Missy Elliott “Under Construction” Elektra
Records
It’s hard to pull off raunchy and eccentric and make neither
come off as forced or contrived, but Missy Elliott makes it so real
you wish she weren’t so good at it. Take, for example, when
Elliott sings an ode to her nether regions in
“P***ycat,” imploring it to help her make her man stay,
or the sampladelic opus “Work it,” where the cry of an
elephant functions as a phallic symbol. Arguments on feminine
empowerment aside, Elliott speaks her mind because, simply put, she
can ““ though she isn’t up against much competition,
Missy Elliott is still one of the most talented and entertaining
MCs around. She gets a helping hand from producer extraordinaire
Timbaland, who’s unleashed some of the best beats of the year
and is welcome relief from producers The Neptunes’ monotony,
which has been dominating the airwaves. Timbaland provides the
perfect background to Elliott’s rampant tongue, balancing
dirty beats with just the right mix of ridiculously diverse
samples, offering up a sonic palette that’s only a tad
chaotic. Unfortunately, every risky and experimental song is
surrounded by filler more influenced by R&B than
Elliott’s own genuine ambitions. Jay-Z’s talents are
sadly wasted on the self-consciously cliched “Back in the
Day,” and, even more disappointingly, Beyonce Knowles
actually finds her way onto the album. Elliott calls her latest a
work in progress, which potentially provides a defense for the
rambling interludes on the album. The disc is a sprawling mix of
sounds and doesn’t flow so much as bounce clumsily. But the
fact remains that despite, or perhaps because of its raunchy and
dangerously slipshod nature, the album contains some of the most
creative and adventurous hip hop singles of the year. -Andrew
Lee
Pavement Lance Bangs, Spike Jonze (directors)
“Slow Century” DVD Matador Records
“Slow Century” is a fitting name for this comprehensive
repository of Pavement music videos and live footage, which has
kept fans salivating for years. Its elusive release date crept
further into the background even as the Pavement mythology steadily
grew after the band’s breakup in 1999. The included
documentary dispels some of the group’s mystique with its
intimate look into the band’s internal workings, aspirations
and consistent yet modest success. It’s hard to believe that
once upon a time “Cut Your Hair” was on heavy rotation
on KROQ. One of the most influential rock groups of the ’90s,
Pavement ditches its indie-rock king image in the documentary.
Instead the group is portrayed as a bunch of middle-aged white guys
dealing with a modicum of success, with innocence hidden behind
their slacker facades. In the film a stone hits singer Stephen
Malkmus in the chest while on stage at Lollapalooza, prompting him
to raise his arm in defeat and walk off. Pavement is portrayed as
balancing on that perilous edge between rock stardom and indie
obscurity throughout its career ““ by the time we see the band
perform its final song together (“Here,” off
“Slanted and Enchanted”) we can’t help but think
that for the band the end was a long time coming. -Andrew Lee