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GRAMMYs

Missy Elliott

Photo: Josh Brasted/FilmMagic/Getty Images

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Missy Elliott Will Get The World Dancing in 2019 missy-elliott-ready-get-world-dancing-again

Missy Elliott Is Ready To Get The World Dancing Again

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The hip-hop legend recently shared she is working on a new album dropping next year, 14 years after her last LP, 'The Cookbook.' What can we expect?
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 9, 2018 - 5:34 pm

The GRAMMY-winning superstar Missy Elliott has been an influential powerhouse for years, making a name for herself starting with her successful debut album Supa Dupa Fly in 1997, featuring her classic jam "Sock It 2 Me." Since then she released five more studio albums and countless hit singles and collabs, although her last LP was 2005's The Cookbook. She has released some juicy, one-off singles and has been on some hot features over the past 13 years, but the world is ready for more Missy. Luckily, she is ready to give the world what it wants, teasing a 2019 LP in a recent social media post. What can we expect?

https://twitter.com/MissyElliott/status/1048779346369032192

2019🤩Let me get yall asses DANCING AGAIN🙌🏾🔥🔥🔥”Cool Off” pic.twitter.com/fDg8I38PI1

— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) October 7, 2018

The rap pioneer recently took to Twitter to announce that she's ready to "get y'all a**es dancing again," hinting she'll have new music for us in 2019. The tweet featured a clip of a new unreleased track of hers called "Cool Off," which sounds like it will be a dancefloor-ready banger. Five days before that post, in another tweet, she touched on why it's been so long since she's put out an album. "For so long I was hesitant to put out music in fear no one would get it because people said music has changed & my sound been so different," she shares. "But now I'm like hey, bump it make music that feels good to me, let me get y’all a**es dancing again."

We are ready, Missy. Ready for whatever new jams you have been cooking up. She raps on the sneak peek of "Cool Off, "Missy in this b***h/doing s**t you ain't ever seen." I think we're ready to see it, but for now we will have to hope for whatever magic the hip-hop queen has been preparing for us.

We hope her and longtime friend and collaborator Timbaland have been spending at least some time in the studio together so that he can add his magic, futuristic touch through producing at least a few songs on her upcoming album. The list of Elliott's Timbaland-produced classics is nearly endless, including "Sock It 2 Me" and "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" from her debut Supa Dupa Fly, "One Minute Man" and "Get Ur Freak On" from Miss E…So Addictive and "Work It" and "Gossip Folks" from Under Construction. It is hard to deny how amazing and dynamic the music they put out together is, with his forward thinking production bringing her sound to the next level every time.

Timbaland was the lead producer on all of her studio albums other than her sixth, which he played a smaller role on, and they were working on her seventh album set to release in 2008, along with Pharrell and others on production, until, after delays, the album was never released. Pharrell and Elliott eventually released two singles in 2012 "9th Inning" and "Triple Threat," both of which featured classic slow-jam/future-sound Timbaland beats along with his vocals.

Two years later, in 2015, Elliott teamed up with Pharrell to release the viral hit "WTF (Where They From)," a booty-bouncing, highly danceable track featuring the producer's catchy, joyful beats, as well as some verses from him as well. We can only hope and pray Elliott's latest studio sessions have and will include both GRAMMY-winning mastermind producers to keep lifting her amazing flow and bold presence to the next level with joyous, future-ready beats.

Elliott has always confidently pushed the envelope and set the tone for what it means to be a female hip-hop artist in the male-dominated industry. There is no doubt that she will keep bringing her unique brand of sexy, empowered, independent female to the table in her new music. This year she has already given us a taste of that on the remix of Ciara's girl power track "Level Up." The two celebrate their greatness as women, recognizing they won't settle for less than they deserve, with Elliott confidently rapping, "Original, no klepto'/ Got a new flow, got a new glow./Level up, I'm beautiful/My a**, bounce like a yo-yo."

The remix of the GRAMMY-winning R&B star's recent single reunites the pair, along with Fatman Scoop, the three of whom collabed on "Lose Control," the biggest—and still classic dance-inducing jam—single from Elliott's The Cookbook. Elliott is also featured on "borderline," a bouncy, shiny Pharrell-produced song on Ariana Grande's Sweetener, released this August.

We can only hope these recent features point to some heavy doses of female-empowerment, along with some unexpected yet heavy-hitting, female-dominated collabs on Elliott's 2019 album. The cherry on top that would tie it all together would have to be provided by Timbaland and Pharrell's powerhouse production skills. We will wait patiently and practice our dance moves until then.

Madonna Is Working Hard On New Album: "These Dark Circles Are For All My Fans"

Missy Elliott & Pharrell Williams

Missy Elliott & Pharrell Williams

Photo: Todd Williamson/Getty Images

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Pharrell's New Fest Ft. Missy Elliott, SZA & More pharrell-announces-something-water-fest-ft-missy-elliott-janelle-monae-sza-rosalia

Pharrell Announces Something In The Water Fest Ft. Missy Elliott, Janelle Monae, SZA, Rosalia, Migos & More

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The new music festival curated by the GRAMMY-winning producer will get you dancing in his hometown of Virginia Beach from April 26–28
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Mar 4, 2019 - 1:19 pm

GRAMMY-winning producer/singer/songwriter/rapper and all-around hit-maker Pharrell Williams announced his latest endeavor today: Something In The Water Festival.

The brand-new music festival curated by the musical powerhouse will take over his hometown of Virginia Beach from April 26–28 with a super-stacked lineup including fellow GRAMMY winners Missy Elliott, Diplo, Dave Mathews Band and Anderson .Paak with his band The Free Nationals. GRAMMY nominees SZA, Migos, Janelle Monáe, Travis Scott, J Balvin, Pusha T and Jhené Aiko are also slated to perform.

Excited to announce the first ever SOMETHING IN THE WATER Festival, a 3 day music festival and cultural experience happening April 26-28 in Virginia Beach. Tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, March 8 at 12pm ET at https://t.co/hitO9dwpDD. #SITWfest pic.twitter.com/IdQ6ziAwC7

— Something In The Water (@sitw) March 4, 2019

The three-day beachfront event will feature only one stage, meaning you can actually catch all of the performances. Rising acts include Canadian funky hip-hop producer Kaytranada, Spanish flamenco/pop innovator RosalĂ­a and American singer/songwriter Maggie Rogers, who went viral after Pharrell gave a rave review of her "Alaska" demo during a class at NYU in 2016.

Related: Primavera Sound 2019 Features A "New Normal" Equal-Gender Lineup

The organizer himself will also perform; he's listed on the lineup as "Pharrell & Friends," for what is likely to be a collab-filled set.

Speaking of friends, fellow Virginians repping at the fest will be GRAMMY-nominated rapper DRAM, Dave Matthews Band, who formed in Charlottesville, Va., Elliott, who has collabed with Pharrell on multiple occasions, including their hit "WTF," and Pusha T. Pusha also grew up in Virginia Beach, where he and his brother formed the hip-hop duo Clipse and met and worked with Pharrell, then part of production duo The Neptunes.

At the 61st GRAMMY Awards last month, Pharrell earned his 12th GRAMMY win for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical. He also won in the same category at the 56th GRAMMY Awards, the same year he earned a win for his work on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, which took home Album Of The Year.

Tickets for Something In The Water go on sale Fri. March 8; the full lineup and more info can be found on their website.

2019 Music Festival Preview: Noise Pop, Coachella, Ultra & More

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott

Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of FameMissy Elliott

News
Missy Elliott Joins Songwriters Hall Of Fame queen-latifah-inducts-missy-elliott-songwriters-hall-fame-lizzo-performs

Queen Latifah Inducts Missy Elliott Into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame, Lizzo Performs

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The GRAMMY-winning hip-hop icon, who became the first female rapper given the honor, gave an inspiring speech: "Don't give up, because I'm standing here. And this is big for hip-hop, too"
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 14, 2019 - 11:10 am

Last November, GRAMMY winner hip-hop mainstay Missy Elliott made headlines as the first-ever female rapper nominated for the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Last night, the all-around icon made history as she joined the 2019 class of inductees. She is just the third-ever rapper inducted, with GRAMMY winners JAY-Z and Jermaine Dupri preceding, becoming the first in 2017 and second in 2018, respectively.

Fellow GRAMMY-winning hip-hop heavyweight Queen Latifah presented Elliott with the award—and some loving words—during the ceremony held in New York. The evening was filled with a powerful energy, thanks to even more mega queens honoring Elliott, including the one and only Michelle Obama and rising rap goddess Lizzo.

Last night my heart was full latifah one of my besties your a Queen @lizzo @sosobrat my sisters merked it! AND @MichelleObama I LOVE YOU! You are AMAZING & FIERCE! I am humbly grateful the committee of Songwriters Hall of Fame and the other WONDERFUL inductees pic.twitter.com/3lxFcAqQ4J

— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) June 14, 2019

"Missy, I want to thank you for all of your trailblazing ways," Obama said in the video message shared during the event, which Elliott also Tweeted out. "Thank you not for just sharing your gift with the world, but for being an advocate for so many people out there, especially young girls who are still figuring out how to make their voices heard."

Related: 'Da Real World' At 20: Missy Elliott Champions Women, Hip-Hop Rookies, And, Most Of All—Herself

Lizzo performed Elliott's classic 1997 mega-bop "Sock It 2 Me" while rocking an O.G.-Missy finger-wave hairstyle. GRAMMY-nominated rapper Da Brat joined her to hit her original bars on the Supa Dupa Fly track. As Lizzo strutted onto the stage, she shouted-out her idol:

"Missy, I want to thank you for inspiring young black girls like me to chase their dreams. I love you so much, I wouldn't be here without you. This is for you." Earlier this year, Lizzo got an assist from Elliott on her own fire track "Tempo."

Of course, Elliott had her own powerful words to add, offering gratitude for the honor. "I cry because it's a lot to take in. I'm thankful, humbled. I'm grateful to be up here with so many geniuses in this room, I've met so many people that I looked up to, and still look up to, as songwriters and producers," she said during her acceptance speech, which you can watch a clip of, along with part of Lizzo's performance, in the above video.

She continued: "I want to say one thing to the writers, to the upcoming writers, 'Do not give up.' We all go through writer's block. Sometimes you just have to walk away from a record and come back to it. But don't give up, because I'm standing here. And this is big for hip-hop, too."

In addition to all the amazing songs she's penned for herself, Missy's also written songs for an impressive list of artists. As ABC News points out, that list includes major music players like Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande and many others.

The 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame class of inductees, who became eligible after putting in at least 20 years of hit-writing, also included GRAMMY-nominated singer Yusuf/Cat Stevens and GRAMMY-winning folk legend John Prine.

Jack Tempchin, a writer for the Eagles and GRAMMY winner Dallas Austin, a co-writer and producer behind many of TLC and other artists' hits, were also inducted last night. GRAMMY winner Justin Timberlake and GRAMMY-nominated pop star Halsey were honored with other awards during the ceremony, receiving the Contemporary Icon Award and Hal David Starlight Award, for "gifted" young songwriters, respectively.

Hit-Makers Share The Specialized, Intuitive Art Of Crafting The Perfect Song

Timabaland

Timbaland

Photo: Courtesy of MasterClass

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Learn Music Production From Master Timbaland you-can-now-learn-music-production-online-future-sounds-master-timbaland

You Can Now Learn Music Production Online From Future Sounds Master Timbaland

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The GRAMMY-winning producer behind countless hits, including Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" and Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On," has broken down beat making in his new MasterClass course
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Feb 26, 2019 - 2:31 pm

GRAMMY-winning hit-maker Timbaland has produced countless classic jams over the years including Ginuwine's "Pony," JAY-Z's "Big Pimpin'" and "Dirt Of Your Shoulder" and so many of Missy Elliott's (many) gems like "Get Ur Freak On" and "Work It." If you've ever wondered what magical musical wizardry Timbaland possesses to make such infectious, iconic tracks, you're in luck.

Today he announced he would be leading his first-ever online course, via online education platform MasterClass, where he will break down his process and share his deep wisdom and experience in the music industry.

My first-ever @MasterClass on producing and beatmaking has just been released! As long as you love music, you’re welcome here—in my studio, with my team. Get the details NOW: https://t.co/ABkFOl4saG pic.twitter.com/QZtAtrDDfa

— Timbaland (@Timbaland) February 26, 2019

MasterClass' newest offering, "Timbaland Teaches Producing And Beatmaking," gives aspiring music creators access to 15 video-based lessons with the great himself, where topics include breaking down the steps in his beat-making process and unpacking several of his hits including "Pony" and "Dirt Of Your Shoulder." Each lesson, which can be done at your own pace after signing up for the course, builds upon each other, leading to topics like lesson seven, "Making A Beat: Tweaking And Layering Drums," and ending with "How To Persevere," where he offers what is likely invaluable insight and "reveals what drives him and how you can keep focused on your inspiration and goals."

As he shares in trailer video above, all you really need to learn alongside the master is a computer, a microphone and some heart.

"It's all about your energy, what you put into the record. The beat has to be infectious first," Timbaland said. "I want to give all the knowledge that I can give, that's what I'm here on earth to do. We have so much available to us, it's all in you and what you want to do. If you love it that much, it's gonna happen."

A press release from MasterClass asserts the "course is designed for aspiring recording artists and producers at any level and…lays a foundation from creative inception to final production." In the release Timbaland underscores the importance of collaboration, and how his instruction will help prepare you to find stellar collaborators, as he so expertly has over the years.

"When it comes to music production, the key is believing in your own ideas and finding collaborators that can help those ideas breathe. In my MasterClass, students will walk away with the essentials to bring their own beats to life, giving them the confidence to find collaborators that believe in their vision as much as they do," Timbaland explained.

Timbaland has been creating catchy hooks and futuristic beats since the mid-'90s and earned his first of many GRAMMY nods for his work on Missy's 1997 debut LP Supa Dupa Fly, which earned the oft-collaborators a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 40th GRAMMY Awards. He earned his first win for Timberlake's "SexyBack," which won Best Dance Recording at the 49th GRAMMY Awards.

He joins MasterClass' impressive group of legendary instructors across topics ranging from film to cooking, as well as several fellow music masters. GRAMMY-winning Latin rock forefather Carlos Santana teaches the art of guitar and GRAMMY-winning R&B stalwart Usher showcases his performance skills, while GRAMMY-nominated dance music innovators Armin van Burren and Deadmau5 each offer their insights on electronic music production, to name a few.

Timbaland's course is newly available online today and can be purchased for $90 or accessed with MasterClass' $180 annual membership, which offers unlimited access to all current classes.

Behind The Board: Producer Teddy Walton On Working With Kendrick Lamar & What Makes A Great Track

Apple Music

Photo: studioEAST/Getty Images

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Apple Music Removes Connect Sharing Function apple-music-removes-app-social-sharing-function

Apple Music Removes In-App Social Sharing Function

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The streaming platform notified musicians they are taking away the Connect feed, launched in 2015 for artists to share content with fans
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 13, 2018 - 6:16 pm

Apple Music has reportedly sent artists an email to notify them that the Connect social sharing feed is being phased out and they would no longer be able to use it to share content with fans. Instead, streamlined artist pages on the platform will feature new design and functionality.

As reported by Variety, Apple initially unveiled the Connect function with the launch of Apple Music (its debut into music streaming) in 2015 as a way for artists to share content directly with fans in the platform, yet "saw less traction from artists than Apple had anticipated."

As 9to5Mac, the Apple-centric site who shared the message sent to artists, pointed out, Connect was popular with artists upon Apple Music's launch, but its popularity quickly dropped off. They highlighted that many artists only have posts from several years back, consequentially pushing Apple to shift focus away from it, moving it from its own visible tab within the app to a more hidden location below music recommendations and playlists.

9to5Mac shared the content of Apple Music's email, which included the following: "We're always looking for ways to enhance our focus on artists and help them better connect to fans. So we've given Artist Pages an all-new design and added new, personalized Artist Radio."

While Connect was originally billed as a way for artists to share special content with their fans, the popularity of other preexisting social platforms like Twitter and Instagram likely had an impact on its popularity.

It sounds like Apple Music, which has recently made major moves on its main competitor Spotify, is helping perfect the craft of music discovery and artist-fan connection in the music-streaming arena.

Apple To Expand Austin Presence With $1 Billion Campus

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.