Miss E...So Addictive [PA] [ECD] - Elliott, Missy (CD 2001)

One of the hottest producers on the scene producing tracks for Destiny s Child, Whitney Houston and currently taking the nation with the all-star remake of Lady Marmalade , Elliot has released another album which has more cameos than the latest Friends episode. A phenomenal talent and driving force in the hip-hop/R&B industry, I was surprised to find that this album really didn t become a habit even after a couple of listens. With the exception of a couple of tracks I found most of the album to be repetitive and dull.

The album opens promising us we are going to hear some sh*t we have never heard before. It s better than blunt and we ll get crunked on it. (These are her own words) She promises us this album is going to be so addictive. Then it leads into the first track Dog In Heat . This song starts off with a nice disco-funk vibe and we are graced with the presence of Redman and Method Man. Missy Elliot comes in singing and even though her voice isn t the best I have ever heard it works. The best singing though isn t even her. All the ad libs on the chorus or done by someone else. This song isn t too bad and actually is one of my favorite s off the album. It isn t as repetitive thanks to the cameos and the switch between her singing and her guests rapping.

One Minute Man features Ludacris and the production on this is actually pretty good. I like the singing on this and the rapper who gave us What s Your Fantasy really spices up the song. You can probably guess from the title what this song is about. This song seems to go on forever though after awhile when the chorus repeats about six times but when Ludacris begins to flow the song picks up quite a bit. At this point its becoming clear why so many different artists are needed.

Lick Shots is one of the few song Missy handles on her own and I have to say I do not like this song. Her rapping is stilted and she emphasizes the last word of every line and it gets on my nerves. Its like Fran Drescher goes ghetto or something. This song has a really lame beat, bland production and is not catchy in the least. To me it s the equivalent of water dripping in a sink for five minutes.

Get Ur Freak On is kind of interesting with its bouncing techno sound and her rapping isn t quite as annoying. This song has some style to it but it gets repetitive and I can tell not much thought went into what the lyrics were going to be. The chorus consists of repeating the title endlessly and the verses are a few juvenile lines with some various sound effects. The background music is cool but the rest really drones on and on. To be honest Scream a.k.a Itchin is just as bad.

The album picks up a little bit when Old School Joint gets a turn on the CD. I don t know if this is a good song or if its just not as bad as the others. By the time it approaches my ears I feel relief that the lyrics aren t repetitive and stupid. Missy sings and I find this preferable to her rapping. Take Away featuring Ginuwine is a really good song and when she teams up with real performing talent the quality improves drastically. This song is a slow song and really has a warm, sensual groove to it.

4 My People features Eve and this is one of the best songs on the album. It has a great pace, some decent lyrics and a great hook to it. This is going to be a great song for the dance clubs. Eve tears it up when she starts flowing and quite frankly shows Elliot what is needed to get the job done. Slap! Slap! Slap! features Da Brat and Jade. This song is interesting and once again the guest stars save the song. It is now completely clear that Missy Elliot cannot carry a record on her own. Pretty much every female rapper that joins forces with her on this album shows her up. Even Jade, who I have never even heard of.

I ve Changed is only an interlude but its one of the best moments on the album because Li l Mo makes a quick entrance. Elliot comes on and stops her and I felt like slapping her across her melon. Slap! Slap! Slap! Finally we are given a remix of One Minute Man sans Ludacris, add Jay-Z. This version is actually really offensive to me and I don t feel like their was any artistic merit.

This album definitely is not worth the price you pay for it. The only way I would recommend buying it is if your such a big fan of one of the cameo artists that you want everything they ve ever done. Otherwise, treat this like a syringe full of heroin and just say no.