There’s another concert slated for summer 2024. Missy Elliott is going on tour as a headliner! The rapper, singer, and songwriter has been making sparse appearances at indie clubs and festivals, but this is the first time we’ll see her in action as the lead act. And because this is Missy, she announced her return in the most kickass way.
The 52-year-old released a minute-long clip of herself, Ciara, and Busta Rhymes decked out in futuristic garbs, walking away from an alien ship, and bucking up to the camera. It’s not enough that Missy is going on tour; Ciara, Busta, and longtime collaborator Timbaland are also tagging along.
The concert, officially titled “Out of This World—The Missy Elliott Experience,” has 24 dates and will run through the East and West coasts, popping up in Brooklyn, Las Vegas, and Ontario, among other cities. The tour officially starts on July 4, 2024, and ends on Aug. 22, 2024.
“Out of this World” is her first headlining tour in her four-decade-long career. So, this will be unlike any other Missy Elliott performance you’ve seen before. Excited? So are we! Read on to learn more about the long-awaited Missy Elliott summer experience.
Missy Elliott’s upcoming tour is a nod to early 2000s hip-hop.
The “Get Ur Freak On” rapper is reintroducing Y2K rap music to the mainstream. Elliott dominated the airwaves in the early aughts, along with Ciara, Busta Rhymes, and everyone’s favorite producer, Timbaland. And they’re bringing their discography to the summer concert. Expect to hear Missy’s “Work It,” Busta Rhymes “I Know What You Want,” and other hits from Ciara and Timbaland.
We’re not surprised that Missy tapped this trio for her concert. They’ve all collaborated, with Missy featured on Ciara’s hit record, “1, 2 Step,” and Ciara co-writing Missy’s 2005 Billboard charting single, “Lose Control.” Timbaland has known Missy since the ’90s. The two were hip-hop collective Swing Mob members and have worked together on numerous songs, including “Get Ur Freak On.” Busta Rhymes has been a longtime fan of Missy’s and even calls her his “twin,” per Forbes.
Missy Elliott decided to go on her first solo tour for two reasons.
Funny enough, interest in a Missy Elliott solo tour is nothing new. Fans have waited for a solo tour since she first entered the musical industry. So, why now? According to Mona Scott-Young, Missy’s longtime manager and co-producer of the tour, she decided to hit the road once the full lineup became available.
“For Missy, it was very important that when she embarked on this journey, she did it with what she’s calling her family,” Scott-Young said, per Variety. “Busta and Missy have been twins for so long; people have compared them in terms of their unique ability to really think outside of the box, in terms of their personas, in terms of their music. Ciara has worked with her, they’ve become friends, and she looks to Missy as a mentor. And of course, Timbaland, whom I call her partner in rhyme; those two have a long history.”Â
Scott-Young added that Missy’s admittance into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame played a part in her decision to tour. In 2023, Missy Elliott became the first Black woman to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame. This historical induction was “a seismic moment for her, where she realized that this was a goal and a dream that she had been working so hard to attain,” said Scott-Young. After being admitted, the next step was to finally embark on her first solo tour.
We know that fans are happy to see Elliott go on tour. Her discography is too long and soulful not to be featured in a concert with Elliott as the headliner. Now, let’s hope that our wallets are as happy to see her as we are.
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