The Cookbook [Edited]

Performer: Missy Elliott
Artist: Fatman Scoop; Ciara; Grand Puba; Mary J. Blige; Vybez Cartel; M.I.A.
Producer: Missy Elliott; The Neptunes; Warryn Campbell; Quran
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Missy Elliott (rap vocals); Mary J. Blige (vocals); Fatman Scoop, Grand Puba, Mike Jones , Slick Rick, Ciara, Vybez Cartel, M.I.A. (rap vocals). It's tempting to call 2005's THE COOKBOOK a return to form for Missy Elliott, but the truth is that she's never stepped from the forefront of commercial hip-hop as a conceptualist, songwriter, and producer (with the help of her peerless collaborator Timbaland). The rise of new sounds and trends in hip-hop might lead fans to expect Elliott to drop off any day. Instead, she draws those new sounds and trends into her orbit here, putting together an album that is cutting-edge, classic, sexual, glamorous, and natural all at once. In addition to highlighting the flavors of the day (traces of electro, Miami bass, dancehall, and grime are identifiable), Elliott goes old-school with the help of Slick Rick (on the superb "Irresistible Delicious") and lays out drippingly sensual R&B balladry on "Meltdown." Timbaland adds his production wizardry to a couple of tracks here, but this outing is distinguished by its host of guest producers, especially Rhemario Webber on the pulse-quickening "We Run This" and Missy herself on "Lose Control," the album's ferociously bumping first single. THE COOKBOOK satisfies on every level, proof positive that the genre's reigning queen is far from losing her touch.

Spin (p.97) - "With Tim part-timing, Missy's left to fill in some beats on her own, adding a few producers who drop both true-school throwbacks and googly autoharps that conjure Bjork." - Grade: B- Uncut (p.87) - 3 stars out of 5 - "R&B wins out, Missy flexing her voice and tuning the beats to an old-skool frequency....Her taste is faultless..." Vibe (p.230) - 3 discs out of 5 - "On the album's most striking moment, 'Teary Eyed,' she injects gospel into a song that draws equally on R&B and New Orleans marching music."

Missy Elliott is a multi-faceted career woman. Not only a ground-breaking producer whose work spans the pop market (Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, TLC, Da Brat), Elliott is also a skilled MC. Her 1997 debut trademarked Elliott's cartoon-styled videos and stop-start beats (aided by partner Timbaland). Elliott also runs her own label/production company, the Gold Mind, which nurtured R&B singer Nicole into a gold-selling debut. Through the late '90s into the next millennium, Elliott continued turning out skillfully produced, sexually charged albums, winning Grammys left and right. While she remained in Timbaland's orbit, she expanded to work with other producers as well, continuing to broaden her sound.

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