b. Melissa Arnette Elliott, 1 July 1971, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. Hip-hop/R&B songwriter Missy Elliott aka Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott has become one of the most esteemed figures in contemporary American music, providing material for artists including MC Lyte, Adina Howard, Jodeci, Aaliyah, Tweet and Busta Rhymes, as well as working as an arranger, producer, talent scout and record boss.
Elliott first performed as part of a neighbourhood singing group, Sista, who were signed up by Donald "DeVante Swing" from Jodeci in 1992. Elliott was already writing with her long-time collaborator, Tim Mosley aka Timbaland, and with Sista's career terminally stalled (DeVante would not release any of their recordings) she concentrated on songwriting and production. Elliott and Mosley provided hits for SWV ("Can We?") and 702 ("Steelo"), and wrote and produced the majority of Aaliyah's second album, One In A Million. Elliott's distinctive "hee haw" rap on Gina Thompson's 1996 hit "The Things You Do" brought her wider exposure, and several offers from record companies. Fiercely independent and ambitious, Elliott signed to Elektra Records as a solo artist on the understanding that they would subsidise her own label, The Goldmind Inc., and that Timbaland was brought on board as her production partner.
In 1997, Elliott launched her solo career with the album Supa Dupa Fly and attendant single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)". The well-connected Elliott was provided with immediate exposure for the song via rotation play of its Hype Williams-directed video on MTV. Co-produced with Timbaland and producer DJ Magic, the album received excellent reviews, though Elliott was reluctant to commit herself fully to a career as a performer: "I don't want to get caught up and be an artist always on the go, because once you do that, it's hard to get into the studio and do what I do." The album also featured cameo appearances from Aaliyah and Busta Rhymes.
Despite her growing reputation and success, Elliott remained for the time being based in her home town in Virginia. In September 1998, she collaborated with Melanie B from the Spice Girls on the one-off single, "I Want You Back", which debuted at number 1 in the UK chart. Further writing and remixing work for Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson followed, although Elliott found time in her busy schedule to release her second set, Da Real World, in July 1999. This was the last album to be released under her Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott moniker.
Incredibly, Elliott and Timbaland managed to surpass their first two albums with 2001's Miss E ... So Addictive, a stunning compendium of contemporary dance beats, urban ballads and left-field samples that was instantly hailed as one of the finest albums of the new millennium. The album also generated the major pop and urban hits "Get Ur Freak On" and "One Minute Man", while a Basement Jaxx remix of "4 My People" proved popular in clubs. The following year the drastically slimmed-down Elliott broke into the US Top 5 with "Work It", the lead-off single from her fourth album Under Construction. She also co-wrote Tweet's breakthrough hit single "Oops (Oh My)" and masterminded the R&B singer's career through Goldmind, although rumours of an affair between the two women were vehemently denied.
Elliott's solo career tailed off slightly with the release of 2003's This Is Not A Test!, a lesser work which failed to generate any major hits. She landed a significant role in the movie Honey in the same year. After making a guest appearance on Ciara's hit single "1, 2 Step" in 2004, Elliott complete work on her sixth studio album, The Cookbook. The album was regarded as a return to form and included the excellent hit single "Lose Control" (featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop). Her UPN reality television show The Road To Stardom With Missy Elliott was less successful but did keep screening through an entire series.
