Arguably the most influential album ever released by a female hip-hop artist, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, is a boundary-shattering postmodern masterpiece.
It had a tremendous impact on hip-hop, and an even bigger one on R&B, as its futuristic, nearly experimental style became the de facto sound of urban radio at the close of the millennium.
A substantial share of the credit has to go to producer Timbaland, whose lean, digital grooves are packed with unpredictable arrangements and stuttering rhythms that often resemble slowed-down drum'n'bass breakbeats.
The results are not only unique, they're nothing short of revolutionary, making Timbaland a hip name to drop in electronica circles as well.
For her part, Elliott impresses with her versatility -- she's a singer, a rapper, and an equal songwriting partner, and it's clear from the album's accompanying videos that the space-age aesthetic of the music doesn't just belong to her producer.
She's no technical master on the mic; her raps are fairly simple, delivered in the slow purr of a heavy-lidded stoner.
Yet they're also full of hilariously surreal free associations that fit the off-kilter sensibility of the music to a tee.
Actually, Elliott sings more on Supa Dupa Fly than she does on her subsequent albums, making it her most R&B-oriented effort; she's more unique as a rapper than she is as a singer, but she has a smooth voice and harmonizes well.
Guest rappers Busta Rhymes, Lil' Kim, and da Brat all appear on the first three tracks, which almost pulls focus away from Elliott until she unequivocally takes over with the brilliant single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"; elsewhere, "Sock It 2 Me," "Beep Me 911," and the weeded-out "Izzy Izzy Ahh" nearly match its genius.
Elliott and Timbaland would continue to refine and expand this blueprint, sometimes with even greater success, but Supa Dupa Fly contains the roots of everything that followed.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Busta's IntroTrevor Smith | Missy Elliott | Play | 01:53 | 4 MB | 11 MB |
| 2 | Hit 'Em Wit da HeeMissy Elliott, Kimberly Jackson Jones, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 04:19 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 3 | Sock It 2 MeThom Bell, Missy Elliott, Shawntae Harris, William Hart, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 04:17 | 9 MB | 27 MB |
| 4 | The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)Donald Bryant, Missy Elliott, B. Miller, Bernard Miller, Timothy Mosley, Ann Peebles | Missy Elliott | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 5 | Beep Me 911Melvin Barcliff, Missy Elliott, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 04:57 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 6 | Pass da BluntH.B. Bennett, Missy Elliott, H. Jackson Brown Jr., Timothy Mosley, F. Thomas Simpson | Missy Elliott | Play | 03:18 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 7 | Bite Our Style (Interlude)Missy Elliott, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 00:43 | 1 MB | 3 MB |
| 8 | Friendly SkiesMissy Elliott, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 04:59 | 11 MB | 28 MB |
| 9 | Best FriendsMissy Elliott, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 04:07 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 10 | Don't Be Commin' (In My Face)Missy Elliott, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 11 | Izzy Izzy AhhMissy Elliott, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 03:53 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 12 | Why You Hurt MeMissy Elliott, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 04:31 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 13 | I'm Talkin'Missy Elliott, Timothy Mosley | Missy Elliott | Play | 05:02 | 11 MB | 30 MB |
| 14 | GettawayMissy Elliott, Timothy Mosley, Tracey Selden, Lashone Siplin | Missy Elliott | Play | 04:25 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 15 | Busta's OutroTimothy Mosley, Trevor Smith | Missy Elliott | Play | 01:38 | 3 MB | 9 MB |
| 16 | Missy's Finale | Missy Elliott | Play | 00:24 | 0 MB | 1 MB |
| 17 | They Don't Wanna Fuck Wit Me | Missy Elliott, Timbaland | Play | 03:18 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 60 mins | 138 MB | |||||
| 60 mins | 370 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 702 | Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Performer, Vocals |
| 2 | Aaliyah | Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Performer, Vocals |
| 3 | Kwaku Alston | Photography |
| 4 | Melvin Barcliff | Composer |
| 5 | Thom Bell | Composer |
| 6 | H.B. Bennett | Composer |
| 7 | H. Jackson Brown Jr. | Composer |
| 8 | Donald Bryant | Composer |
| 9 | Gregory Burke | Design |
| 10 | Busta Rhymes | Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Performer, Rap, Vocals |
| 11 | Richard Clark | Assistant Engineer |
| 12 | Drew Coleman | Assistant Engineer |
| 13 | Da Brat | Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Performer, Vocals |
| 14 | Jimmy Douglas | Engineer, Mixing |
| 15 | Missy Elliott | Composer, Executive Producer, Primary Artist, Rap, Vocals |
| 16 | Ginuwine | Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Performer, Vocals |
| 17 | Shawntae Harris | Composer |
| 18 | William Hart | Composer |
| 19 | Adina Howard | Guest Artist |
| 20 | Kimberly Jackson Jones | Composer |
| 21 | Lil' Kim | Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Performer |
| 22 | Magoo | Rap |
| 23 | B. Miller | Composer |
| 24 | Bernard Miller | Composer |
| 25 | Timothy Mosley | Composer |
| 26 | Nicole | Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 27 | Ann Peebles | Composer |
| 28 | Bill Pettaway | Bass, Guitar |
| 29 | Herb Powers | Mastering |
| 30 | Tracey Selden | Composer |
| 31 | F. Thomas Simpson | Composer |
| 32 | Lashone Siplin | Composer |
| 33 | Trevor Smith | Composer |
| 34 | Space | Guest Artist |
| 35 | Space | Featured Artist |
| 36 | Timbaland | Executive Producer, Featured Artist, Mixing, Performer, Producer, Vocals |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |