Mary Halsey went viral with her karaoke version of Missy Elliott's "Work It" when Misdemeanor herself shared it on Twitter.
"I just found out I have a FUNKY WHITE SISTER," read the tweet with the viral video. "She brought her home girl with her from da hood that keep tip toeing in the background with a plate of food. yo I'm done! but she straight killed 'Work It' sound effects & all."
A little over one month later, Mary Halsey appeared on The Ellen Show where she spoke about singing the song and going viral. "I've been singing that song for 15 years," she said, before explaining why she called herself "Missy's Funky White Sister." Halsey went on to explain that she started singing the song in 2003, one year after "Work It" began ruling the airwaves. "I learned, I read the words, and I studied it, and the reaction that I got was so positive that it became my go-to song. Everybody wants to hear it," she continued. And although she does know what the song is about, Halsey says she "wasn't thinking about it when [she] was singing it."
Of course, Ellen couldn't let her come on the show without giving the audience (including Kristen Bell!) a taste of Halsey's flava. But little did Halsey know, Elliott herself was in the background waiting to join her on stage. About halfway through the performance, Elliott surprises Halsey and they performed the track together. At the end, the two gave each other a big hug. Oh Ellen, you get us every time.
