While the rest of us are off enjoying what’s left of the summer this weekend and celebrating Labor Day, Missy Elliott will be putting in some work. According to her frequent collaborator Timbaland, Missy is poised to release not one, but two new singles to the masses this weekend in an effort to officially mark her comeback to the rap game. The singles, set to be called “9th Inning” and “Triple Threat,” are the first two songs from her latest project, Block Party, which is her first since 2005’s The Cookbook.
“oh snapp yall,” Timbo tweeted earlier this week. “my sista @MissyElliott is dropping her singles #9thinning and #triplethreat labor day weekend. watch it world we backk!!!”
We couldn’t be any happier to hear it. Although Missy has been in the news lately a lot with regards to the posthumous Aaliyah album that Drake is reportedly set to helm, it’s been a long time since Missy has dropped new material. So, we’re excited to see what she’s got left in the tank. Aren’t you? If not, check out the 5 Reasons We’re Glad Missy Elliott Is Releasing Two New Singles This Weekend. It’s been a long time, Missy. But, we’re glad to hear that you’re finally back.
Reason #1: Missy knows how to write hits.
There are certain artists who fall off the grid because they’re not considered “relevant” anymore. When you can’t sell records, it becomes a problem. But, Missy’s last album peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart thanks to the project’s lead single, “Lose Control,” which hit No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. So, it’s not like she released an album no one cared about and then disappeared. She had a hit! So, we’re eager to hear what her new stuff sounds like.
Reason #2: Missy doesn’t always get the respect she deserves from today’s rap fans.
When you disappear from the rap scene for a year—let alone seven years!—people tend to forget about you. It’s the way the game works. So, these days, rap fans, especially young rap fans, don’t really give Missy the credit she deserves. And, that’s unfortunate when you consider how many records she’s sold, how many hits she’s written, and how popular she was once upon a time. With that in mind, we’re hoping her new material lives up to her old stuff and reminds people just how great she can be. Especially now that the rap game has so many active female MCs, Missy deserves some respect from rap fans and her peers.
Reason #3: There are a lot of young artists who could benefit from working with Missy.
Earlier this year, J. Cole called on Missy for “Nobody’s Perfect,” a track off his debut album. And, it ended up peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Part of that was because of the popularity of Cole—and part of it was because of Missy’s contribution. We’re sure there are plenty of other artists out there who’d like to get into the studio with Missy, too. So, now that it sounds like she’s making a comeback, some of them might finally get the opportunity.
Reason #4: Timbaland could use a boost right now.
This isn’t all about Missy. The truth is that we miss hearing Timbo create surefire hits. Sure, he’s had a couple here and there over the course of the last year or so—he had a few tracks on Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E. album in 2011—but he hasn’t enjoyed as much success as he’s had in the past in recent years. So, we hope Missy lights a fire under him and gets him back into superproducer mode.
Reason #5: We’re tired of listening to so much Flo Rida and Pitbull in the club!
No shots, fellas. But, unless if you’re in a hip-hop club, the only rap music you’re getting when you go out on a Saturday night these days is Flo Rida and Pitbull. Those two have the clubs locked down as far as rap music is concerned. But, we get the feeling that some of Missy’s new stuff will fit right in. She’s always created club-friendly tracks in the past. So, will “9th Inning” or “Triple Threat” be one of those? We’re not sure yet. But, we can’t wait to find out.