Missy Elliott Surprises With New EP
Missy Elliott made good on her April new music tease and surprised fans with the release of Iconology. The 5-track EP, which was co-produced by Elliott, Wili Hendrix, and Timbaland, is the rapper’s first collection of new music since 2005’s Cookbook.
In April, the artist tweeted that she had completed a large project. On 22 August, she again took to Twitter. Elliott said that the year had inspired gratitude, and that it had made her humbler. The Get UR Freak On singer went on to thank God and her fans before announcing her big surprise.
Music To Dance To
Elliott, who became the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame earlier this year, announced that the EP would drop at midnight. She added that it would be a throwback to a time when music was about dancing and feeling good. The Iconology tracklist includes Throw It Back, Cool Off, DripDemeanor (featuring Sum1), Why I Still Love You, and Why I Still Love You (acapella).
The first reviews were published within hours of the EP’s release. Variety magazine heaped praise on both artist and album. Its review said that the new songs sound completely contemporary; something attributed to Elliott’s influence on artists such as Tierra Whack and Nicki Minaj. It went on to say that the EP placed the rapper in her deserved place at the centre of pop music culture. Perhaps her face will be seen on a slot celebrating her music at an online gambling casino one day.
Missy’s Year
2019 is turning out to be quite the year for Elliott. In addition to her June Songwriters Hall of Fame induction and this month’s EP release, she also will receive the MTV VMA Video Vanguard Award.
More than a rapper, the artist also is a singer, dancer, record producer, songwriter, and philanthropist. She was born on 1 July 1971, and she began her musical career in the early 1990s as part of Sista, an all-women R&B group. Elliott later joined childhood friend Timbaland as part of the Swing Mob. The launch of Supa Dupa Fly in July 1997 began her solo career.
The artist’s debut album was followed by 1999’s Da Real World, 2001’s Miss E… So Addictive, 2002’s Under Construction, 2003’s This Is Not a Test, and 2005’s Cookbook. Among the singles from those albums that helped cement her reputation internationally were 4 My People, Work It, Gossip Folks, and One Minute Man. She has sold more than 30 million albums in the USA alone; a feat that made her Nielsen Music history’s top-selling female rapper.
Elliott has won 5 Grammy Awards, but her stellar career was put on an extended hiatus after she was diagnosed with Grave’s disease. The disorder affects the thyroid. In the rapper’s case, she found out she had it after intense spasms in her legs while driving almost led to an accident. The symptoms worsened, but the rapper responded well to treatment; something that helped make Iconology possible.