THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

691-Missy Elliott-Get Ur Freak On.

2001-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 0.08. At the beginning of the song a voice in Japanese says, ‘これからみんなでめちゃくちゃ踊って騒ごう、騒ごう。」’Kore kara minna de mechakucha odotte. Sawagou, sawagou!’ Which in English means, ‘Everyone start dancing together wildly now. Let’s make some noise, let’s make some noise.’

Missy Elliott was born Melissa Arnette Elliott, on July 1st, 1971, in Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, with worldwide record sales in excess of 40 million, she is the best selling female rapper of all time. Missy Elliott has received numerous accolades, including in 2019, being the first woman rapper to be inducted into the ‘Songwriters Hall of Fame.’ In 2021, she was honoured with a star on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame,’ and in 2023, she became the first woman rapper to be nominated, and inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.’ Missy Elliott who has been referred to as the ‘Queen of Rap,’ the ‘Queen of Hip Hop,’ and the ‘First Lady of Hip Hop,’ is considered to be one of the most innovative recording artists of all time, with the British weekly newspaper ‘The Economist’ writing that Elliott ‘Is to rap what Prince was to R&B, due to their impact upon the genre, and her ability to weave in styles and strands from outside it.’

The discography of Missy Elliott includes six studio Albums released between 1997-2005, and 74 singles that have been issued between 1997-2023, there are also three official compilation Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, she has had nine top 40 hits as the lead artist, with ‘Work It,’ from 2002, peaking the highest at Number 2, with ‘Get Ur Freak On’ reaching Number 7. As a featured artist, Missy Elliott has had 12 ‘Hot 100’ top 40 entries, with ‘1, 2 Step’ by Ciara, featuring Missy Elliott, peaking at Number 2 in 2004. In the UK, Missy Elliott has had 15 top 40 hit singles as the lead artist, with ‘Get Ur Freak On’ peaking the highest at Number 4, while as the featured artist she has appeared in the UK top 40 on a further 16 occasions, with ‘I Want You Back,’ by Melanie B, featuring Missy Elliott, reaching Number 1 in 1998. Missy Elliott is also a prolific songwriter and producer for many other artists, including Aaliyah, (One in a Million-1998, on nine tracks) and Whitney Houston (My Love Is Your Love-1998, on two tracks.)

‘Get Ur Freak On’ was the first of five singles released from ‘Miss E… So Addictive,’ which is the third studio Album by Missy Elliott from May 2001, the song was co-written by Missy Elliott, and Timbaland, with the production also being by Timbaland, who is a long term collaborator with Missy Elliott. Timbaland is the stage name of Timothy Zachery Mosley, who was born on March 10th, 1972, in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, he was given the name ‘Timbaland’ by the American music producer ‘DeVante Swing,’ who named him after the ‘Timberland’ brand of construction boots. Timbaland is considered to be an important figure in the creation of American ‘R&B,’ for his ‘stuttering kick-drums template.’ He is also considered highly influential in the fusing together of the genres ‘R&B,’ and ‘Hip-Hop,’ and his production style has also been a major influence in the development of ‘UK Garage’ music.

As well as producing for dozens of other artists, including Madonna, and Jay-Z, Timbaland has also released three studio Albums between 1998-2009, and 17 singles between 1998-2023. As the lead artist, six of his singles have reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 40, with ‘Give It to Me,’ featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, reaching Number 1 in 2007. He has also had eight ‘Hot 100’ top 40 hits as the featured artist, with ‘Promiscuous,’ by Nelly Furtado, featuring Timbaland, (2006) and ‘SexyBack’ by Justin Timberlake, featuring Timbaland, (2006) both reaching the Number 1 spot. In the UK Timbaland has had eight top 40 hits as the lead artist, with both ‘Give It to Me,’ featuring Nelly Furtado, and Justin Timberlake, and ‘The Way I Are’ featuring Keri Hilson, both reaching Number 1 in 2007. Timbaland has also appeared on 11 UK top 40 hits as the featured artist, with ‘SexyBack’ by Justin Timberlake, featuring Timbaland, (2006) and ‘4 Minutes’ by Madonna, featuring Justin Timberlake, and Timbaland, (2008) both making the Number 1 spot.

‘Get Ur Freak On’ came about after Timbaland had been working on some Indian music, the beat for ‘Get Ur Freak On’ is based on ‘Bhangra’ music (see also best songs 966.) Missy Elliott has explained the songs meaning,’It could be about dancing, the bedroom, whatever. You’re cleaning your house? Get your freak on!’

‘People you know, me and Timbaland been hot since twenty years ago. What da dilly yo, now what da drilly yo. If you want to battle me, then people lemme know. (Holla) Got the feeling son, lemme throw you some, people here I come. Now sweat me when I’m done, we got the radio shook, like we got a gun.’