Missy Elliott, Do the Ladies Run This!
Missy Elliott is prepping her sixth studio album release and is gaining attention because it’s her first LP without Timbaland and for its lyrics that spell out her thoughts as a human being.
Interview by: Miyuki Watanabe Myrthil
Her success not only as a producer/songwriter/MC but also her excellent visual sense shown in promotional videos, and furthermore, her talent as a fashion leader—it’s common knowledge that Missy Elliott’s existence and success have long transcended the level of music alone. I think the fact that she appeared in commercials for Coke and GAP succinctly expresses “how much America loves Missy.” Already having made her Hollywood debut in the movie Honey (2003), last year she conquered the TV world with the great success of the series Road to Stardom (a so-called “A Star Is Born” type audition show), in which she participated/appeared as the total executive producer herself. In terms of her multi-faceted activities, she’s practically unrivaled.
Missy has produced a new album, squeezed in amidst her busy schedule, which is finally coming out. As is typical of meddling fans, when her remarkable activities outside of music are talked about too much, one tends to want to ask, “So, what about your main job?”. That’s precisely why I was relieved by the brilliant work on Tweet’s new release, It’s Me Again, which arrived a little earlier, and at the same time, my anticipation for her own new album was further stoked. Moreover, the location for the long-awaited listening party and subsequent interview was Jamaica, which sent me over the moon.
The new album, unveiled at a party where press from outside the US gathered together, tastefully incorporates the old-school flavor that could already be called her theme while (once again) showing off Missy’s characteristic innovation—a fiercely impressive record. The first single, “Lose Control,” reminiscent of electro-dance classics, features Ciara and Fatman Scoop. Don’t miss the nostalgic flow on the Neptunes-produced street cut “On and On” (details in the main text). Other features include Mary J. Blige, the noteworthy Mike Jones, Slick Rick, and surprisingly, Grand Puba (but the result makes perfect sense when you hear it!!). The producer lineup includes Scott Storch, making The Cookbook full of highlights even for non-fans. At the time of the interview in late April, it was in a rough mix state, and it was repeatedly mentioned that more songs and guests were scheduled to be added, so the new work that will be released to the world will surely be several times more powerful than what the writer heard. Missy spoke about it.
This conversation is translated, lightly edited for content and clarity, follows below.
What’s the origin of the title “The Cookbook”?
“Every album I’ve released so far, I see it as a kind of recipe that shapes the artist that is me—a producer, a writer, and an MC. I think the style and atmosphere have differed with each album, but that means the spices used are different each time. I had the chance to think about that this time, and that’s why I chose this title.”
Is there a specific concept?
“I haven’t particularly decided, but when you come home tired, the kind of record you want to listen to isn’t about shooting guns or what gangsters are doing, you know (laughs). I wanted to make an album like that, one that makes you feel good and want to party even if you don’t go to the club.”
Wasn’t it difficult to carve out time for recording?
“I started working on it after the filming for Road to Stardom finished. It took three months. Before, I could finish an album in maybe two weeks… Right after the Ladies First Tour with Beyoncé and Alicia Keys ended, the recording for ‘Road To Stardom’ began, and although I wrote songs during that time, it wasn’t like I could just smoothly finish it like in the old days.”
Regarding your previous work, This Is Not a Test, I think it couldn’t be called an explosive success compared to past works?
“Yes, it’s true I feel a bit disappointed about it. I don’t think I was in the best state emotionally, either. There was pressure from the label to shorten the production period, and I’ll confess that even when I listened to the finished work, I felt something wasn’t quite right. But now this time, even though the label underwent a major transformation (Note: Elektra, where she was signed, merged with Atlantic), they’ve let me use my time freely, and psychologically, it feels similar to when I was making Under Construction. Everything went well back then, so maybe the outlook is pretty bright this time too.”
Please tell us about the artists and producers you collaborated with this time.
“For me, I had absolutely no intention of choosing collaborators based on who’s hottest in the current scene or anything like that. It’s all about respect as an artist. That’s also the feeling behind choosing Slick Rick and Grand Puba, who are iconic figures of old school. It’s an undeniable fact that they are the backbone of the hip-hop scene today, and I included the hope that I could teach that in a cool way. Making a dope record, leading to the reaction, ‘Who is this?’, and hopefully giving kids who listen the chance to want to know more about the collaborators. Then there’s Mary (J. Blige), who is nothing but respect to me. Her perspective on the world hasn’t changed since her debut, and where else can you find an artist who has been able to stay real for this long and still evoke deep empathy for it? Mary helped me even back when the world didn’t know who I was. Ciara, I think, is an artist who has something that’s been missing from the scene for a while. She’s super popular with kids, and she’s a great dancer. It feels like kids now are looking forward to seeing what kind of dance Ciara will show them. And Mike Jones is a genius! Not just his music; I’ve heard various promotional methods before, but I never thought of that one (Note: Printing his own cell phone number on T-shirts and repeatedly advertising ‘Call me!’ every time he appeared in the media, which gained notoriety and led Warner to sign a distribution deal). He says his own name about 20 times wherever he goes, gives out his real cell phone number no matter who it is and actually answers the phone himself.”
When and how did you get to know Mike Jones?
“Actually, I’ve never met him. But I asked people around me to somehow get in touch with him, and they told me he’s on the same label (laughs). Also, right now I’m trying to get in contact with an artist named M.I.A. She’s a girl from the UK, and she’s a genius too.”
What! When I first saw her music video, I thought, ‘It would definitely be interesting if she teamed up with Missy!’
“Seriously? Maybe I should hire you as my A&R (laughs). Someone gave me her CD, and I listened to it. There was a song in there I liked so much I listened to it over and over, and since then, I’ve been trying to track her down.”
Earlier, you said you wanted to ‘educate the new generation of listeners in a cool way,’ but the new album as a whole shows a prominent influence from old school. Is this also intentional?
“It’s not really like that. Maybe I think I just have an old soul. I feel warmth from the music of that era, and I’m the type who reacts excessively like, ‘Ah, I loved this song!’ even to old songs that occasionally play on the radio. So I think my music unconsciously goes in that direction.”
I was reminded by your comment just now, but when I interviewed Tweet the other day, she mentioned that before recording her new work, the two of you discussed that ‘the current industry needs timeless music.’
“Instead of just records that nod to the times, I think true artists should make music that can stay fresh even after 10 years.”
Do you often listen to old school as a source of inspiration?
“Oh, totally. All day long. My friends hate riding in the car with me. They’re like, ‘Don’t you have the new The Game album?’ (laughs). But I ignore them and put on DeBarge or Chaka Khan.”
This time you’re also working with The Neptunes and Scott Storch, but you yourself are also a top producer. What is working with them like? “
At first, Pharrell came saying things like, ‘You can do whatever you like,’ but I was like, ‘Hey, I need a hot producer like you to take charge here!’ ‘No, with Missy, that’s a bit…’ We argued for a while (laughs). After that, Pharrell mentioned, ‘You know, we haven’t heard a song by a female MC with a Roxanne Shanté vibe in a while.’ So he brought me a track made along those lines, which became ‘On And On’. I also pulled out Shanté’s album, listened to it, and rhymed. Scott (Storch) was more like, ‘Here’s my track. Cook it up however you like.’”
In the song “My Struggles” featuring Mary J. Blige and Grand Puba, what are you talking about?
“It’s about my childhood. Living together with a father who committed violence he did. Towards my mother. I put it up in my room and swore, ‘Someday I’ll become a superstar and rescue my mother from a house like this’. That’s my struggle. Even the people who are fawned over as celebrities now, they’re all ordinary humans. They each live with their own problems and worries, so of course, anyone cries, it’s only natural. I chose Mary because she has overcome various problems and I thought she was someone with a story suitable for this song. Grand Puba, I thought that voice was suitable for this song.”
Are there any other songs that are particularly meaningful to you?
“‘Teary Eyed’. The person who came for an interview just before was teary-eyed when we talked about this song. That’s how much this song resonates with women. Women are very delicate, and don’t they pour their hearts into romantic relationships? Wanting to have the child of the person they love, getting depressed when it doesn’t work out… I think it’s a song that women will surely be able to cry along to while listening. Then there’s ‘Mami’. This one, I think, is a song that can inspire women, give them power. Women have been oppressed for too long. There’s been pimp culture and stuff, you know. In this song, I’m saying, ‘Now it’s your turn to make money and show off your success’. We’re not prostitutes! (laughs).”
You previously mentioned feeling sympathy for Madonna’s way of life, but is there anyone else who catches your interest lately?
“Hmm, it’s still Madonna, after all (laughs). Her riskiness, the unpredictability where she always betrays expectations in a good way—that’s already enshrined in my personal hall of fame.”
What did you learn from your first TV show, Road to Stardom?
“It reaffirmed for me that an artist needs the strength to maintain unwavering confidence, no matter how much people around them say the opposite. Everyone goes through a period where they think, ‘I can’t do this anymore’. But if you don’t have confidence in your own talent, nobody will recognize you. The kids who appeared on that TV show all came participating with the attitude that they were number one and the kid next to them was nothing. They were just ambitious kids who had never been criticized by people at a professional level before. Then people like me or Dallas Austin (one of the guest judges) come along and tear them down saying, ‘That performance was wack!.’ But even then, the next day they’d miraculously bounce back saying, ‘It doesn’t matter what you guys say, you’re the ones who don’t have eyes to see’ (laughs). I take my hat off to that hunger. Even now, I work every day with the same feeling as back when I didn’t have a label contract or anything. The moment you get the complacent thought like, ‘I don’t have money troubles anymore, and nobody can stop my momentum now,’ that’s when people fail. That’s just how it is. But I’m different. I’ll appear before everyone as a completely new Missy Elliott, betraying expectations.”
Where do the motivation and driving force for your constant creativity come from?
“I was an odd kid since childhood. But the core of it was the feeling that I always wanted to see my mother smile. Confirming she looked happy was enough to satisfy me based on her expression. I always wanted to be able to get her anything she wanted.”
As someone with children, hearing stories like that tends to make my eyes well up.
“Aren’t all kids like that? Your baby probably thinks that way too; they’ll make you happy.”
The common image of Missy, due to her innovation and eccentricity, was often framed in a way that transcended gender differences. However, what she revealed in this interview, I believe, was her delicacy and femininity, located far from the previous public perception.
As mentioned in the heartwarming handwritten letter from Missy distributed to the media at the new album listening party, she was actually in Jamaica when she heard the news of Aaliyah’s passing. Missy, who always arranges press days, bringing numerous journalists together at once, consistently chooses wonderful locations so that everyone can work enjoyably in a relaxed environment. However, describing this place, Jamaica, as a “bittersweet” place for her and saying she is still in the process of healing the emotional wounds caused by Aaliyah’s death, she seemed the most human I had ever seen her. Until now.