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We should all hail the resurgence of Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott as her 2019 EP reminds us – nobody does it better. Her first collection of new material since 2005’s The Cookbook, Iconology is a welcome reminder to the weird, wild world of Elliott’s hip-hop/dance fusion. There’s been several aborted comeback attempts with singles like “Pep Rally,” “WTF” and “9th Inning” appearing and quickly being left adrift. I guess we should thank Katy Perry (groan) for giving Elliott a greatest hits medley cameo during her Super Bowl halftime show and really greasing the wheels of this return.
It’s not that Elliott hasn’t been busy, but her medical issues have kept her from taking the stage in the same way that nearly every year between 2000 and 2005 saw a new album. She’s gone back to writing, producing and guest appearances, which is where she made her name and brand before unleashing her Afrofuturistic sound on Supa Dupa Fly in 1997. There’s never been a pioneering artist in the hip-hop universe like her before or since, and no one’s really tried. Only she can create her style and sound – a mixture of world beats, throwback jams, and a playful, confident sexuality that’s empowering and fun.
Iconology doesn’t break new ground with Elliott’s sound or style, but reminds us of just how much the wider pop cultural landscape is missing in its prolonged absence. Between the breakneck “Cool Off” and the done-wrong ballad “Why I Still Love You,” Elliott crafts entire sonic worlds where you as the listener are never quite certain where her next detour will go, but you’re thrilled to be along for her journey. And “Throw It Back” remains both a declaration of her reclaiming her throne and a wistful ode to the road she’s paved. It is both an anthem of Elliott as icon and a playful tease of her overall mantra to throw hip-hop back to the good ol’ days.
It has been a banner year for Elliott between finally receiving the Video Vanguard award and becoming the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. It made sense for her to dip her toe back into the water, so to speak. I just hope that this sampler is a taste of future things to come and not another discarded attempt at a comeback. I hope you know how much we’ve all missed you Missy.
DOWNLOAD: “Throw It Back”
