By DAVID BRINNMissy Elliot 311(photo credit: Courtesy)
We’ve had our share of divas – in the best sense of the word – visit us recently: Madonna, Rhianna, Sir Elton, a rumored but unsubstantiated private appearance last month by Christina Aguilera, and even reports of Barbara Streisand being approached to perform here.But there’s no diva that works it like Missy Elliot, who’ll be making her Israeli debut on July 15 at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds. According to reports from the field, the onewoman rap industry is showing no signs of letdown, despite being slightly past her mid ‘00s prime. And even with the riches and acclaim, she can still live up to her nickname ‘Misdemeanor.’At an appearance on July 3 at the Barclaycard Wireless Festival at London’s Hyde Park, Elliott showed up a half-hour late before commandeering the stage in her signature Adidas tracksuit, performing hits like “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” and “Sock It 2 Me,” “She’s a Bitch,” “One Minute Man,” “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It,” and “Lose Control.”However, during the latter song, the producers turned off the sound because she had exceeded her closing time, and Elliot was forced to leave the stage, exhorting the crowd that she was the “flyest s**t in the house,” with fans enthusiastically booing the cutoff.Doesn’t sound like a complacent rap superstar. That’s because since exploding in 1997 with her debut Supa Dupa Fly, Melissa Elliot has always shaken things up.Overcoming a horrific childhood in which she was repeatedly raped by a cousin, Elliott broke barriers for women in rap – writing, collaborating, launching her own record company and not kowtowing to anyone. On her albums like Da Real World (1999), Miss E...So Addictive (2001), Under Construction (2002), This Is Not A Test (2003) and The Cookbook (2005), Elliot, according to one reviewer, defied every stereotype by accentuating her forcefulness with both dignity and joviality.The promoters of her Tel Aviv show claim that Elliot requested Israel be included on her summer European itinerary. Maybe that’s so she can sing “Party To Damascus,” her collaboration with Wyclef Jean on his 2003 album The Preacher’s Son. Over the hip hop rhythms, Israeli guest Alona Tal admonishes in Hebrew, “Bo habibi, nishtagaeh,” (Come on baby, let’s get crazy). It’s unlikely the fans at Elliott’s Tel Aviv show will need much enticement.
