Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Hip-hop/R&B songwriter Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott has become one of the most esteemed figures in contemporary American music, providing material for artists including MC Lyte, Adina Howard, and Jodeci, as well as working as an arranger, producer, talent scout and record boss. She first performed as part of a neighbourhood singing group, Sista, who were signed up by DeVante DeGrate from Jodeci in 1992. She was already writing with her long-time collaborator, Tim Mosley aka Timbaland, and with Sista's career terminally stalled (DeVante would not release any of their recordings) she concentrated on songwriting and production.

Her distinctive "hee haw" rap on Gina Thompson's "The Things You Do" brought her wider exposure and several offers from record companies. Fiercely independent and ambitious, she signed to Elektra Records as a solo artist on the understanding that they would subsidise her own label, Gold Mind Records. In 1997, she launched her solo career with the album Supa Dupa Fly and attendant single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)".

The well-connected singer was provided with immediate exposure for the song via rotation play of its Hype Williams-directed video on MTV. Co-produced with long-time collaborator Timbaland and producer DJ Magic, the album received excellent reviews, though she was reluctant to commit herself fully to a career as a performer. She didn't want to get caught up and be an artist always on the go, she felt that once you do that, it's hard to get into the studio. The album also featured cameo appearances from Aaliyah and Busta Rhymes (she has written songs for both). Despite her growing reputation and success, Elliott remained based in her hometown in Virginia.

In September 1998 she collaborated with Melanie Brown from the Spice Girls on the one-off single, "I Want You Back", which debuted at number 1 in the UK chart. Further writing and remixing work for Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson followed, although Elliott found time in her busy schedule to release her excellent sophomore set, Da Real World, in July 1999. Incredibly, Elliott and Timbaland managed to surpass this with the follow-up 'Miss E ... So Addictive', a stunning compendium of contemporary dance beats, urban ballads and left-field samples that was instantly hailed as one of the finest albums of the new millennium.