Amazon.co.uk Review
"I wanna go back in time..." chants the final verse of "Back in the Day". Time travel was certainly on Missy Elliott's mind when she created her funky, old-school inspired
Under Construction. Clearly affected by the death of her close friend, R&B superstar Aaliyah, it seems Missy has been dwelling on the big questions. She may still be "bling bling" but now she knows those rocks could be around a little longer than her.
The haters and the violence in the hip-hop community weren't always there, she explains. Heavy stuff, but thankfully it hasn't got Missy so down she has forgotten how to party. In fact Under Construction is a call for a return to the golden age of hip-hop: gun-free house parties where egos battled it out at the mic, everyone wore "British Knights and gold chains" and there was plenty of hip-hop you could dance to.
Missy and her long time co-producer Timbaland have eschewed some of the edgier beats of the previous album. Gone, for example, are the sparse tabla beats of "Get Ur Freak On" and instead we get funkier grooves and old school samples on the equally danceable "Bring the Pain" or the retro-sounding "Back in the Day". There are also a couple of laidback R&B ballads and a great duet with Beyonce, "Nothing Out There for Me" (all about choosing your boyfriend over your friends). But don't worry, Missy certainly hasn't toned herself down artistically or lyrically. Just listen to the reversed samples on the massive single "Work It", the dark, synthesised sound on "Slide" and the x-rated demands that always pepper her work. --Caroline Butler
CD Description
'Under Construction' is the fourth album from producer/rapper Missy Elliott. Joined by long time collaborator Timbaland, the album fuses abstract hip hop beats with quirky samplesand Missy's unique vocal style. Backed up with guest vocalsby Jay-Z, Method Man, Beyonce Knowles and Ludacris, the album also features a tribute to Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes recordedwith the surviving members of TLC.
~ Missy Misdemeanor Elliott
~ Missy Elliott
~ Missy Elliott
~ Missy Misdemeanor Elliott
~ Missy Misdemeanor Elliott
