Missy Elliott's incomparable run of albums between 1997 and 2005 ā from Supa Dupa Fly to The Cookbook ā were arguably so ahead of their time, that much of modern music is only just now learning the lessons Elliott delivered alongside a series of flawless Timbaland and Neptunes collaborations. Since her triumphant Super Bowl appearance earlier this year during Katy Perry's halftime set, Elliott has enjoyed a 2500% sales increase and a widespread sense of renewed interest in her classics-laden catalog.
Thus, it's no surprise that Elliott's performance at Essence Fest in New Orleans in Saturday featured an unstoppable example of a respected veteran absolutely slaying. In fact, Elliott's performance was reportedly so unabashedly lit that she was cut off mid-song roughly an hour into her set. Not to worry ā footage of her performance is readily available, including a particularly energetic take on "Get Ur Freak On":
Missy Elliott was also treated to a night of well-earned tribute thanks to BeyoncƩ, Solange Knowles, and Kelly Rowland:
Elliott is currently working on new music with Pharrell, which is hopefully a sign of future slayings.
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