On Tuesday (August 17), Hip-hop visionary Missy Elliott took her Instagram followers on a trip down memory lane by sharing behind-the-scenes footage of her iconic Hype Williams directed music video for her single, “She’s a Bitch.” Acknowledging that she was indeed thousands of years ahead of her time, the "Get Your Freak On" rapper shared the following:
"I was in the year 3000 in 1999. This video changed things visually in HipHop videos FOREVER. This is BTS footage of “She’s A Bitch.” This is called Fearless! The lights on the 3rd slide they were flown in from Germany, a technology never used before. The coming out the water we were really under the water. EPIC though. And when I look at this video I say, why did I used to move like that when I performed, like I was swatting flies off me or sumn. I was wildin but it was EPIC tho!
At the end of her caption, Missy gives credit to her team, tagging video director Hype Williams, fashion stylist June Ambrose, celebrity makeup artists Billy B, Creative agency HiHat Productions, all of who are top-tier talent in the entertainment industry.
"She's a Bitch" currently has more than 8 million views on Youtube and is one of hip-hop's most futuristic visuals to date. Since the onset of her introduction to hip-hop as an artist, with the unforgettable garbage bag ensemble in the music video for “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” Missy Misdemeanor Elliot has set trends and not shied away from taking creative risks. As writer Biance Guilone reminds us, "It's practically impossible to visualize the quintessential 90s hip-hop music video without a Supa Dupa Fly-era Missy materializing in your brain. The fisheye lens views, the futuristic settings, and the insane outfits are inseparable from Missy’s verses, and were a crucial component of Missy’s forward-thinking rap manifesto."
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The BTS footage shows off the video's choreography, the shooting of a few scenes, and includes interviews that provide insight into the innovative technology used throughout the music video. Unlike today, where artists can shoot music videos straight from the iPhones, Missy was in her prime when music videos had massive seven-figure budgets. "She's a Bitch" is one of the most expensive rap videos of all time, costing around $2 million to make.
In 2019, MTV honored Missy Elliot with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, making her the first female rapper to win the award and only the fourth Hip Hop act to do so. Watch Missy's "She's a Bitch" video below. What's your favorite Missy music video?
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