Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known under her
stage name Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott or simply
Missy Elliott, is an American
rapper, singer, songwriter, and
record producer. Elliott embarked on her music career with all-female R&B group
Sista in the early 1990s and later became part of the
Swing Mob collective along with childhood friend and producer
Timbaland with whom she worked on projects for
Aaliyah,
702,
Total, and
SWV. Following several guest appearances, in 1997, she launched her solo career with the release of her debut album
Supa Dupa Fly, which spawned the hit single "
The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" and "
Sock It 2 Me". The album debuted at number three on the
Billboard 200, the highest-charting debut for a female rapper at the time. Her following album
Da Real World (1999), produced the singles "
She's a Bitch", "
All n My Grill", and the top five hit "
Hot Boyz".