Elliott has a few messages she wants to get across: Rappers need to stop killing each other (absolutely); more MCs should dance like in the old days (right on); and the point that really excites her is the right of women to be as raunchy as men. "Pussy
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don't fail me now," she sings. "Boys, boys, all type of boys/Black, white, Puerto Rican, Chinese boys," she raps. When she wants to allude to a guy's dangling trunk, she drops a sample of an elephant roaring, a euphemism worthy of Howlin' Wolf.
Collaborating with her indispensable producer Timbaland, who makes the most unlikely sounds bounce, Missy gets top-notch work from a bevy of guest stars: Beyoncé Knowles, Jay-Z, and on the humming groove of "Bring the Pain," Method Man. The only misstep is the last song, "Can You Hear Me," a mawkish collaboration with TLC that pays tribute to Aaliyah and Left Eye. Their grief is totally understandable, but the track sounds like high-fructose corn syrup. The rest of Under Construction? It sounds like habanero peppers, cinnamon and sweat.
GAVIN EDWARDS
(RS 911 - December 12, 2002)
The third solo LP from rapper/singer/producer Missy Elliott, Under Construction teams the addictive beats and eclectic vocalism that has become her trademark. This record includes the futuristic Timbaland-produced mega-hit "Work It," as well as the retro-styled "Funky Fresh Dressed.