Supa dupa fly: The ultimate Missy Elliott playlist

Missy Elliott has always advocated for other women in the industry, so it was only right that she got Da Brat to collaborate with her on “Sock It 2 Me.” In the video, Missy Elliott, Da Brat, are experiencing an entirely different world in outer space. It's also been jokingly said that Elliott’s spacesuit worn in the video was the inspiration for the Gmail logo.

“All N My Grill” was a single with a catchy production as Timbaland seems to bring in more of a classical inspiration to his beats. Elliott collaborated with Big Boi and Nicole Wray to release “All N My Grill” as her second single for Da Real World album. 

By the time Missy Elliott dropped her third album Miss E... So Addictive, her longtime collaborator Timbaland was experimenting with new sounds. Timbaland’s love for bhangra elements was evident in his production on Missy’s lead single, “Get Ur Freak On.” The single became an international hit and reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Missy Elliott’s single “Gossip Folks” was a response to the criticism she received in the industry in regards to her image and sexuality. The Dave Meyers-directed video has Missy Elliott walking through a school in which students are heard gossiping about her before breaking into a number of dance sequences. 

Although Missy Elliott was a group member of Sista, she truly came into her own in 1997 when she dropped her solo debut album Supa Dupa Fly. She brought her eclectic wordplay to her lead single, “The Rain.” The Hype Williams-directed video also featured Elliott’s famed trash bag suit.

Being a hot girl may be the crazed term today, but back in 1999, Missy Elliott was letting it be known that she likes “Hot Boyz.” Elliott is not afraid to showcase what she wants, she likes the hot boy’s car, wallet, crib, and wants to hook his friends up with hers. On the hook she says, “Hot boys / Baby you got what I want / See ‘cause y’all be driving Lexus jeeps and the Benz Jeeps and the Lincoln jeeps / Nothing cheaper got them Platinum Visas.” She’s ready to live the life she deserves with a certified hot boy.

After the success of “Get Ur Freak On,” Missy Elliott brought her singing prowess to her next single, “One Minute Man.” The additions of Ludacris and Trina mirrored Elliott’s comedic style for this song. 

Missy Elliott’s third single “Beep Me 911” showcases how she’s just as much a singer as she is a rapper. While 702 adds their melodies to the song alongside Timbaland’s bouncy production, it echoes perfectly with Missy’s tone. Elliott is also never afraid to think outside the box in her visuals. In the music video, Elliott and her dancers are dressed up like dolls in a dollhouse.

In 2002, Missy Elliott released her fifth album Under Construction. The album’s lead single was the Timbaland-produced “Work It,” a track that paid homage to ‘80s hip hop with samples from Run D-M-C and Rock Master Scott & The Dynamic Three. Missy was praised for the line, “Is it worth it? Let me work it / I put my thing down, flip it, and reverse it”—before actually reversing the lyrics in the next line. “Work It” is Elliott’s biggest record to date as it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2019, Missy Elliot released the EP, Iconology. One of the standout singles “Cool Off” is a dance-heavy track that embodies Missy's love for giving fans something they can move to. 

In 1999, Missy Elliott released her sophomore album Da Real World. The album’s lead single “She’s a #@*%” was produced by Timbaland, and besides the bouncy Timbo beat, the music video stands out. As she worked with longtime director Hype Williams, the video shows Elliott and her backup dancing in water scenes. Missy is always going to give fans otherworldly visual productions, standout fashions, insane choreography, and a gorgeous face! 

On her single “Take Away,” Missy Elliott once again is showcasing her singing vocals. The song is somewhat bittersweet since she released the video as a tribute to her good friend and collaborator Aaliyah. Adding Ginuwine’s smooth tone and Tweet’s airy vocals make the song sound like a pure R&B ballad. 

By the time Missy Elliott released the Pharrell-produced single, “WŢF (Where They From)” it had been a few years since the rapper released her last solo album. Although the single wasn’t part of an album, Missy had contributed to other artist’s albums over the years and fans saw this single as a supa dupa fly comeback.

The video for “Pass That Dutch” is always a stand-out because it embodies how Missy likes to bring visuals that may not always make sense to every viewer. The Dave Meyers-directed video shows Missy in many scenes, such as warning people about a virus, being a scarecrow, dancing on a farm, to becoming a beauty pageant queen. 

Although it wasn’t released as an official single, “Lick Shots” was featured as a snippet in Missy Elliott’s video for “Get Ur Freak On.” Elliott knows she’s standing out among the rest in the industry as she begins the song saying, “Ayo Timbaland / See what they don’t understand is we about to flip our whole system on ‘em.” And she did! 

On Missy Elliott’s sixth album The Cookbook, she started to expand her work with other producers. Elliott produced the album’s lead single “Lose Control,” which featured Ciara and Fatman Scoop. It’s the type of song that is sure to get anyone hype and active on the dance floor. 

Missy Elliott’s “I’m Really Hot” showcases the rapper fully realizing her impact. The lyrics are all about how radio plays her songs and how she can pretty much annihilate everyone else in the game.

By 2017, Missy Elliott was starting to release surprise one-off singles and her track “I’m Better” is a fan favorite. Elliott has been in the industry since the ‘90s and decades later, she's still releasing music that is true to her core, braggadocious, and confident.

While Missy Elliott was a member of R&B group Sista, she was also a member of the hip-hop collective Swing Mobb that included Timbaland, Magoo, and Ginuwine. Timbaland and Magoo branched out on their own and released one of their most prominent singles to date, “Up Jumps Da Boogie.” Elliott is added to the third verse and showcases how she can run with any rapper in the game.

As previously mentioned, Missy Elliott has always advocated for other women in the industry, so it was only right when Lil' Kim added her along with other female MCs to her single, “Not Tonight.” While we may not always see a lot of unity with female rappers today, it was dominant for the girls in the ‘90s.