Supa Dupa Fly

Certified platinum by the RIAA (9/97).

Gettin' by with a little help from her friends, you have to know that Missy Elliot means business when her CD starts out with an intro by rap's reigning jester, Busta Rhymes ("Busta's Intro"). From there on, Elliot's soulful vocals and clever raps would serve to be strong enough on its own, but the whole disc becomes a superpowered collective when a host of celebrities contribute on nearly every song. There's the built-for-cruising grooves of "Sock It 2 Me" featuring Da Brat on trademark lightening-fast rhymes, the sultry Ginuwine-marked "Friendly Skies" and "Best Friends" with Aaliyah. Supa Dupa Fly is a disc filled with woman-empowering lyrics and philosophies, but those looking for a role models for young children should be forewarned; some rough language is mixed in with the disc's good intentions. --Denise Sheppard