ELLIOTT, MISSY

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.

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