The album received acclaim from critics, who praised Timbaland's futuristic production style and Elliott's performances and persona. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 and topped the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold 1.2 million copies in the United States.
While in high school, Elliott formed a group called Fayze—later to be renamed Sista—with three of her friends.[7][8] The group attracted the attention of record producer DeVante Swing, who was part of the R&B group Jodeci. After being signed to the Swing Mob record label, Sista recorded an album in New York, but the album was never released. This led to subsequent termination of Sista's recording contract. Elliott returned to Portsmouth, Virginia, where she and record producer Timbaland began writing songs and contributed to singer Aaliyah's album One in a Million.
In 1996, Elliott was signed to East West Records, which at that time was a division of Elektra Entertainment Group, and was given her own record label, The Goldmind Inc.Sylvia Rhone, then the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Elektra, encouraged Elliott to embark upon a solo career.[7][9] Recording sessions of Supa Dupa Fly took place at the Master Sound Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia;[10] the recording process took place over slightly more than a week.[11] The album was produced solely by Timbaland.[7]
The first single released from the album was "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)".[12] As part of the promotional drive for her album, Elliott took part in the 1998 Lilith Fair tour; she became the first female rapper to perform at the event.[13] She also joined rapper Jay-Z's Rock the Mic tour.[13]
Music and lyrics
Supa Dupa Fly brings together elements of hip hop, dance, R&B, electronic music, and soul.[14][15] Music critic Garry Mulholland described Timbaland's production as "eschewing samples for a bump 'n' grind electronica, strongly influenced by the digital rhythms of dancehall reggae, but rounder, fuller, fatter".[16]AllMusic described it as consisting of "lean, digital grooves [...] packed with unpredictable arrangements and stuttering rhythms that often resemble slowed-down drum'n'bassbreakbeats."[14] A retrospective review from The New Yorker emphasizes the usage of "extra-musical noises" as "instruments in and of themselves" on the album, and describes the result as "a futuristic sound in which the organic and the synthetic were complementary".[11]
Elliott's raps were described as "full of hilariously surreal free associations that fit the off-kilter sensibility of the music to a tee".[14] According to author Mickey Hess, the album's lyrical content "reveals Elliott's complex, creative, and challenging discussion about womanhood; her demand for respect, respect for her personal voice and her desire for fulfilling intimacy with lovers and friends".[17] Elliott has also been recognized for her diverse cadences and deliveries on the album, a versatility that has been described as her "oily ability to slip from singing to rapping to elliptical riffing".[11]
Upon its release, Supa Dupa Fly received acclaim among music critics. Elliott's rapping, singing and songwriting received much acclaim, while Timbaland's production was hailed as unique and revolutionary. AllMusic called the album a "boundary-shattering postmodern masterpiece" whose "futuristic, nearly experimental style became the de facto sound of urban radio at the close of the millennium".[14]
Supa Dupa Fly debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 with 129,000 copies sold in the first week released,[29] becoming the highest debut for a female rapper at the time.[13][30] The album remained on the chart for 37 weeks.[31] On September 19, 1997, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million copies.[32] As of June 2008, it has sold 1.2 million copies in the United States.[31]
With the release of Supa Dupa Fly, Elliott became one of the most prominent female rappers.[33] Her persona on the album established a niche separate from the archetypes of "hypersexualized vixens or rugged hip hop purists", leading it to be argued that Supa Dupa Fly "caused a shift in how women in rap were perceived".[34] The album is credited for redefining hip hop and R&B;[14] in particular, Elliott's combination of rapped and sung vocals has been described as "pioneering".[11] Its production has been described as "visionary" for its usage of sampling, in which samples are not used straightforwardly and instead undergo "bending... to fit the album's unconventional tempos".[11] Its sound is frequently described as "futuristic" and "ahead of its time", with retrospective reviews often stating that the album retains that feel even decades after its release.[9][11] Steve Huey of AllMusic felt that the album was "arguably the most influential album ever released by a female hip-hop artist".[14]
The 2004 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide rated the album five out of five stars, noting that the avant-garde sound of the album "made Elliott and Timbaland the hottest writer/producer team around".[26] Mulholland called the album a "key prophecy of the dominant 21st century black pop", noting Elliott's ability to "avoid the whole east vs. west, playas vs. gangstas mess." He described Elliott's style as "everything the hip hop doctor ordered; a woman who could flip between aggression and romance, sex and nonsense, materialism and imagination, without batting one outrageously spidery eyelash".[16]
The music videos from Supa Dupa Fly have been recognized as influential for their Afrofuturist style, with Elliott's leather "trash bag suit" in the "I Can't Stand the Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" video being hailed as especially iconic.[11][34]
^[a] Credited as Nicole, the featured artist often gets mistaken to be Nicole Wray, even though the featured artist is Virginia "Nikki" Slim. Missy reportedly talked about the falsely given credit in an interview.[citation needed]
Personnel
Credits for Supa Dupa Fly adapted from AllMusic.[35]
123Gaar, Gillian G. (2002). She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll. Seal Press. p.463. ISBN1-58005-078-6.
↑Brown, Ethan (March 23, 2007). "Everyone Wants Timbaland". Entertainment Weekly. Time. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
↑Farley, Christopher John; Cole, Patrick E.; Thigpen, David E. (September 1, 1997). "The New Video Wizards". Time. Time. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
↑Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. Hal Leonard Corporation. p.362. ISBN0-87930-653-X.
