Missy Elliott
Under Construction

THE REVIEW

From the very first seconds of the Intro, Missy puts her hands forward, anticipating that she's trying to make sense of her life after undergoing some dramatic events like the loss of friends (her Baby girl Aaliyah above all), the Twin Towers, etc.; therefore, there couldn't be a more indicative title than this, which best expresses the state of the album where she now sees the world from a more humble perspective, learning from the past to live a serene present and build a better future both for herself and for Hip Hop.

This fourth album, again with Timbaland's production, is undoubtedly her best (the first was experimental, the second was dark and tense, and the third was explicitly dance) not only because it is an ode to the Old School but also because it includes "Work It", where Missy's rhymes perfectly match Tim's beats, which alone is worth the entire album despite the other tracks being of excellent quality, thus making the single an added value. As with every respectable Hip Hop album, luxury collaborations are certainly not missing: it starts with Method Man, a name that guarantees, and in fact, "Bring the Pain" is a bomb; Ludacris performs with her in the funny and self-ironic "Gossip Folks" made famous by Fatboy Slim among "clubbers"; Jay-Z is an excellent travel companion in "Back In The Day", a retrospective song on the founding fathers of Hip Hop when this culture was not just materialism, "...and Hip Hop was so much fun!". Some beats are very stripped-down, minimal and essential like "Funky Fresh Dressed" with Ms. Jade, "Hot" and "Go to the Floor", and ironically they are more interesting and captivating than others with a more "produced and rich" sound, "Play The Beat" fully encapsulates the musical spirit of the album.

In my opinion, the weaker tracks are those with an R&B imprint like "Can You Hear Me" with TLC that pays tribute to the late Aaliyah and Left Eye naturally, "Nothing Out There For Me" with Beyoncé's rendition, which is definitely out of place due to too much crooning, and the sensual and relaxed "Pussycat". An interesting choice was to insert at the beginning of each track the message "This is a Missy Elliott exclusive!" as if it were her signature, and indeed her trademark is greatly felt and unmistakable; this is precisely Missy's richness, having beyond an undisputed eclectic talent tremendous personality, charisma, and a great motivation that drives her to make music, namely having grown up listening to Old School Music.