland the hottest writer/producer team around".[14] Mulholland called the album a "key prophecy of the dominant 21st century black pop", noting Elliott's ability to "avoid the whole east vs. west, playas vs. gangstas mess." He described Elliott's style as "everything the hip hop doctor ordered; a woman who could flip between aggression and romance, sex and nonsense, materialism and imagination, without batting one outrageously spidery eyelash".[15]
With the release of Supa Dupa Fly, Elliott became one of the most prominent female rappers.[16] The album is credited for redefining hip hop and R&B.[6] Steve Huey of Allmusic felt that the album was "arguably the most influential album ever released by a female hip-hop artist", calling it a "boundary-shattering postmodern masterpiece".[6]Spin magazine ranked the album at number nine on its Top 20 Albums of the Year.[8] In 1998, four out of five music critics from The New York Times ranked the album as one of their top ten favorite albums of 1997.[17] The album earned Elliott two Grammy Award nominations: Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance for "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)".[8]
Supa Dupa Fly debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with 129,000 copies sold in the first week released[18], the highest debut for a female rapper at the time.[5][19] The album remained on the chart for 37 weeks.[20] As of June 2008, the album sold 1.2 million copies in the United States[20] and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[21]
^Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 362. ISBN087930653X.
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