Missy Elliott - This Is Not A Test!

Missy Elliott, for the last decade or so, appears to be the one of the only female rappers of any prominence. I've always enjoyed her singles as they're released, but This Is Not A Test is the only one of her albums that I actually own. It's on this album that Missy showcases her ability to rap about black society on both the intro and the outro (especially the outro). On the brilliant "Wake Up," Missy shouts out to a nation of blacks over a simple drum and bell backbeat. Jay-Z adds a second punch to the song, but in a shocking move, he's actually outrapped by Missy.

Timberland sure does get around a lot, working his magic for a lot of hip-hop/R&B albums. This time around Timbaland has mastered the effective use of the turntable for "This is Not A Test." The irresistible "Let It Bump" is an alternative percussion killer that has Timberland's fingerprints all over it. "I'm Really Hot," lets Missy play back and forth with a turntable during its chorus, and "Pump It Up," gives Missy a chance to break back and forth with a turntable and Nelly. The major mis-step for the album is that Missy relies a little too much on ballads "Dats What I'm Talking About," "I'm Not Perfect," and "It's Real" are all soppy ballads that just take up space that better tracks could have filled. "Toyz," however, is a beautiful funk masterpiece and probably the first ode to the Mega Blaster, while "Is This Our Last Time" is a serviceable update to a classic song. So I guess two good ballads out of five is better than none. This Is Not A Test is certainly a creative effort, and I'll have to check out more of Missy's work.