From the top of 2001’s Miss E… So Addictive it’s clear Missy Elliott is here to have a damn good time. And have a good time she does, spitting sexual innuendo and club drug references at reckless abandon throughout the 63-minute runtime. The instant classic “Get Ur Freak On” is what Elliott will always be remembered for– anyone who went to high school in the 2000’s is probably legally obligated to jump out of their seat and dance when that song comes on– but equally impressive is Elliott’s playful but purposeful mastery of the opposite sex. It’s easy to forget that Elliott’s prime years were when hip hop was completely dominated by gangsta rap, which for the most part treated women as objects and aggressively celebrated that fact, but Elliott carved her own path alongside other female MC’s like Lil’ Kim to stand shoulder to shoulder with her male contemporaries. Songs like “Dog In Heat”, “Slap! Slap! Slap!”, and “One Minute Man” may be equally chauvinistic, but within the context of the era, it was incredibly empowering.
Standout Songs: “Get Ur Freak On”, “Dog In Heat”, “Old School Joint”, “Slap! Slap! Slap!”
