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Happygrrl of the Month:
Missy Elliott...
YOU WANTED TO KNOW
The Happygrrl of the Month title is given to a cool chick who exemplifies the true essence of being a Happygrrl. Which means that she possesses independence, a sense of humour and a slightly neurotic side.
Our Happygrrl of the Month is…Missy Elliott.
The best thing about Missy Elliott is that she comes across as being real, which is a rarity nowadays in such a fickle and pretentious industry. Her songs are constantly challenging the boundaries of hip-hop and R&B, and her chameleon-like behaviour has garnered fans from all walks of life. She's not afraid to venture outside of the norm, which makes her music all the more unique. Although she's a veteran in the music industry, last year was definitely the year of Missy Elliott.
Her third album, Miss E…So Addictive, hit the stores in May of 2001, and the first single, "Get Ur Freak On," became an instant success. It was like a breath of fresh air in a stale summer of music. The next single, "One Minute Man," had men squirming in their seats and women singing in the shower. It was liberating to see a woman who was not your typical size two R&B diva embrace her sexuality so openly. She doesn't strive to get attention for the amount of skin she shows or the clothes she wears - it's all in her talent.
When Missy debut with Supa Dupa Fly in 1997, you knew she was a force to be reckoned with. Not only could she rap with the best of them, she also had a beautiful singing voice. Not many people are able to do both, and no, Ja Rule doesn't count because his singing is just horrible. She projected attitude, but was also very down-to-earth. In her videos, it wasn't all about the benjamins or the bling-bling. In fact, many of Missy's videos can be described as "weird" at best - especially in "One Minute Man" where she takes off her head. She knows how to have fun with herself, and with her audience.
Back in 1991, Missy joined an all-girl group known as Sista, which was fronted by Devante of Jodeci. The album was never released. Undaunted, she began working behind the scenes. She guest starred on Jodeci and Aaliyah's albums, and rapped on Gina Thompson's "The Things You Do." She also produced and wrote for such diverse acts as Whitney Houston (pre-druggie, no doubt), Paula Cole, Destiny's Child, and Christina Aguilera. Her versatility led her to become the first female rap artist to perform on the Lilith Fair Tour. She went on to collaborate with Spice Girls' Mel B on "I Want You Back" and Nelly Furtado on the remixed "Get Ur Freak On." She also got Redman, Methodman, Ginuwine, Eve, Ludacris and Jay-Z to guest on Miss E. Is there anything she can't do?
The answer would be no. She recently signed a production/label deal with Elektra and started her own label, Gold Mind Inc. Nicole Wray, Terrey Carter, and Tweet currently reside there. Her single, "Hot Boyz" from Da Real World, managed to stay on the Billboard Rap Singles for almost a year and took the number one spot for 18 weeks, surpassing previous record-holders Puff Daddy, Coolio, and Da Brat. She was nominated for six 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, and won the Best Female Hip-Hop Artist category at the 2nd Annual BET Awards. All this, and Janet Jackson was the one who sought her out for "Son of a Gun."
As 2002 slowly draws to a close, one has to wonder what she'll do next. Artists are constantly evolving their image to stay on top of the game, but Missy has stayed the same since she exploded onto the scene. It's her consistency, talent, and exuberant attitude that makes Missy Elliott our Happygrrl of the Month. Oh, that and the fact that she put out a song called "She's A Bitch," which is my personal anthem. If there's ever an artist out there that defines the music of her era, Missy Elliott is it. ¤ C.Ho.