Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott must hold some secret patent for what she does, always teetering on pop culture's precarious ledge - always wanting to surprise us with another mystifying delivery from her endless arsenal of musical weapons. She easily reigns as one of music's top ten influential talents. But what exactly is she? What will they inscribe on that lifetime Grammy she's no doubt going to receive one day: Artist/producer/writer/arranger/rapper/singer/executive...Missy Elliott

Rumor has it Missy stopped listening to the radio before going into the studio so she could "clear the head." The resulting effort is nothing short of 'head-spinning,' with memorable guest-turns from admiring superstars such as Redman and Method Man on "Dog In Heat," Ginuwine on the majestic "Take Away," Eve - Missy's comrade-in-Divahood - spitting over "4 My People," and two versions of the album's most contagious track "One Minute Man," featuring Ludacris and Jay-Z respectively. Not to mention this year's party anthem, the hyperbolic "Get Ur Freak On."

The tag-team of Missy and Timbaland has become one of hip hop's legendary duos, with Missy's hitmaker rep' making her one of music's most sought after producers. Born in Portsmouth VA, Missy dreamed of a music career from those very first days when she would sing and play-act for relatives.

She was first signed to Elektra, as part of the group Sista, in 1991 by Devante (of Jodeci) but the album was never released. It was one of those bizarre twists of fate, however, that would give Missy an opportunity to flourish behind the scenes as a producer and writer - and even sometimes guest-star. She graced platinum tracks for Jodeci and Aaliyah, landing a breakthrough rap stint on Gina Thompson's "The Things you Do." Her infectious rhyme garnered her the nickname the "hee haw girl", with Missy landing a production/label deal with Elektra soon after.

But Missy kept 'em guessing. She began carefully constructing her empire around Gold Mind Inc., releasing the gold-plus effort from soulful vocalist Nicole, as well as continuing to produce and write a slew of diverse hits for other superstars, including Whitney Houston, Paula Cole, Destiny's Child, and Christina Aguilera. Missy Elliott also became the first female hip hop artist to perform on the renowned Lilith Fair tour.