Missy Elliott reveals she’s secretly recorded six albums of music ahead of headline tour
AMERICAN rap superstar Missy Elliot has revealed that she has an astounding six unreleased albums.
The Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and producer, 52, recently spoke about her upcoming world tour – and let slip she could give fans new music.
Discussing the possibility of new music, which would be her first album in 19 years, the singer likened herself to the late pop icon Prince, who was known for producing several unreleased albums.
Missy told Variety magazine: “Can you imagine, someone like Prince answering that? As a writer and producer, I’m recording music all of the time. So I probably have at least six albums worth of music at this point.”
She continued: “Timbaland is always saying to me, ‘What are you waiting for? I be like, I don’t know. I believe there’ll be a day when you just look online and see an album date from me. So yeah, I think that’ll happen sooner than later.”
MISSY’S NEW TOUR
The groundbreaking rapper broke the internet earlier in the year, when she released a space-themed promotional video across her social media accounts, informing fans of the upcoming and fittingly titled, Out of This World tour.
Joining Missy’s 24-city, North American voyage will be her friends and previous collaborators, R&B princess Ciara, 38, and rap legend Busta Rhymes, 51, as well as special guest and co-producer, Timbaland, 52.
Her mighty return to touring will take place later this summer, and will start in Vancouver, Canada’s famed Rogers Arena this July, before ending in Chicago’s Allstate Arena in August.
UK dates are yet to be announced. The Hollywood Walk of Famer has surprisingly never headlined a solo tour.
In fact, the last time she regularly went on the road was alongside Beyonce, 42, Alicia Keys, 43 and Tamia, 49 on the Verizon Ladies First tour back in 2004.
The multi-talented star hasn’t put out an album since 2005’s Cookbook, which will make her upcoming album be her 7th release.
While her output since the Cookbook has been sporadic, Missy has consistently released singles as a featured artist, including 2013’s UK number-16 single, How Ya Doin’? with former pop group Little Mix, as well as 2023 single Fly Girl, alongside R&B-pop rising stars, FLO.
The hip-hop icon released six successful studio albums between 1997 and 2005, selling an astounding 40 million records worldwide making her one of the best-selling female artists of all time.
EARLY BEGINNINGS
Missy began her career as a member of R&B girl group Sista back in 1988 back in Virginia, alongside her childhood friends Radiah Scott, Chonita Coleman, La’Shawn Shellman.
A few short years later, the young group caught the attention of music producer and singer, Devante Swing, 54, from then 90s R&B boy band Jodeci.
Devante would later sign the young prodigy to a recording contract.
She would bring her high school friend, producer Timbaland to join Swing Mob, also known as The Basement Crew, after pleading with Devante to fly the young music maker out to The Basements, New York hub, from their hometown of Virginia.
Timbaland would later join Missy in Rochester, New York, where Missy, Timbaland and future R&B legends Ginuwine, 53, Tweet, 53 and countless other soon-to-be platinum artists, would cut their teeth as musicians, rehearsing, writing and producing music daily.
However, after five years of lukewarm success, including Sista’s 1994 album 4 All the Sistas Around da World’, Missy and Timbaland would leave the Swing Mob collective, in 1995 when Swing Mob disbanded.
SOLO SUCCESS WITH TIMBALAND
Missy would match her 90s success with even greater accomplishments in the 00s, including the release of 2002 hit single, Work It which reached number-six on the UK Official Singles Chart that year, and number-two on the US Billboard Hot 10.
In recent years, Missy has been accumulating numerous legacy awards for her achievment spanning her over four decade career.
In 2019, Missy was awarded the prestigious MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her amazing music videos. A few years later in 2021, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.