1 00:00:15,436 --> 00:00:22,356 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Hey, y'all, today, we have one of the great 2 00:00:22,396 --> 00:00:26,676 Speaker 1: innovators in popular music ever on the show. And I 3 00:00:26,676 --> 00:00:32,156 Speaker 1: don't say that lightly, Missy Misdemeanor Elliott. This year is 4 00:00:32,196 --> 00:00:36,476 Speaker 1: the twenty fifth anniversary of Missy's certified classic debut album, 5 00:00:36,756 --> 00:00:41,236 Speaker 1: Super Dupa Fly. When that album first dropped, Missy's unconventional 6 00:00:41,316 --> 00:00:44,796 Speaker 1: rhyme scheme and unique flavor, paired with her childhood friend 7 00:00:44,836 --> 00:00:49,676 Speaker 1: Timberland's futuristic production, set a precedent for what was creatively 8 00:00:49,756 --> 00:00:54,076 Speaker 1: possible in hip hop, and throughout her career, Missy's maintained 9 00:00:54,156 --> 00:00:57,636 Speaker 1: that level of playful creativity. You can hear it on 10 00:00:57,756 --> 00:01:00,556 Speaker 1: her slew of radio hits like get Your Freak On, 11 00:01:00,876 --> 00:01:04,876 Speaker 1: Work It, Lose Control, and definitely on her album cuts. 12 00:01:05,516 --> 00:01:08,476 Speaker 1: As of this year, Missy has more platinum albums than 13 00:01:08,596 --> 00:01:13,076 Speaker 1: any other female rapper. Of course, Missy can also flex 14 00:01:13,156 --> 00:01:16,436 Speaker 1: as a producer and songwriter. She's the first female rapper 15 00:01:16,476 --> 00:01:18,956 Speaker 1: to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, having 16 00:01:18,956 --> 00:01:23,276 Speaker 1: written songs from Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Destiny's Child, and of 17 00:01:23,316 --> 00:01:27,356 Speaker 1: course Aliyah's biggest hits One in a Million and If 18 00:01:27,396 --> 00:01:30,916 Speaker 1: Your Girl Only Knew Today. Rick Rubin talks to Missy 19 00:01:30,956 --> 00:01:35,316 Speaker 1: Elliott about her wide reaching influence and creative process. She 20 00:01:35,396 --> 00:01:37,836 Speaker 1: explains what it was like writing for Eliah, who was 21 00:01:37,876 --> 00:01:40,556 Speaker 1: one of the first artists to embrace Missy and Timberland's 22 00:01:40,636 --> 00:01:43,996 Speaker 1: unique style. She also talks about why she and Timberland 23 00:01:44,036 --> 00:01:47,156 Speaker 1: made a pact not to listen to any other music 24 00:01:47,316 --> 00:01:54,156 Speaker 1: while recording her debut. This is broken record liner notes 25 00:01:54,156 --> 00:01:57,996 Speaker 1: for the Digital Age. I'm justin Richmond. Here's Rick Rubin 26 00:01:58,196 --> 00:02:04,036 Speaker 1: and Missy Elliott. Hello, Hello, what, I'm Laddie. Hello. What 27 00:02:04,156 --> 00:02:07,956 Speaker 1: have you been listening to these days? To be honest, nothing. 28 00:02:09,316 --> 00:02:13,036 Speaker 1: Do you not listen to music regularly? Well, you know 29 00:02:13,596 --> 00:02:16,716 Speaker 1: it's weird because I do listen to a lot of 30 00:02:16,956 --> 00:02:19,916 Speaker 1: a lot of music, but a lot of it. I 31 00:02:20,036 --> 00:02:23,556 Speaker 1: catch it when I catch it, especially when I'm starting 32 00:02:23,556 --> 00:02:26,556 Speaker 1: to work on stuff. I go into this place of 33 00:02:26,676 --> 00:02:31,196 Speaker 1: not listening to anything. And that's how, you know, pretty 34 00:02:31,276 --> 00:02:34,876 Speaker 1: much started. When I first started, me and Tim just 35 00:02:34,956 --> 00:02:39,596 Speaker 1: like not listening. You know, we were forbidden to listen 36 00:02:40,116 --> 00:02:44,836 Speaker 1: to other people's stuff or watch videos, and I think 37 00:02:45,116 --> 00:02:49,356 Speaker 1: in a crazy way, that ended up working in our 38 00:02:49,396 --> 00:02:53,756 Speaker 1: favor because we didn't see nor hear, so we ended 39 00:02:53,836 --> 00:02:57,716 Speaker 1: up creating a sound that we didn't know we were creating. 40 00:02:57,836 --> 00:03:00,356 Speaker 1: We just didn't know what was hot, so we didn't 41 00:03:00,396 --> 00:03:03,756 Speaker 1: know it was hot to mimic it. And I think 42 00:03:03,836 --> 00:03:07,356 Speaker 1: that always works because then it allows you to not 43 00:03:07,516 --> 00:03:11,076 Speaker 1: be so afraid to try something new because you don't 44 00:03:11,076 --> 00:03:13,156 Speaker 1: know what's hot out there to know if yours is 45 00:03:13,236 --> 00:03:18,116 Speaker 1: too far or not enough. What about listening to classics? Yeah, no, 46 00:03:18,316 --> 00:03:20,876 Speaker 1: I know, people get in my car and feel like 47 00:03:21,476 --> 00:03:25,476 Speaker 1: day in the eighties and the nineties because I'm gonna 48 00:03:25,556 --> 00:03:31,076 Speaker 1: always play those joys, like those classics, the timeless records 49 00:03:31,076 --> 00:03:36,196 Speaker 1: will always stay in my car. I know. My little 50 00:03:36,196 --> 00:03:41,756 Speaker 1: cousins hated know, they hate it. They be like, don't 51 00:03:41,756 --> 00:03:45,716 Speaker 1: you got don't you got the TikTok those? Nah, But 52 00:03:45,876 --> 00:03:52,396 Speaker 1: listen to this, Listen to this one twelve record. It's 53 00:03:52,476 --> 00:03:57,316 Speaker 1: just something about it that warms my heart for whatever reason. 54 00:03:57,716 --> 00:03:59,676 Speaker 1: What was the music playing in your house when you 55 00:03:59,676 --> 00:04:01,476 Speaker 1: were growing up? Was their music in your house when 56 00:04:01,516 --> 00:04:04,516 Speaker 1: you were growing up? Oh? Yeah. So the funny thing 57 00:04:04,556 --> 00:04:09,276 Speaker 1: about when I was growing up, my mother was into 58 00:04:09,276 --> 00:04:14,476 Speaker 1: gospel and my father was into R and B, which 59 00:04:14,836 --> 00:04:17,516 Speaker 1: you know in the gospel world they say worldly music. 60 00:04:18,196 --> 00:04:22,956 Speaker 1: So I had the best of both worlds, because I 61 00:04:22,996 --> 00:04:27,436 Speaker 1: had my mother playing gospel records and and then you know, 62 00:04:27,556 --> 00:04:33,756 Speaker 1: my father would be playing Marvin Gay, Prince Michael. Then 63 00:04:33,836 --> 00:04:37,356 Speaker 1: he would go to minute work, I remember whipp It, 64 00:04:38,116 --> 00:04:40,836 Speaker 1: you know, Grace Jones or whatever like he So it 65 00:04:40,916 --> 00:04:45,356 Speaker 1: was Gospel on one side and R and B on 66 00:04:45,396 --> 00:04:48,596 Speaker 1: the other side. Did your parents listen to each other's music? 67 00:04:48,876 --> 00:04:50,756 Speaker 1: Did your dad like the gospel and did your mom 68 00:04:50,876 --> 00:04:58,236 Speaker 1: like the R and B? No? Absolutely not. That's probably 69 00:04:58,236 --> 00:05:03,236 Speaker 1: why they didn't stay together. No, my mother was really 70 00:05:03,276 --> 00:05:06,676 Speaker 1: in the gospel, and I would be in my room 71 00:05:06,836 --> 00:05:10,876 Speaker 1: and I'm the only child, so you they would turn 72 00:05:11,036 --> 00:05:15,316 Speaker 1: the music up on both ends. And when you come 73 00:05:15,356 --> 00:05:18,996 Speaker 1: from a gospel world, you know, hearing R and B 74 00:05:19,316 --> 00:05:23,396 Speaker 1: and especially Marvin Gay's sexual healing, it's like what you know, 75 00:05:23,516 --> 00:05:26,916 Speaker 1: my mom was not having it, and my father didn't 76 00:05:26,916 --> 00:05:30,156 Speaker 1: want to hear the gospel either, so they it was 77 00:05:30,236 --> 00:05:35,876 Speaker 1: like a DJ contest that for whatever reason, it felt 78 00:05:35,916 --> 00:05:39,356 Speaker 1: like that. Do you feel like you were more influenced 79 00:05:40,196 --> 00:05:44,156 Speaker 1: by hearing the R and B or the gospel? I 80 00:05:44,196 --> 00:05:49,076 Speaker 1: was influenced by both. I think I learned harmonies by 81 00:05:49,196 --> 00:05:55,316 Speaker 1: listening to the gospel. I think I learned feeling by 82 00:05:55,396 --> 00:06:00,996 Speaker 1: listening to the gospel. Something about gospel music just has 83 00:06:01,036 --> 00:06:05,636 Speaker 1: a conviction when you hear the singers. The R and 84 00:06:05,676 --> 00:06:10,916 Speaker 1: B side, there was a sauce that that I learned 85 00:06:10,996 --> 00:06:18,276 Speaker 1: from that and lyrical content love, you know, heartache, what's 86 00:06:18,316 --> 00:06:21,476 Speaker 1: going on in the world, And so I think God 87 00:06:21,556 --> 00:06:25,756 Speaker 1: I had the best of both. A matter of fact, 88 00:06:25,756 --> 00:06:29,316 Speaker 1: I know I did in a weird way, being in 89 00:06:29,356 --> 00:06:32,996 Speaker 1: the middle in the in my room hearing both sides, 90 00:06:33,116 --> 00:06:37,716 Speaker 1: I was absorbing both like a sponge at the time. 91 00:06:37,756 --> 00:06:39,316 Speaker 1: Did you like them both when you were a kid? 92 00:06:39,316 --> 00:06:41,996 Speaker 1: Do you remember liking them both as a kid? I 93 00:06:42,036 --> 00:06:44,996 Speaker 1: feel like I did like them both, because you know church, 94 00:06:45,716 --> 00:06:48,956 Speaker 1: you go to church. You're going to church Wednesday for 95 00:06:49,076 --> 00:06:54,236 Speaker 1: prayer meeting, Thursday for choir rehearsal Sunday. You know, you 96 00:06:54,316 --> 00:06:56,596 Speaker 1: just it's like church, church, church, church. So you had 97 00:06:56,676 --> 00:07:00,116 Speaker 1: no choice but to like that. And I liked it 98 00:07:00,196 --> 00:07:03,876 Speaker 1: anyway because I just come from a spiritual family. The 99 00:07:03,996 --> 00:07:07,436 Speaker 1: R and B side I loved like I stayed in 100 00:07:07,476 --> 00:07:13,316 Speaker 1: the mirror memoryking these artists, and I would get in 101 00:07:13,356 --> 00:07:18,476 Speaker 1: the mirror and I would make up these speeches that 102 00:07:18,756 --> 00:07:21,676 Speaker 1: you know, I was at the awards thinking Michael and Janet. 103 00:07:21,916 --> 00:07:24,956 Speaker 1: I hadn't even met these people yet. I you know, 104 00:07:25,036 --> 00:07:27,996 Speaker 1: it was like, thank you, Madonna for letting me write 105 00:07:28,076 --> 00:07:31,036 Speaker 1: records for you. I hadn't met none of them, and 106 00:07:31,676 --> 00:07:34,476 Speaker 1: I was constantly doing that in front of my doll babies. 107 00:07:35,116 --> 00:07:37,596 Speaker 1: So it was something about that that I knew I 108 00:07:37,676 --> 00:07:41,516 Speaker 1: was gonna go in that direction. Were your parents supportive 109 00:07:41,676 --> 00:07:44,756 Speaker 1: of your interest in music or did they laugh at 110 00:07:44,796 --> 00:07:47,316 Speaker 1: you for, you know, thinking this is what you were 111 00:07:47,356 --> 00:07:51,396 Speaker 1: going to do. By the time I decided to become 112 00:07:51,436 --> 00:07:55,476 Speaker 1: an artist, my mother and father had separated. My mother 113 00:07:56,236 --> 00:07:58,956 Speaker 1: was trying to get me in the military, and I 114 00:07:58,996 --> 00:08:02,836 Speaker 1: was like, I can't even walk from here to the 115 00:08:02,876 --> 00:08:05,316 Speaker 1: car without getting tired. I know, you don't expect me 116 00:08:05,356 --> 00:08:10,236 Speaker 1: to go and nobody's navy or army and be running 117 00:08:10,356 --> 00:08:13,436 Speaker 1: for my dear life, you know. So they in my 118 00:08:13,556 --> 00:08:18,636 Speaker 1: family they didn't take me serious because in Virginia at 119 00:08:18,676 --> 00:08:23,636 Speaker 1: that time, artist wasn't going through Virginia like that, you know, 120 00:08:23,796 --> 00:08:27,316 Speaker 1: maybe a show here there, It wasn't like it is now. 121 00:08:27,436 --> 00:08:30,956 Speaker 1: So it was hard to believe that I'm gonna go 122 00:08:30,996 --> 00:08:33,996 Speaker 1: away and I'm gonna be famous. But I have been 123 00:08:34,036 --> 00:08:37,116 Speaker 1: saying that since I was a little girl, like I 124 00:08:37,156 --> 00:08:41,076 Speaker 1: remember in kindergarten. Every Friday, the teacher would ask what 125 00:08:41,116 --> 00:08:43,716 Speaker 1: we want to be, and I would listen to the 126 00:08:43,796 --> 00:08:46,196 Speaker 1: kids saying, I'm gonna be a fireman, I'm gonna be 127 00:08:46,236 --> 00:08:48,836 Speaker 1: a policeman, I'm gonna be a teacher, and I'm gonna 128 00:08:48,836 --> 00:08:50,476 Speaker 1: be a doctor. And they come around to me and 129 00:08:50,516 --> 00:08:52,516 Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm gonna be a superstar in a whole 130 00:08:52,556 --> 00:08:55,596 Speaker 1: class with just bust out laughing, and I never wavered. 131 00:08:55,956 --> 00:08:59,116 Speaker 1: Every Friday I said the same thing, and they laughed 132 00:08:59,196 --> 00:09:02,076 Speaker 1: every Friday, And I always wanted to do those kids 133 00:09:02,116 --> 00:09:05,716 Speaker 1: remember me because I remember them, I remember them well. 134 00:09:06,356 --> 00:09:11,196 Speaker 1: But yeah, my family they didn't think that that could happen, 135 00:09:11,436 --> 00:09:13,836 Speaker 1: and they didn't think it was best for me because 136 00:09:13,836 --> 00:09:16,236 Speaker 1: they I think they thought that I would be naive 137 00:09:16,276 --> 00:09:19,916 Speaker 1: and go out there and be willing out and get 138 00:09:19,956 --> 00:09:23,116 Speaker 1: on all kind of situations that I had no business, 139 00:09:23,156 --> 00:09:26,996 Speaker 1: So they didn't think it was good for me at first. 140 00:09:27,836 --> 00:09:29,676 Speaker 1: Tell me about growing up in Virginia. Just tell me 141 00:09:29,716 --> 00:09:32,356 Speaker 1: about Virginia a little bit. Describe the place you grew 142 00:09:32,436 --> 00:09:38,396 Speaker 1: up in the area Virginia. I grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia, 143 00:09:38,476 --> 00:09:44,236 Speaker 1: and everybody knew everybody. Small town feeling, yes, very small town. 144 00:09:44,476 --> 00:09:47,516 Speaker 1: Like you know in New York, you may run into 145 00:09:47,556 --> 00:09:49,956 Speaker 1: somebody and you may never see them ever again. In 146 00:09:49,996 --> 00:09:54,116 Speaker 1: life in Virginia, you're going to no matter whether you're 147 00:09:54,196 --> 00:09:59,636 Speaker 1: from Virginia, Beach Hampton, Rose, Newport News, Suffolk, Norfolk, in 148 00:09:59,676 --> 00:10:04,356 Speaker 1: those places, you're going to run into them again. And 149 00:10:05,316 --> 00:10:10,716 Speaker 1: you know, in Virginia everybody is just like family. You know, 150 00:10:11,276 --> 00:10:13,756 Speaker 1: I remember time where we used to we can't do 151 00:10:13,796 --> 00:10:16,156 Speaker 1: that now, but we used to go up to each 152 00:10:16,196 --> 00:10:18,116 Speaker 1: other house and just knock on the screen door and 153 00:10:18,156 --> 00:10:21,436 Speaker 1: be like coming in. We didn't lock our doors, and 154 00:10:21,916 --> 00:10:25,396 Speaker 1: you know, we all played together and it just was 155 00:10:25,596 --> 00:10:28,956 Speaker 1: a fun place growing up. Was it more like the 156 00:10:29,036 --> 00:10:31,076 Speaker 1: country or was it more like the suburbs? Would you 157 00:10:31,116 --> 00:10:37,796 Speaker 1: say Portsmouth was country? We had the dirt roads. Yeah, yeah, 158 00:10:37,836 --> 00:10:42,676 Speaker 1: like we had the dirt roads like mad Woods, and yeah, 159 00:10:42,796 --> 00:10:46,596 Speaker 1: we didn't see we didn't see like paved roads like that. 160 00:10:46,676 --> 00:10:49,396 Speaker 1: And I and were I used to stay in a 161 00:10:49,476 --> 00:10:52,996 Speaker 1: place called pews Bill and we didn't see that for 162 00:10:53,036 --> 00:10:57,556 Speaker 1: a long time. Like our roads were very rocky now 163 00:10:57,756 --> 00:11:01,036 Speaker 1: where Tim and for Real is from, they were kind 164 00:11:01,036 --> 00:11:03,756 Speaker 1: of like the upscale in Virginia Beach, so they might 165 00:11:03,756 --> 00:11:08,276 Speaker 1: have had paid roles in Portsmouth. Nah, we when coming up, 166 00:11:08,316 --> 00:11:10,876 Speaker 1: we had a lot of dirt roads. I've only been 167 00:11:10,916 --> 00:11:13,716 Speaker 1: in Virginia Beach one time, and that was to visit 168 00:11:13,836 --> 00:11:18,636 Speaker 1: Teddy Riley in his studio back a while Bure. I 169 00:11:18,676 --> 00:11:21,356 Speaker 1: think it was Future Records. Yes, do you know I 170 00:11:22,116 --> 00:11:25,996 Speaker 1: love Teddy? When I tell you I love Teddy? And 171 00:11:26,916 --> 00:11:30,996 Speaker 1: my group went to Teddy and sung for him like 172 00:11:31,156 --> 00:11:33,916 Speaker 1: we were so scared. We used to drive past his 173 00:11:34,036 --> 00:11:37,796 Speaker 1: studio all the time, and we finally got up the 174 00:11:37,836 --> 00:11:44,076 Speaker 1: nerve to go to his studio and sing, and it 175 00:11:44,156 --> 00:11:49,676 Speaker 1: was maybe like five of us and we sang and 176 00:11:49,756 --> 00:11:52,796 Speaker 1: he was like, I see five of y'all, but I 177 00:11:52,876 --> 00:11:59,636 Speaker 1: only hear two part harmony, like no, and he didn't 178 00:11:59,756 --> 00:12:04,356 Speaker 1: sign us. I was like, oh my god, I like 179 00:12:04,476 --> 00:12:06,916 Speaker 1: it was like starting all over again because we had 180 00:12:07,116 --> 00:12:10,436 Speaker 1: spent so much time working up the nerve to finally 181 00:12:11,196 --> 00:12:13,756 Speaker 1: go to his studio because we used to always drive 182 00:12:13,836 --> 00:12:18,116 Speaker 1: past it see all of these fly cars, and finally 183 00:12:18,196 --> 00:12:20,596 Speaker 1: got in there and he was like, I see five 184 00:12:20,636 --> 00:12:24,596 Speaker 1: of y'all, but I only heard two far How old 185 00:12:24,596 --> 00:12:27,116 Speaker 1: were you at that time? Do you remember? Um? We 186 00:12:27,276 --> 00:12:31,956 Speaker 1: had to been nineteen. How much did you record with 187 00:12:31,996 --> 00:12:35,316 Speaker 1: the group. Oh, we did a whole album. Yeah. I 188 00:12:35,396 --> 00:12:38,596 Speaker 1: used to be in a group called Sister, which was 189 00:12:38,676 --> 00:12:43,916 Speaker 1: signed to Jodicee and we were signed under Sylvia Ron 190 00:12:45,116 --> 00:12:51,756 Speaker 1: and Sylvia Roone let DeVante label go, which means we 191 00:12:51,916 --> 00:12:56,356 Speaker 1: got dropped two any anybody that was under him, and 192 00:12:56,396 --> 00:13:01,356 Speaker 1: then she came back and signed me as a solo artist. Yeah. 193 00:13:01,716 --> 00:13:04,036 Speaker 1: We always me and her always joke about that and 194 00:13:04,116 --> 00:13:07,876 Speaker 1: it's like you dropped me and then you signed me. 195 00:13:09,116 --> 00:13:12,396 Speaker 1: It all worked out. It all worked out. When the 196 00:13:12,476 --> 00:13:14,476 Speaker 1: group ended, was it clear that you were gonna do 197 00:13:14,556 --> 00:13:16,676 Speaker 1: solo as opposed to either continue with the group or 198 00:13:16,676 --> 00:13:19,996 Speaker 1: put together a new group. I had no clue I 199 00:13:20,036 --> 00:13:24,356 Speaker 1: was gonna ever go solo. So the story behind that 200 00:13:24,596 --> 00:13:29,276 Speaker 1: is I was in the group, we got signed, We 201 00:13:30,236 --> 00:13:34,836 Speaker 1: went to a Joe to See show, and we performed 202 00:13:34,916 --> 00:13:39,356 Speaker 1: for Dalvin, and then Dalvin made us perform for Casey. 203 00:13:39,596 --> 00:13:43,436 Speaker 1: Casey made us perform for Jojo, and then we ended 204 00:13:43,516 --> 00:13:47,996 Speaker 1: up performing for Devonte and so he said, Hey, you know, 205 00:13:48,076 --> 00:13:51,276 Speaker 1: I'm gonna sign y'all. I'm gonna fly y'all up to 206 00:13:52,036 --> 00:13:55,876 Speaker 1: New York next week. We didn't believe him, but he 207 00:13:55,996 --> 00:14:01,756 Speaker 1: really did, and so I signed with him and I 208 00:14:01,836 --> 00:14:05,516 Speaker 1: kept telling him, Hey, you know, I got this guy 209 00:14:05,636 --> 00:14:07,916 Speaker 1: and he does all of our music and I'm telling 210 00:14:07,956 --> 00:14:12,756 Speaker 1: you he is amazing and his name is DJ Timmy Tim, 211 00:14:13,276 --> 00:14:15,916 Speaker 1: and he was like, I don't care who he is. 212 00:14:16,756 --> 00:14:20,796 Speaker 1: He say, you know me, and I'll be sure, are 213 00:14:20,796 --> 00:14:25,636 Speaker 1: gonna do you all album? And I said, please, please, 214 00:14:25,916 --> 00:14:28,436 Speaker 1: you know, bring him up here? Can I please bring 215 00:14:28,516 --> 00:14:32,876 Speaker 1: him up here? And I begged and begged until he 216 00:14:32,956 --> 00:14:37,436 Speaker 1: finally bought Tim. And then once Tim came, I said, hey, 217 00:14:37,476 --> 00:14:40,076 Speaker 1: I got another friend. His name is Magoo. I promise 218 00:14:40,196 --> 00:14:43,436 Speaker 1: he is so dope. He was like, you're not gonna 219 00:14:43,636 --> 00:14:49,076 Speaker 1: bring everybody from Virginia, and so I got them up there. 220 00:14:49,876 --> 00:14:54,116 Speaker 1: So I ended up leaving and I was the first 221 00:14:54,116 --> 00:14:58,556 Speaker 1: one to leave, and I didn't know where I was going. 222 00:14:58,596 --> 00:15:02,316 Speaker 1: I didn't know what I was going to do. I 223 00:15:02,356 --> 00:15:05,716 Speaker 1: had no plans or nothing. It was a scary thing 224 00:15:05,716 --> 00:15:09,156 Speaker 1: because you know, mind you my family had already thought this, 225 00:15:09,116 --> 00:15:11,796 Speaker 1: this was a bad idea. So I go somewhere and 226 00:15:11,836 --> 00:15:15,676 Speaker 1: now I'm back at the crib. I'm home and it's like, oh, 227 00:15:15,836 --> 00:15:17,716 Speaker 1: what are you doing here? I thought she was going 228 00:15:17,756 --> 00:15:21,236 Speaker 1: away to be a star and I'm like, no, I'm back. 229 00:15:22,236 --> 00:15:28,356 Speaker 1: But before any of that, Magoo introduced me to Timp, 230 00:15:29,116 --> 00:15:32,916 Speaker 1: So I know I'm going backwards. But we were in 231 00:15:33,036 --> 00:15:38,316 Speaker 1: high school and Magool I always asked him, like, I 232 00:15:38,356 --> 00:15:42,516 Speaker 1: don't even remember how I met Magoo, but it's so crazy. 233 00:15:42,596 --> 00:15:45,996 Speaker 1: He Magoo ended up giving me the name Misdemeanor because 234 00:15:45,996 --> 00:15:48,436 Speaker 1: he said it was a crime for one to have 235 00:15:49,076 --> 00:15:53,556 Speaker 1: as many talents as I had, and I stuck with 236 00:15:53,636 --> 00:15:56,996 Speaker 1: that name, and he was just like, hey, I got 237 00:15:57,036 --> 00:16:00,636 Speaker 1: this guy. And he actually didn't introduce Tim to me 238 00:16:01,476 --> 00:16:04,036 Speaker 1: for work. It was really for us to just hang out. 239 00:16:04,716 --> 00:16:08,796 Speaker 1: And so I went to Tim's house and he was 240 00:16:08,836 --> 00:16:14,036 Speaker 1: a j He didn't even understand his gift that he had, 241 00:16:14,916 --> 00:16:17,436 Speaker 1: and when I got there, he was just you know, 242 00:16:18,076 --> 00:16:20,916 Speaker 1: scratching and stuff. He was dope as a DJ too, 243 00:16:21,716 --> 00:16:24,756 Speaker 1: And then he started He had a little Cassio keyboard 244 00:16:24,796 --> 00:16:27,876 Speaker 1: and he started playing on the Cassio keyboard and I 245 00:16:27,916 --> 00:16:29,956 Speaker 1: don't know if you remember Cassio's back then they had 246 00:16:29,996 --> 00:16:32,396 Speaker 1: the little dog sounds, and this is where I believe 247 00:16:32,476 --> 00:16:36,396 Speaker 1: all of this sounds came from in the songs, because 248 00:16:36,436 --> 00:16:40,996 Speaker 1: the Cassio had those like front and me just like 249 00:16:41,436 --> 00:16:46,556 Speaker 1: animal sounds, and he found a genius way to make 250 00:16:46,676 --> 00:16:52,236 Speaker 1: beats with that stuff in it. And he really at 251 00:16:52,276 --> 00:16:56,396 Speaker 1: the time wasn't calling himself a producer at all. And 252 00:16:57,076 --> 00:16:59,356 Speaker 1: he one day he was just doing a beat on 253 00:16:59,476 --> 00:17:05,476 Speaker 1: the cassio and I started rapping, and he was like, Yo, 254 00:17:05,636 --> 00:17:08,236 Speaker 1: that's crazy. And I remember all of us being in 255 00:17:08,276 --> 00:17:12,236 Speaker 1: the room and it's just going just rapping. I went 256 00:17:12,276 --> 00:17:15,116 Speaker 1: from rapping and singing, rapping and singing, and he just 257 00:17:15,356 --> 00:17:18,676 Speaker 1: kept doing beats and then McGoo would come in and 258 00:17:18,676 --> 00:17:21,476 Speaker 1: we was having a cipher and you know, we just 259 00:17:21,876 --> 00:17:26,636 Speaker 1: this was something that this was our pastime. Yeah, at 260 00:17:26,636 --> 00:17:28,996 Speaker 1: the time, we didn't think, oh, we're gonna go on 261 00:17:29,116 --> 00:17:33,716 Speaker 1: to make records. We just was having fun. And every 262 00:17:33,796 --> 00:17:37,036 Speaker 1: day after school, me and McGoo would get together and 263 00:17:37,116 --> 00:17:41,636 Speaker 1: we started going to Tim's house and just started doing 264 00:17:41,716 --> 00:17:45,516 Speaker 1: records and we were recording from tape that to take that. 265 00:17:46,036 --> 00:17:49,076 Speaker 1: I don't know if you remember how people recording like 266 00:17:49,196 --> 00:17:55,116 Speaker 1: that until the song sounded real fuzzy and muffled, But yeah, 267 00:17:55,156 --> 00:18:02,876 Speaker 1: we was recording like that. Yes, yes, So if people 268 00:18:02,876 --> 00:18:06,316 Speaker 1: don't people don't don't under the artists these days, They 269 00:18:06,756 --> 00:18:09,076 Speaker 1: they don't realize how good they got it. I said, 270 00:18:09,516 --> 00:18:13,796 Speaker 1: I have these reels in my house and I'm trying 271 00:18:13,796 --> 00:18:16,796 Speaker 1: to get them converted over And I say, these artists 272 00:18:16,836 --> 00:18:22,556 Speaker 1: don't even realize these reels, what these reels was like, 273 00:18:22,836 --> 00:18:26,556 Speaker 1: cutting them and all the stuff is crazy. It's funny 274 00:18:26,596 --> 00:18:29,076 Speaker 1: now looking back, like it's easy now. But there was 275 00:18:29,156 --> 00:18:33,516 Speaker 1: something about the limitations that we had back them that 276 00:18:34,116 --> 00:18:36,716 Speaker 1: forced us to make more interesting things, you know, just 277 00:18:36,876 --> 00:18:43,116 Speaker 1: forced forced you to be creative. Yes, absolutely, because when 278 00:18:43,156 --> 00:18:46,796 Speaker 1: you think about those reels, when you think about tape 279 00:18:47,516 --> 00:18:51,756 Speaker 1: recording from tape that, the tape that like I always 280 00:18:51,796 --> 00:18:55,956 Speaker 1: wonder who came up with that? Like who thought to 281 00:18:56,196 --> 00:18:59,236 Speaker 1: do that? And to be able to I was able 282 00:18:59,276 --> 00:19:04,796 Speaker 1: to put harmonies that way without us even having a studio. 283 00:19:05,396 --> 00:19:08,716 Speaker 1: It's so crazy. And you've worked with Tim from the 284 00:19:08,716 --> 00:19:13,876 Speaker 1: beginning throughout your career pretty much. Yes, oh yeah, from 285 00:19:13,956 --> 00:19:18,476 Speaker 1: that day, that first day of going to Tim's house, 286 00:19:18,556 --> 00:19:22,796 Speaker 1: and his dad hated when that doorbell would ring because 287 00:19:22,796 --> 00:19:25,916 Speaker 1: his dad, I think, drove trucks and so he would 288 00:19:25,916 --> 00:19:29,836 Speaker 1: be driving late at night and he would just be fussing, 289 00:19:29,916 --> 00:19:32,876 Speaker 1: like y'all got the go, y'all gotta get out of it, 290 00:19:33,396 --> 00:19:35,996 Speaker 1: making all that boom bab I got to drive like 291 00:19:36,276 --> 00:19:39,996 Speaker 1: he would be fussing us out, but we we were 292 00:19:40,076 --> 00:19:45,276 Speaker 1: so and we were so intrigued. It's so crazy when 293 00:19:45,276 --> 00:19:49,236 Speaker 1: I tell you, I think back to just the beginning, 294 00:19:49,436 --> 00:19:52,876 Speaker 1: like the first song that I ever heard, because I 295 00:19:52,916 --> 00:19:55,276 Speaker 1: heard him. I've seen an interview with him not too 296 00:19:55,276 --> 00:19:57,796 Speaker 1: long ago, and he was like, you know, Missy taught 297 00:19:57,836 --> 00:20:01,916 Speaker 1: me so much. And it's funny because I learned so 298 00:20:02,036 --> 00:20:06,276 Speaker 1: much just from the first song. I remember Donna Summer 299 00:20:07,236 --> 00:20:12,396 Speaker 1: Last Dance, and and I said, at a young age, 300 00:20:12,916 --> 00:20:16,556 Speaker 1: I was so intrigued at the structure of that record, 301 00:20:17,156 --> 00:20:22,676 Speaker 1: and like, I was like, what made her start this slow? Yeah, 302 00:20:22,716 --> 00:20:24,876 Speaker 1: it starts slow and then it turns into a dance 303 00:20:24,876 --> 00:20:26,636 Speaker 1: song and you're not expecting it to turn into a 304 00:20:26,676 --> 00:20:30,036 Speaker 1: dance song. Yeah, Like and I and at a young age, 305 00:20:30,236 --> 00:20:34,476 Speaker 1: that intrigued me that I hadn't heard a record do that. 306 00:20:34,916 --> 00:20:40,476 Speaker 1: And till this day, that is a structure that I 307 00:20:40,596 --> 00:20:44,076 Speaker 1: always say. It was just so amazing to me. That 308 00:20:44,156 --> 00:20:46,916 Speaker 1: was the first record that caught my attention. So I 309 00:20:46,996 --> 00:20:50,636 Speaker 1: always gravitated to things that probably people wouldn't have paid 310 00:20:50,676 --> 00:20:55,076 Speaker 1: attention to. But then when we by the time I 311 00:20:55,156 --> 00:20:59,516 Speaker 1: met Tim and we started getting into hip hop really crazy. Well, 312 00:20:59,516 --> 00:21:00,996 Speaker 1: I was in the hip hop before I met Tim, 313 00:21:01,036 --> 00:21:05,356 Speaker 1: because you know, I'm quite sure he was into it too. 314 00:21:05,636 --> 00:21:07,996 Speaker 1: Round junior high school, we were you know, in the 315 00:21:08,156 --> 00:21:13,116 Speaker 1: UTFO Run DMC days. But by that time we was 316 00:21:13,156 --> 00:21:17,476 Speaker 1: in the Public Enemy when I met Tim, and everything 317 00:21:17,876 --> 00:21:25,276 Speaker 1: was Chuck d like and play, everything was yeah boy, 318 00:21:26,196 --> 00:21:29,756 Speaker 1: And we would just sit and listen to the eight 319 00:21:29,756 --> 00:21:34,236 Speaker 1: oh eights and stuff that they would have in their records, 320 00:21:34,356 --> 00:21:40,996 Speaker 1: in the breakbeats that they would use in Public Enemy records, 321 00:21:42,276 --> 00:21:45,636 Speaker 1: and we were just always so so amazed. Then, you know, 322 00:21:45,716 --> 00:21:48,996 Speaker 1: we were most definitely in the tribe. And I always 323 00:21:49,076 --> 00:21:51,476 Speaker 1: used to say, Magoo, you sound just like Q Tip. 324 00:21:53,116 --> 00:22:00,476 Speaker 1: Everybody tell me that. So those days really shaped us 325 00:22:00,516 --> 00:22:06,236 Speaker 1: to just in in the whole hip hop culture. Like 326 00:22:06,676 --> 00:22:11,796 Speaker 1: we were so heavy, heavy, heavy heavy into it. We'll 327 00:22:11,836 --> 00:22:13,956 Speaker 1: be right back after the break with more from Missy 328 00:22:13,956 --> 00:22:21,636 Speaker 1: Elliott and Rick Rubin. We're back with more from Missy Elliott. 329 00:22:21,916 --> 00:22:26,596 Speaker 1: Tell me about Tim as a person, Tim timber Lad. 330 00:22:27,076 --> 00:22:30,796 Speaker 1: First he was DJ Timmy Timber So he was so quiet, 331 00:22:31,476 --> 00:22:37,476 Speaker 1: a quiet genius. And what I always say about Tim 332 00:22:37,476 --> 00:22:42,036 Speaker 1: Ann for real just amazed me in two different ways. 333 00:22:42,116 --> 00:22:46,716 Speaker 1: Tim because he didn't play. He went off a feeling 334 00:22:47,276 --> 00:22:52,036 Speaker 1: when he created music. Somebody that went to school probably 335 00:22:52,076 --> 00:22:57,316 Speaker 1: would technically say these sounds put together are wrong, this 336 00:22:57,396 --> 00:23:01,436 Speaker 1: is not in the correct key. But he because he 337 00:23:01,476 --> 00:23:05,236 Speaker 1: went off a feeling if it was right, it was wrong, 338 00:23:05,316 --> 00:23:07,836 Speaker 1: but it was right and it was new and it 339 00:23:07,916 --> 00:23:14,516 Speaker 1: was new. Yeah, and you know, we really showed people 340 00:23:14,636 --> 00:23:19,876 Speaker 1: how to wrap and sing over a catenance that hadn't 341 00:23:19,916 --> 00:23:26,476 Speaker 1: existed before us. That cadence was so off two people. 342 00:23:26,636 --> 00:23:29,996 Speaker 1: I remember One in a Million was hard to get 343 00:23:30,036 --> 00:23:33,516 Speaker 1: played because they were saying a lot of people were 344 00:23:33,556 --> 00:23:36,956 Speaker 1: saying a lot of the program directors were saying that 345 00:23:36,996 --> 00:23:39,876 Speaker 1: they couldn't mix it in or blend it in with 346 00:23:39,916 --> 00:23:45,436 Speaker 1: the record before it or after because of the rhythm 347 00:23:46,036 --> 00:23:50,716 Speaker 1: of it. And it was weird because although it was 348 00:23:50,756 --> 00:23:54,996 Speaker 1: so slow, it still made you bounce in the weirdest way. 349 00:23:55,036 --> 00:23:58,716 Speaker 1: Like all the songs that we did just had this bounce, 350 00:23:58,796 --> 00:24:03,676 Speaker 1: even if they were slow records. So I think that's 351 00:24:03,676 --> 00:24:06,636 Speaker 1: the genius in that is that sometimes it's not just 352 00:24:06,716 --> 00:24:10,996 Speaker 1: about just being technical, because I've had people who are 353 00:24:11,116 --> 00:24:16,116 Speaker 1: amazing technically, but the feeling is not there. And so 354 00:24:16,156 --> 00:24:19,516 Speaker 1: that's why I think Tim was always so great at 355 00:24:19,596 --> 00:24:22,636 Speaker 1: what he did because he went off a feeling it 356 00:24:22,836 --> 00:24:25,556 Speaker 1: felt right. It's amazing that there was a time that 357 00:24:25,636 --> 00:24:28,116 Speaker 1: that was too unusual to you know, to go on 358 00:24:28,156 --> 00:24:31,236 Speaker 1: the radio when it had so much of an effect 359 00:24:31,436 --> 00:24:33,436 Speaker 1: in all music that came after it. Tell me the 360 00:24:33,476 --> 00:24:35,596 Speaker 1: story of that song from the beginning. First time you 361 00:24:35,676 --> 00:24:40,676 Speaker 1: heard the beat. I was out working with seven or 362 00:24:40,676 --> 00:24:43,036 Speaker 1: two and Tim called me and was like, hey, you know, 363 00:24:43,396 --> 00:24:48,876 Speaker 1: we got this opportunity to do something on Aliyah. Now 364 00:24:49,556 --> 00:24:54,596 Speaker 1: you know, we still knew like nobody really knows who 365 00:24:54,636 --> 00:24:58,716 Speaker 1: we are. So when me and Tim got together, I'm like, Tim, 366 00:24:59,236 --> 00:25:02,316 Speaker 1: you know what we're gonna do because she was already 367 00:25:02,676 --> 00:25:07,476 Speaker 1: a superstar, So I'm like, Yo, let's just give her 368 00:25:08,036 --> 00:25:13,156 Speaker 1: our old sound. Nobody never heard it, so it'll be 369 00:25:13,196 --> 00:25:18,876 Speaker 1: like a new sound because we that sound was probably 370 00:25:20,156 --> 00:25:25,276 Speaker 1: four years old to us, wow, because we had been 371 00:25:26,156 --> 00:25:29,556 Speaker 1: signed and no, you know, we the stuff didn't come out, 372 00:25:30,036 --> 00:25:34,796 Speaker 1: so we have been on that way, that that whole rhythm, 373 00:25:34,836 --> 00:25:39,076 Speaker 1: and I said, let's just give her that. So Tim 374 00:25:39,236 --> 00:25:42,636 Speaker 1: was like you show him? Like yeah, like dude, that 375 00:25:43,636 --> 00:25:47,596 Speaker 1: you know, we were still in a place of we 376 00:25:47,676 --> 00:25:50,916 Speaker 1: didn't know what was hot or not all we knew 377 00:25:50,996 --> 00:25:54,036 Speaker 1: was what we did. Yeah, you know this, this this 378 00:25:54,116 --> 00:25:57,916 Speaker 1: is hot, not knowing it was really hot, but it 379 00:25:57,956 --> 00:25:59,876 Speaker 1: was hot to us because that's all we had been 380 00:25:59,916 --> 00:26:04,196 Speaker 1: hearing the song. The song was already written. I mean 381 00:26:04,236 --> 00:26:07,636 Speaker 1: I played it for after I had demo the vocals, 382 00:26:07,676 --> 00:26:10,356 Speaker 1: so because that's me at the again and saying love, 383 00:26:10,596 --> 00:26:15,356 Speaker 1: love you baby, Me and Tim went in and recorded 384 00:26:15,396 --> 00:26:18,876 Speaker 1: it and then I played her you know, the version 385 00:26:18,916 --> 00:26:23,236 Speaker 1: with my vocals on it, and she loved it and 386 00:26:23,356 --> 00:26:28,316 Speaker 1: she got it immediately, which when I think about it, 387 00:26:28,316 --> 00:26:34,596 Speaker 1: it just shows that she was aligned with us musically anyway, 388 00:26:34,676 --> 00:26:39,956 Speaker 1: because we had to show people how to sing and 389 00:26:39,996 --> 00:26:44,236 Speaker 1: wrap over something that, like I said, that hadn't existed before. 390 00:26:44,556 --> 00:26:47,996 Speaker 1: People didn't know where to place this music. They didn't 391 00:26:48,036 --> 00:26:50,596 Speaker 1: know whether to go to the R and B and 392 00:26:50,716 --> 00:26:53,236 Speaker 1: hip hop or to the pop. They didn't know where 393 00:26:53,356 --> 00:26:57,396 Speaker 1: to place it. But she got it immediately. But that 394 00:26:57,756 --> 00:27:01,196 Speaker 1: actually wasn't the first record that she did. The first 395 00:27:01,236 --> 00:27:04,756 Speaker 1: record she did was if Your Girl Only Knew And 396 00:27:05,156 --> 00:27:08,676 Speaker 1: even for her to get that record and it went 397 00:27:08,836 --> 00:27:12,396 Speaker 1: were only supposed to do one record on Aliah, and 398 00:27:12,516 --> 00:27:14,716 Speaker 1: it went from one to two to three to four 399 00:27:14,756 --> 00:27:18,476 Speaker 1: to five, like it just kept going Wow. And she 400 00:27:18,596 --> 00:27:22,716 Speaker 1: took a chance because she was Aliah already to the world, 401 00:27:23,516 --> 00:27:25,796 Speaker 1: you know, she had the chance to be able to 402 00:27:25,796 --> 00:27:31,996 Speaker 1: work with any major producer out there. And here we 403 00:27:31,996 --> 00:27:36,476 Speaker 1: were two young kids coming in with nothing really under 404 00:27:36,516 --> 00:27:40,636 Speaker 1: our belts, and she just was like, I love what 405 00:27:40,756 --> 00:27:45,236 Speaker 1: y'all doing. And she just kept recording each record that 406 00:27:45,276 --> 00:27:47,756 Speaker 1: we would do. She be like, I want that one, 407 00:27:47,836 --> 00:27:50,596 Speaker 1: I want that one. Yeah, I love that, and she 408 00:27:50,676 --> 00:27:53,876 Speaker 1: did it. Typically when you would write for someone else, 409 00:27:54,236 --> 00:27:56,636 Speaker 1: would it typically happen like that you would write it 410 00:27:56,996 --> 00:27:59,516 Speaker 1: through a demo of the whole song and then present 411 00:27:59,556 --> 00:28:01,956 Speaker 1: it to the artist or was it ever more collaborative 412 00:28:01,996 --> 00:28:06,396 Speaker 1: than that. No. I always wrote it and always demoed it, 413 00:28:07,316 --> 00:28:11,276 Speaker 1: and then I started as time went on, I started 414 00:28:11,436 --> 00:28:13,916 Speaker 1: to get I would write it and then I would 415 00:28:13,916 --> 00:28:18,276 Speaker 1: get Jasmine or Tweet or somebody to demo for me. 416 00:28:18,996 --> 00:28:22,876 Speaker 1: But actually, the one person I did have demo early 417 00:28:22,956 --> 00:28:27,516 Speaker 1: on on one song was Gina Thompson. She demoed I 418 00:28:27,636 --> 00:28:32,556 Speaker 1: Care for You for Aliah. But yeah, I would just 419 00:28:32,636 --> 00:28:36,436 Speaker 1: go in there and write the songs and then demo it. 420 00:28:36,516 --> 00:28:38,356 Speaker 1: And then I was not like I didn't I didn't 421 00:28:38,356 --> 00:28:41,116 Speaker 1: consider myself like a singer. Singer like that, I wasn't 422 00:28:41,116 --> 00:28:44,796 Speaker 1: giving you no Whitney Houston notes, and so by me 423 00:28:44,956 --> 00:28:49,116 Speaker 1: not being a singer, I would just kind of rap singing. 424 00:28:49,236 --> 00:28:52,036 Speaker 1: That's how if you listen to one in a million, 425 00:28:52,196 --> 00:28:55,916 Speaker 1: it's like rap singing because I wasn't a person who 426 00:28:55,956 --> 00:28:58,676 Speaker 1: could do all of those runs and stuff like that. 427 00:28:58,756 --> 00:29:03,396 Speaker 1: So I would just rap sing songs and it just 428 00:29:03,516 --> 00:29:07,436 Speaker 1: ended up being a new kind of rhythm too. Have 429 00:29:07,556 --> 00:29:10,156 Speaker 1: you ever written a song for someone else? Have they 430 00:29:10,436 --> 00:29:12,636 Speaker 1: not do it and then you end up doing it yourself? 431 00:29:12,676 --> 00:29:16,196 Speaker 1: Has it ever happened? No, I've never written a song 432 00:29:16,276 --> 00:29:18,996 Speaker 1: for someone else and then I ended up doing it. 433 00:29:19,356 --> 00:29:24,196 Speaker 1: I always ended up giving it to someone else. Yeah, 434 00:29:24,236 --> 00:29:30,316 Speaker 1: Because for me, I'm so critical on myself. Like that's 435 00:29:30,316 --> 00:29:33,756 Speaker 1: probably been the hardest thing for me is once I 436 00:29:33,836 --> 00:29:36,316 Speaker 1: do it for the artists, I have them in mind 437 00:29:36,436 --> 00:29:39,236 Speaker 1: or an artist in mind, and not me, because I 438 00:29:39,316 --> 00:29:41,516 Speaker 1: know when I do stuff for myself, it's always like 439 00:29:41,636 --> 00:29:44,996 Speaker 1: some weird and crazy stuff. So I know that those 440 00:29:45,116 --> 00:29:48,836 Speaker 1: artists probably be like, oh nah, you bugging. So I've 441 00:29:48,876 --> 00:29:51,276 Speaker 1: never taken a record that I had for somebody else 442 00:29:51,276 --> 00:29:54,596 Speaker 1: and use it on myself. So when you say critical 443 00:29:54,596 --> 00:29:56,956 Speaker 1: of yourself in that way. Let's let's I want to 444 00:29:57,036 --> 00:29:59,876 Speaker 1: understand it better. Is it that the song's not good 445 00:29:59,956 --> 00:30:03,716 Speaker 1: enough for you, or that it doesn't suit your personality, 446 00:30:04,116 --> 00:30:06,596 Speaker 1: or if there's a song that you think is great 447 00:30:07,076 --> 00:30:09,036 Speaker 1: but that it's not right for you that you wrote. 448 00:30:09,356 --> 00:30:14,436 Speaker 1: What's the thought process? Well? Me, as the artist, I 449 00:30:14,596 --> 00:30:18,916 Speaker 1: do stuff so differently for myself that a lot of 450 00:30:18,956 --> 00:30:23,916 Speaker 1: times it's so like out there, I couldn't imagine you know, 451 00:30:24,916 --> 00:30:29,836 Speaker 1: somebody else saying, uh, don't don't. Don't you know I 452 00:30:29,956 --> 00:30:33,996 Speaker 1: could something I said and working. I couldn't imagine somebody 453 00:30:34,036 --> 00:30:36,836 Speaker 1: else saying some of the stuff that that I've said, 454 00:30:36,876 --> 00:30:40,436 Speaker 1: not to say they wouldn't, but I just know like 455 00:30:40,556 --> 00:30:45,396 Speaker 1: stuff that is more suitable for me. So when I 456 00:30:45,476 --> 00:30:48,916 Speaker 1: do those records, they're more tamed down than what I 457 00:30:48,916 --> 00:30:52,956 Speaker 1: would do for myself, because for myself, I'm taking a chance. 458 00:30:53,076 --> 00:30:57,236 Speaker 1: I'm just like, you know, I'm gonna say whatever. You know, 459 00:30:57,356 --> 00:30:59,796 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say she's a bit, I'm gonna say pussy 460 00:30:59,796 --> 00:31:02,796 Speaker 1: don't fail me now and sing it. And you know, 461 00:31:03,276 --> 00:31:06,196 Speaker 1: these artists will probably be like now, Missy, I do 462 00:31:06,236 --> 00:31:10,516 Speaker 1: many things, but that nah. So I'm just different as 463 00:31:10,556 --> 00:31:14,916 Speaker 1: the artist yes, So your records tend to be more extreme, 464 00:31:15,476 --> 00:31:20,276 Speaker 1: and you could say lyrically harder or more challenging or crazier. 465 00:31:20,676 --> 00:31:22,996 Speaker 1: It wouldn't feel right to give someone else a song 466 00:31:23,116 --> 00:31:25,716 Speaker 1: like that expecting them to do it. Yes, even to 467 00:31:25,876 --> 00:31:29,796 Speaker 1: this day, like it's a few artists that probably would 468 00:31:29,836 --> 00:31:32,676 Speaker 1: do it's just because I say, yo, I'm telling you 469 00:31:32,756 --> 00:31:36,116 Speaker 1: it's gonna go. It's hot. But for the most part, 470 00:31:36,636 --> 00:31:41,196 Speaker 1: I'm taking more of a risk on myself. So those 471 00:31:41,276 --> 00:31:44,476 Speaker 1: records that I do for other artists, once I do them, 472 00:31:44,836 --> 00:31:48,156 Speaker 1: I just say, hey, this will go to somebody, but 473 00:31:48,436 --> 00:31:52,116 Speaker 1: just not me. Who was the first artist that you 474 00:31:52,436 --> 00:31:54,316 Speaker 1: or the first group of artists that you looked up 475 00:31:54,356 --> 00:31:57,476 Speaker 1: to and felt like, this is my inspiration, this is 476 00:31:57,476 --> 00:31:59,356 Speaker 1: what I want to do. Who were the people that 477 00:31:59,436 --> 00:32:04,036 Speaker 1: got you to want to do it? Oh, so many artists. 478 00:32:04,036 --> 00:32:06,676 Speaker 1: The gospel I would have to say to Clark's sisters, 479 00:32:07,476 --> 00:32:14,156 Speaker 1: as far as R and B, Prince, Michael Janet. When 480 00:32:14,196 --> 00:32:17,436 Speaker 1: you come to you know, hip hop, I would go 481 00:32:17,556 --> 00:32:22,516 Speaker 1: back to Rock, Sand Queen, Latifa, Light, Salt and Pepper. 482 00:32:22,516 --> 00:32:26,996 Speaker 1: The reason I started rapping l L. Big Daddy King, 483 00:32:27,116 --> 00:32:31,276 Speaker 1: Public Enemy Mony all you know, all of the hip 484 00:32:31,356 --> 00:32:35,996 Speaker 1: hop mothers and fathers of this thing. I would say, 485 00:32:36,076 --> 00:32:41,916 Speaker 1: to be honest, like the whole nineties for me, early 486 00:32:42,076 --> 00:32:48,156 Speaker 1: nineties really just like inspired me. But the eighties also 487 00:32:48,316 --> 00:32:53,596 Speaker 1: because I feel like the eighties people were experimental with music. 488 00:32:53,956 --> 00:32:56,756 Speaker 1: But Salt and Pepper is the reason that I started rapping. 489 00:32:56,876 --> 00:33:01,196 Speaker 1: They are most definitely the reason. We have to take 490 00:33:01,236 --> 00:33:03,436 Speaker 1: a quick break, but we'll be right back with more 491 00:33:03,476 --> 00:33:10,196 Speaker 1: from Missy Elliott and Rick Rubin. We're back with the 492 00:33:10,196 --> 00:33:13,516 Speaker 1: rest of Rick Rubin's conversation with Missy Elliott. Tell me 493 00:33:13,556 --> 00:33:16,516 Speaker 1: about your writing process. How does it start? What's the 494 00:33:16,556 --> 00:33:20,236 Speaker 1: first thing that happens my writing process. A lot of 495 00:33:20,276 --> 00:33:23,996 Speaker 1: times I could be riding down the street thinking of 496 00:33:24,076 --> 00:33:27,436 Speaker 1: something I listened to a lot of my friends problems. 497 00:33:27,476 --> 00:33:32,236 Speaker 1: Sometimes I'm just sitting and listening to a conversation and 498 00:33:32,956 --> 00:33:38,276 Speaker 1: just pick up ideas and listen to what they going through. 499 00:33:38,796 --> 00:33:44,676 Speaker 1: And then I'll get a track. And sometimes I'll already 500 00:33:44,716 --> 00:33:48,356 Speaker 1: sing melodies in my now that I you know, we 501 00:33:48,396 --> 00:33:51,276 Speaker 1: can do that on our phones. I'll sing melodies on 502 00:33:51,316 --> 00:33:55,796 Speaker 1: my note thing on my phone before there's even to beat. Yes, 503 00:33:56,956 --> 00:33:59,636 Speaker 1: And then once I get a track, you know, I 504 00:34:00,396 --> 00:34:03,636 Speaker 1: can adjust it to whatever track it is. Once I 505 00:34:03,716 --> 00:34:07,956 Speaker 1: have the words and somewhat of a melody, I can 506 00:34:07,996 --> 00:34:11,196 Speaker 1: adjust it to what ever track. Is it all about 507 00:34:11,196 --> 00:34:13,836 Speaker 1: the words or could it be about the phrasing or 508 00:34:13,836 --> 00:34:20,876 Speaker 1: the melody? Oh, sometimes it's depending on what the vibe is. Sometimes, 509 00:34:21,316 --> 00:34:24,796 Speaker 1: you know, music, you may hear a track, and I 510 00:34:24,796 --> 00:34:28,316 Speaker 1: believe music speaks to you, you know, and kind of 511 00:34:28,636 --> 00:34:31,796 Speaker 1: tells you. You can hear a record, and you may 512 00:34:31,836 --> 00:34:33,756 Speaker 1: hear a track and to say, oh, these sounds like 513 00:34:34,036 --> 00:34:37,436 Speaker 1: sound like sexy chords and make you want to, you know, 514 00:34:37,636 --> 00:34:41,876 Speaker 1: sing a song about sex. Or you may hear a 515 00:34:41,916 --> 00:34:45,836 Speaker 1: song and it sounds like a motivational chords. I believe 516 00:34:46,076 --> 00:34:50,956 Speaker 1: chords really do give you a place of feeling. But 517 00:34:51,276 --> 00:34:54,596 Speaker 1: a lot of times when I'm just walking, sometimes I 518 00:34:55,396 --> 00:34:59,076 Speaker 1: walk in the mountain and I'll just think of a melody. 519 00:34:59,636 --> 00:35:03,156 Speaker 1: So the melody for me a lot of times be first, 520 00:35:03,396 --> 00:35:05,756 Speaker 1: because I sometimes I'll get get on the mic and 521 00:35:05,756 --> 00:35:09,916 Speaker 1: I'll just hum some stuff and then the lyrics account 522 00:35:10,556 --> 00:35:12,836 Speaker 1: I honestly was like I had to just do an 523 00:35:12,876 --> 00:35:16,996 Speaker 1: album where I'm just humming a bunch of gibberish just 524 00:35:18,516 --> 00:35:22,476 Speaker 1: to show this is how most people. A lot of 525 00:35:22,476 --> 00:35:25,916 Speaker 1: people create that way. Have you ever written a song 526 00:35:25,996 --> 00:35:29,556 Speaker 1: with another person, like sitting together looking at each other 527 00:35:29,636 --> 00:35:33,596 Speaker 1: and writing a song together, or it's always each person 528 00:35:33,676 --> 00:35:37,276 Speaker 1: does their own thing. Last year was the first time 529 00:35:37,716 --> 00:35:43,956 Speaker 1: in my whole career that I have collapsed with a writer. 530 00:35:44,996 --> 00:35:49,836 Speaker 1: I have written every last one of minds, every last 531 00:35:49,916 --> 00:35:55,156 Speaker 1: one of anybody else's I've done, and at some point, 532 00:35:55,556 --> 00:35:59,276 Speaker 1: you know, you just feel like, hey, it's good to 533 00:35:59,356 --> 00:36:05,756 Speaker 1: just have a some freshness come in. You can't. At 534 00:36:05,956 --> 00:36:11,276 Speaker 1: ninety years old, I'm still talking about to write Unfender 535 00:36:11,396 --> 00:36:19,556 Speaker 1: right for Cardivfenna, right for for for Beyonce. Like you 536 00:36:19,636 --> 00:36:22,756 Speaker 1: gotta know when when it's like okay, it's okay, you know, 537 00:36:23,196 --> 00:36:27,516 Speaker 1: to bring in help because I've I've done this, well 538 00:36:27,556 --> 00:36:30,676 Speaker 1: another five years it to be thirty years. Yeah, twenty 539 00:36:30,716 --> 00:36:32,756 Speaker 1: five is a good number. Twenty five is a great number. 540 00:36:33,436 --> 00:36:37,756 Speaker 1: And congratulations on the anniversary of the first solo album. 541 00:36:37,796 --> 00:36:42,996 Speaker 1: That's an incredible milestone. Uh and and a funny thing 542 00:36:43,556 --> 00:36:48,196 Speaker 1: when I tell you that album. We did that album 543 00:36:48,236 --> 00:36:54,996 Speaker 1: in two weeks, and we did it because I wanted 544 00:36:55,076 --> 00:36:58,396 Speaker 1: to have my own record label so bad. And Sylvia 545 00:36:58,516 --> 00:37:02,076 Speaker 1: Rone said, the only way that I'll give you a 546 00:37:02,156 --> 00:37:05,196 Speaker 1: record label is if you give me an album, give 547 00:37:05,236 --> 00:37:08,396 Speaker 1: me one album. And I was like, Tim, come on, 548 00:37:08,476 --> 00:37:10,836 Speaker 1: let's get her to album so I can get this label. 549 00:37:11,236 --> 00:37:14,116 Speaker 1: So we did it out of like hurrying up, like 550 00:37:14,156 --> 00:37:17,076 Speaker 1: I really wanted the label so bad, and because at 551 00:37:17,116 --> 00:37:20,436 Speaker 1: that time, I remember I had left and went back home, 552 00:37:20,476 --> 00:37:23,116 Speaker 1: so I didn't want to be an artist anymore. And 553 00:37:23,836 --> 00:37:26,516 Speaker 1: so we did it so quick. It was two weeks 554 00:37:26,596 --> 00:37:30,236 Speaker 1: and I was like here and from that album it 555 00:37:30,316 --> 00:37:32,836 Speaker 1: went on to the next album, the next album, the 556 00:37:32,876 --> 00:37:36,836 Speaker 1: next album. But initially it was just like I just 557 00:37:36,876 --> 00:37:39,996 Speaker 1: wanted the label. So that's how that album came about. 558 00:37:40,516 --> 00:37:42,916 Speaker 1: Fasten it. So in some ways, when you took a 559 00:37:42,956 --> 00:37:47,556 Speaker 1: break in two thousand and five, it's almost like you 560 00:37:47,796 --> 00:37:49,996 Speaker 1: that's how you wanted it to be from the beginning, 561 00:37:50,036 --> 00:37:55,836 Speaker 1: and then just other stuff happened. Yeah, that's amazing, that's amazing. 562 00:37:56,476 --> 00:38:02,156 Speaker 1: I love doing both, but I'm very shy it hall 563 00:38:02,196 --> 00:38:03,796 Speaker 1: though it may not seem like it because I get 564 00:38:03,836 --> 00:38:07,876 Speaker 1: to talking, but I'm very shy. So so people have 565 00:38:07,916 --> 00:38:09,996 Speaker 1: to understand, like I started it in a group, so 566 00:38:10,036 --> 00:38:13,236 Speaker 1: to go from a group to a solo artists, you 567 00:38:13,316 --> 00:38:15,796 Speaker 1: have to mentally already know that that's what you wanted 568 00:38:16,156 --> 00:38:19,276 Speaker 1: to do, and that's not something that I came in 569 00:38:19,316 --> 00:38:22,156 Speaker 1: this thing thinking. So I ended up being a solo 570 00:38:22,276 --> 00:38:25,916 Speaker 1: artist and everything you feel like everything is on you. 571 00:38:25,956 --> 00:38:28,996 Speaker 1: Now you don't have you know, other people that you 572 00:38:29,036 --> 00:38:33,396 Speaker 1: could talk to when things go crazy. And then you know, 573 00:38:33,476 --> 00:38:37,516 Speaker 1: the second album became more stressful the first album. I 574 00:38:37,556 --> 00:38:41,676 Speaker 1: always tell people, you are at your most vulnerable, like 575 00:38:42,036 --> 00:38:45,396 Speaker 1: you know, you don't care is you don't have nothing 576 00:38:45,676 --> 00:38:49,916 Speaker 1: to compare it to. It's that second album that is 577 00:38:49,956 --> 00:38:52,596 Speaker 1: going to give you that headache because if your first 578 00:38:52,596 --> 00:38:57,196 Speaker 1: album is successful, then you're chasing trying to find the 579 00:38:57,236 --> 00:39:00,356 Speaker 1: success of whatever records you put out that made that 580 00:39:00,436 --> 00:39:04,676 Speaker 1: album go. You're trying to find that same style for 581 00:39:04,796 --> 00:39:08,196 Speaker 1: that second album, and it just feel like, oh my god, 582 00:39:08,316 --> 00:39:13,076 Speaker 1: like nothing is right. And I didn't even appreciate my 583 00:39:13,116 --> 00:39:17,636 Speaker 1: second album until later and realized that actually that album 584 00:39:17,756 --> 00:39:23,156 Speaker 1: was a masterpiece because we used a lot of theatrical 585 00:39:23,996 --> 00:39:27,436 Speaker 1: loops and stuff in that album mixed with hip hop. 586 00:39:27,796 --> 00:39:30,356 Speaker 1: But I didn't I at that time. It was just 587 00:39:30,436 --> 00:39:34,636 Speaker 1: like that was that was a had to think that 588 00:39:34,796 --> 00:39:38,436 Speaker 1: second album because it's scary. You know, it is a 589 00:39:38,516 --> 00:39:42,236 Speaker 1: thing called sophomore jinks. Yeah, for sure, I didn't want 590 00:39:42,276 --> 00:39:44,876 Speaker 1: to be an artist, but now I'm in it, and 591 00:39:44,956 --> 00:39:47,756 Speaker 1: so now I gotta make sure I don't fail the 592 00:39:47,836 --> 00:39:53,356 Speaker 1: second album. So that was hard, but it worked out. Yeah, yeah, 593 00:39:53,436 --> 00:39:57,676 Speaker 1: it most definitely, most definitely worked out. By the time 594 00:39:57,916 --> 00:40:01,716 Speaker 1: my third album, we was having fun again. But I 595 00:40:01,796 --> 00:40:07,956 Speaker 1: remember the third album we were finished where I didn't 596 00:40:07,956 --> 00:40:11,436 Speaker 1: think we were finished, and him, he was like, I'm 597 00:40:11,436 --> 00:40:13,796 Speaker 1: telling you, this album is solid. I was like, na, 598 00:40:14,076 --> 00:40:17,596 Speaker 1: something is missing and he was like, man, he was. 599 00:40:17,636 --> 00:40:20,796 Speaker 1: So he was so mad at me because I say, no, 600 00:40:20,956 --> 00:40:24,636 Speaker 1: something is missing. So I say, just see what else 601 00:40:24,676 --> 00:40:27,596 Speaker 1: you got in the keyboard. So he got on the 602 00:40:27,636 --> 00:40:30,756 Speaker 1: ASR ten and he started going down a thing and 603 00:40:31,116 --> 00:40:33,436 Speaker 1: he hit hit one of the things and it was 604 00:40:33,476 --> 00:40:38,316 Speaker 1: like dud. And I'm like, yo, that was it. And 605 00:40:38,396 --> 00:40:41,116 Speaker 1: he was like what because now he going so fast 606 00:40:41,196 --> 00:40:43,756 Speaker 1: up and down the keyboard he can't find it no more. 607 00:40:43,876 --> 00:40:46,076 Speaker 1: So now he even more mad because I'm like, yo, 608 00:40:46,156 --> 00:40:49,596 Speaker 1: I'm telling you, I know what I heard. So he 609 00:40:49,796 --> 00:40:52,116 Speaker 1: hitting the keyboard all hard because he ready to go 610 00:40:52,316 --> 00:40:54,916 Speaker 1: like He's like, what it ain't in here? I don't 611 00:40:54,916 --> 00:40:57,836 Speaker 1: know what you're talking about. So he finally hits it 612 00:40:57,916 --> 00:41:01,796 Speaker 1: again and I'm like that, and I'm like, that joint 613 00:41:01,996 --> 00:41:06,436 Speaker 1: is crazy. So when I rapped on it, it was 614 00:41:06,516 --> 00:41:09,636 Speaker 1: only that sound and a kick. Wow, Because that's how 615 00:41:09,636 --> 00:41:11,636 Speaker 1: tim A lot of times we would do stuff. He 616 00:41:11,676 --> 00:41:14,556 Speaker 1: would you know, it would just be like one sound 617 00:41:14,676 --> 00:41:17,516 Speaker 1: and a kick, and then after I finished rapping, he 618 00:41:17,556 --> 00:41:20,596 Speaker 1: would go and place all the other things around it, 619 00:41:21,236 --> 00:41:23,636 Speaker 1: and so that's where you got all the spacey noise 620 00:41:24,076 --> 00:41:27,916 Speaker 1: and stuff so good. That was a really common practice 621 00:41:27,956 --> 00:41:29,556 Speaker 1: in the early days of hip hop to leave a 622 00:41:29,596 --> 00:41:32,076 Speaker 1: really long instrumental at the end so that other people 623 00:41:32,116 --> 00:41:35,556 Speaker 1: could wrap over it themselves. Yeah, and you know, just 624 00:41:35,756 --> 00:41:40,196 Speaker 1: me sitting there listening actually to it just speaks to 625 00:41:40,396 --> 00:41:45,596 Speaker 1: the genius in Timberline too. Again is the fact that 626 00:41:46,116 --> 00:41:50,356 Speaker 1: he would make hip hop those records. He would treat 627 00:41:50,396 --> 00:41:53,276 Speaker 1: them like R and B records if you really like 628 00:41:53,796 --> 00:41:55,676 Speaker 1: when you get a chance to go back and listen, 629 00:41:56,596 --> 00:42:01,636 Speaker 1: he was placing strings in different sounds. He was having 630 00:42:01,676 --> 00:42:05,956 Speaker 1: a separation. It wasn't just a flat beat straight through, 631 00:42:06,436 --> 00:42:11,196 Speaker 1: so he would add different sounds, Like every four bars 632 00:42:11,436 --> 00:42:13,636 Speaker 1: he would put in another sound. When the hooks came, 633 00:42:13,676 --> 00:42:15,476 Speaker 1: it would be strings. And he would do that to 634 00:42:15,556 --> 00:42:18,636 Speaker 1: a lot of his records. Absolutely, they never get boring. 635 00:42:18,836 --> 00:42:21,396 Speaker 1: You never just get used to the groove. It always 636 00:42:21,396 --> 00:42:24,036 Speaker 1: feels like even if you're not paying attention. Like it 637 00:42:24,036 --> 00:42:28,716 Speaker 1: really became clear after the vocals, all the changes that 638 00:42:28,796 --> 00:42:31,876 Speaker 1: were going on in the music, because they're subtle, you know, 639 00:42:31,876 --> 00:42:35,236 Speaker 1: they don't make you listen to them, but they have 640 00:42:35,316 --> 00:42:38,716 Speaker 1: an effect on your subconscious that it feels like it's 641 00:42:38,716 --> 00:42:42,476 Speaker 1: always evolving, it's always new. Yeah, especially when yeah, when 642 00:42:42,636 --> 00:42:45,636 Speaker 1: you get to that that end and you see how 643 00:42:45,876 --> 00:42:49,716 Speaker 1: he starts to break it down. That's I always say 644 00:42:49,756 --> 00:42:52,956 Speaker 1: that too in that record, Is that your chick? He 645 00:42:53,036 --> 00:42:56,876 Speaker 1: does that heavily in there too, But most of the 646 00:42:56,876 --> 00:43:00,756 Speaker 1: records he did that. So when just listening now because 647 00:43:00,756 --> 00:43:03,516 Speaker 1: I never like listen to the end, made me just 648 00:43:03,676 --> 00:43:08,476 Speaker 1: realize he treated those records like you would treat R 649 00:43:08,556 --> 00:43:12,436 Speaker 1: and B record. Would you say that spirituality plays a 650 00:43:12,516 --> 00:43:18,316 Speaker 1: role in your music, Oh, spirituality plays a role in 651 00:43:18,476 --> 00:43:24,196 Speaker 1: Missy period. In this industry, If I didn't have some 652 00:43:24,316 --> 00:43:29,076 Speaker 1: kind of spiritual connection, I don't know how I could 653 00:43:29,236 --> 00:43:32,836 Speaker 1: have made it. You know, in this in this industry, 654 00:43:33,276 --> 00:43:36,356 Speaker 1: a lot of artists come in, uh, just thinking it's 655 00:43:36,396 --> 00:43:38,796 Speaker 1: going to be You're gonna make a lot of money. 656 00:43:38,836 --> 00:43:41,676 Speaker 1: You're gonna be famous. You know, you're gonna be hot 657 00:43:41,716 --> 00:43:44,836 Speaker 1: forever in all of these different things. You know, that's 658 00:43:44,996 --> 00:43:50,436 Speaker 1: that's what you come in thinking, and then you realize, oh, 659 00:43:50,476 --> 00:43:55,156 Speaker 1: you've been duped. You know. I always tell people you 660 00:43:55,196 --> 00:43:59,276 Speaker 1: will you you won't be hot forever. You can always 661 00:43:59,276 --> 00:44:03,316 Speaker 1: have respect, though, because it will come a time where 662 00:44:03,356 --> 00:44:06,756 Speaker 1: even the hottest of the hottest won't be sitting at 663 00:44:06,756 --> 00:44:09,636 Speaker 1: the top of the charts anymore. But you the impact 664 00:44:09,676 --> 00:44:15,316 Speaker 1: and respect will always be there. But spiritually you have 665 00:44:15,436 --> 00:44:17,956 Speaker 1: to have some you know. For me, I feel like 666 00:44:17,996 --> 00:44:20,836 Speaker 1: I had to have some kind of connection because when 667 00:44:20,876 --> 00:44:23,916 Speaker 1: those times come, of those ups and downs like that, 668 00:44:23,996 --> 00:44:27,956 Speaker 1: you have to be able to you know, I come 669 00:44:27,956 --> 00:44:31,636 Speaker 1: from a praying family, so being that, I feel like 670 00:44:31,836 --> 00:44:34,596 Speaker 1: God gonna work it out. If I didn't have that, 671 00:44:35,156 --> 00:44:38,996 Speaker 1: I don't know how I would be able to manage. 672 00:44:38,996 --> 00:44:43,116 Speaker 1: Because there has been way ups and then there has 673 00:44:43,156 --> 00:44:47,796 Speaker 1: been way downs. And that's a lot, especially if you're 674 00:44:47,836 --> 00:44:50,996 Speaker 1: coming from way up, you know, and a lot of artists. 675 00:44:51,396 --> 00:44:55,636 Speaker 1: People don't prepare artists for that, and that's you know 676 00:44:55,876 --> 00:44:57,956 Speaker 1: a lot of times where you may get a lot 677 00:44:57,956 --> 00:45:03,636 Speaker 1: of artists deal with mental health issues because they came 678 00:45:03,716 --> 00:45:09,636 Speaker 1: in and nobody prepared them for those different ups and downs, 679 00:45:09,636 --> 00:45:14,396 Speaker 1: regardless of what's hot and what's not hot, and or 680 00:45:14,396 --> 00:45:17,676 Speaker 1: even doing it professionally. Do you feel like on any 681 00:45:17,676 --> 00:45:22,116 Speaker 1: given day you could write a song that you would love, 682 00:45:22,756 --> 00:45:25,356 Speaker 1: you could always do that. Is that something that you 683 00:45:25,396 --> 00:45:31,476 Speaker 1: feel confident in or is that moving target? Would you say, Oh, 684 00:45:31,516 --> 00:45:34,196 Speaker 1: I feel like I'm gonna always make some joints that 685 00:45:34,316 --> 00:45:39,676 Speaker 1: I love. That's you know, I always feel like that 686 00:45:39,676 --> 00:45:44,676 Speaker 1: that that I haven't wavered from. Now whether the people 687 00:45:44,716 --> 00:45:47,836 Speaker 1: feel the same, if a whole another you know, you 688 00:45:47,876 --> 00:45:51,036 Speaker 1: just don't know. That's the problem. They just might not 689 00:45:51,116 --> 00:45:53,876 Speaker 1: know exactly. Yeah, you know, you don't know what the 690 00:45:53,996 --> 00:45:57,756 Speaker 1: people will will feel. But I always say I'd rather 691 00:45:58,716 --> 00:46:03,396 Speaker 1: do something that I believe in and if it don't work, 692 00:46:03,836 --> 00:46:07,276 Speaker 1: then I can still sleep good, opposed to do something 693 00:46:08,196 --> 00:46:10,796 Speaker 1: that let's say, if the label say hey, this is 694 00:46:10,836 --> 00:46:12,916 Speaker 1: the one and I don't feel like that, and then 695 00:46:12,956 --> 00:46:14,796 Speaker 1: it don't work and I'm kicking myself in the ass 696 00:46:14,956 --> 00:46:18,716 Speaker 1: for the rest of my life. So you know, a 697 00:46:18,716 --> 00:46:20,796 Speaker 1: lot of times, if I do something and if it 698 00:46:20,836 --> 00:46:23,996 Speaker 1: don't work, I'll just be like, hey, maybe this you know, 699 00:46:24,116 --> 00:46:28,236 Speaker 1: I do understand and not to be bragging, but some 700 00:46:28,316 --> 00:46:32,956 Speaker 1: people are ahead, and I do understand that some things 701 00:46:33,036 --> 00:46:37,116 Speaker 1: may be ahead. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's part of what 702 00:46:37,276 --> 00:46:39,356 Speaker 1: makes you you, and that's why you're in the role 703 00:46:39,396 --> 00:46:41,836 Speaker 1: that you're in, and that's why you You were very 704 00:46:41,956 --> 00:46:46,876 Speaker 1: early in the movement and you just you felt it early. Yeah, 705 00:46:46,916 --> 00:46:49,196 Speaker 1: I'm sure not everybody felt it at the time that 706 00:46:49,276 --> 00:46:53,796 Speaker 1: you felt it. Oh absolutely not. I remember like when 707 00:46:53,836 --> 00:46:57,236 Speaker 1: I did She's a Bitch, And remember Puff hitting me 708 00:46:57,316 --> 00:47:01,276 Speaker 1: like money, what are you doing? When he's seen that 709 00:47:01,436 --> 00:47:05,396 Speaker 1: ball ahead? He was like, what your money? What are 710 00:47:05,396 --> 00:47:11,356 Speaker 1: you doing? So so you know, at that time, we 711 00:47:11,596 --> 00:47:16,876 Speaker 1: didn't even think like, like the way we are now, 712 00:47:16,956 --> 00:47:21,116 Speaker 1: we're probably more open to just playing stuff and seeing 713 00:47:21,116 --> 00:47:24,196 Speaker 1: what people think. We didn't do that. Then we came 714 00:47:24,236 --> 00:47:26,196 Speaker 1: in saying, okay, this is gonna be the first single 715 00:47:26,236 --> 00:47:28,676 Speaker 1: and then we're gonna come with this. We we wasn't 716 00:47:28,716 --> 00:47:31,836 Speaker 1: playing it for somebody to tell us if it was 717 00:47:31,916 --> 00:47:33,756 Speaker 1: hot or not. We was playing it because we thought 718 00:47:33,756 --> 00:47:37,196 Speaker 1: it was hot, exactly. And as time went on, your 719 00:47:37,236 --> 00:47:40,476 Speaker 1: confidence can either build or you know, it could stagger, 720 00:47:40,676 --> 00:47:43,476 Speaker 1: or it could just go to nothing. And I think 721 00:47:43,676 --> 00:47:47,996 Speaker 1: as time went on, we probably started to ask people. 722 00:47:48,676 --> 00:47:50,876 Speaker 1: But then I got to a point that I'm just like, nah, 723 00:47:50,876 --> 00:47:55,956 Speaker 1: I just want to do music that feels good to me, 724 00:47:56,756 --> 00:48:00,276 Speaker 1: and I've done it, you know, just like you, you 725 00:48:00,316 --> 00:48:06,196 Speaker 1: are legendary, legendary at this point, you're probably doing it 726 00:48:06,276 --> 00:48:09,356 Speaker 1: like I'm just having fun. There was a time where 727 00:48:09,396 --> 00:48:13,476 Speaker 1: you may have felt like you was concentrating on making 728 00:48:14,196 --> 00:48:17,116 Speaker 1: this kind of music or timeless, or you're not even 729 00:48:17,156 --> 00:48:21,596 Speaker 1: thinking like that now, like i'd improve myself what I'm 730 00:48:21,636 --> 00:48:25,556 Speaker 1: having fun. I'm going to take two spoons and hit 731 00:48:25,596 --> 00:48:27,636 Speaker 1: on this trash can and throw this out because it 732 00:48:27,676 --> 00:48:31,156 Speaker 1: feels good to me right now. While you you have 733 00:48:31,876 --> 00:48:35,676 Speaker 1: proven yourself time and time again. And what's the use 734 00:48:35,716 --> 00:48:41,316 Speaker 1: of doing music if you can't have fun with it? Absolutely, 735 00:48:41,516 --> 00:48:43,636 Speaker 1: I've always tried to make music that I like and 736 00:48:43,836 --> 00:48:46,636 Speaker 1: never question what anyone else is going to think, because 737 00:48:46,676 --> 00:48:49,636 Speaker 1: I can't. I can't imagine what anyone else is gonna think. 738 00:48:49,676 --> 00:48:52,276 Speaker 1: And at least if I'm true to what I like, 739 00:48:52,356 --> 00:48:54,676 Speaker 1: at least I know some one person likes it. You know, 740 00:48:54,676 --> 00:48:57,716 Speaker 1: It's better than making something that maybe nobody likes like 741 00:48:57,796 --> 00:48:59,836 Speaker 1: I'm making the things that I like and I care 742 00:48:59,836 --> 00:49:02,716 Speaker 1: about that. That's all I could do absolutely. I said, 743 00:49:03,116 --> 00:49:06,516 Speaker 1: just think if there was one person in the room, 744 00:49:06,556 --> 00:49:09,916 Speaker 1: if I always say Michael and Quincy or whoever else 745 00:49:09,996 --> 00:49:13,436 Speaker 1: was in that room when they were creating thriller, they 746 00:49:13,516 --> 00:49:18,236 Speaker 1: all had to be aligned in the same space because 747 00:49:18,556 --> 00:49:22,116 Speaker 1: if one person had been like, what is close to midnight? 748 00:49:22,276 --> 00:49:24,876 Speaker 1: Some evil is? What kind of song is this? It 749 00:49:24,956 --> 00:49:27,116 Speaker 1: could have threw them all the way off and made 750 00:49:27,116 --> 00:49:31,316 Speaker 1: them trash that record. But they was all aligned in 751 00:49:31,356 --> 00:49:35,716 Speaker 1: that room where they had to be like visually, they 752 00:49:35,796 --> 00:49:38,196 Speaker 1: was in the same place. I see it, I hear it. 753 00:49:38,516 --> 00:49:41,676 Speaker 1: This is gonna be huge. And those are the type 754 00:49:41,716 --> 00:49:45,716 Speaker 1: of people that I try to, you know, keep around, 755 00:49:45,756 --> 00:49:50,156 Speaker 1: not just yes ma'am people. You know, if it's something 756 00:49:50,196 --> 00:49:52,276 Speaker 1: that is truly whack, I want my friends to be 757 00:49:52,356 --> 00:49:58,996 Speaker 1: like yo, absolutely absolutely, Otherwise you're living in a world 758 00:49:59,076 --> 00:50:01,436 Speaker 1: of not reality, Like you have no idea. It's like, 759 00:50:01,676 --> 00:50:03,156 Speaker 1: I want to make something that I like it. If 760 00:50:03,196 --> 00:50:04,996 Speaker 1: someone else doesn't like it, it's cool, but I want 761 00:50:04,996 --> 00:50:06,796 Speaker 1: to know if they don't like it. It's just so 762 00:50:06,836 --> 00:50:10,956 Speaker 1: I understand the world, you know, right right? But yeah, 763 00:50:11,156 --> 00:50:15,596 Speaker 1: I mean, you're such a legend and people dream to 764 00:50:15,676 --> 00:50:20,996 Speaker 1: get to that place, and you have an impeccable ear. 765 00:50:21,436 --> 00:50:24,436 Speaker 1: So I know that. You know, when when you have 766 00:50:24,556 --> 00:50:27,476 Speaker 1: an ear like that, you would have to be one 767 00:50:27,556 --> 00:50:32,596 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty for anybody to be like, nah, if 768 00:50:32,636 --> 00:50:36,756 Speaker 1: you was to say even at ninety, you'll be like, nah, 769 00:50:36,796 --> 00:50:40,836 Speaker 1: that ain't it. I'm gonna believe me. But I feel 770 00:50:40,876 --> 00:50:43,116 Speaker 1: I feel like you're exactly the same. We've both been 771 00:50:43,116 --> 00:50:44,796 Speaker 1: doing it long enough where we you know, it's like 772 00:50:44,836 --> 00:50:48,236 Speaker 1: it's obvious, we know what we're doing. It's okay. Yeah, yeah. 773 00:50:48,356 --> 00:50:51,636 Speaker 1: I almost definitely probably had a few producers mad at 774 00:50:51,636 --> 00:50:56,116 Speaker 1: me when I'd be like, Nah, that ain't it. That 775 00:50:56,156 --> 00:50:59,276 Speaker 1: means that means you care and you're honest, you know, 776 00:50:59,396 --> 00:51:01,956 Speaker 1: like that's your That's part of the job too. It's 777 00:51:01,996 --> 00:51:05,956 Speaker 1: not just going along with it. Yeah, you know, especially 778 00:51:05,956 --> 00:51:08,876 Speaker 1: in this time when you've been around for so long. 779 00:51:09,316 --> 00:51:13,476 Speaker 1: But then you you may get some young, younger ones 780 00:51:13,516 --> 00:51:16,276 Speaker 1: that come in and be like, nah, you don't know 781 00:51:16,316 --> 00:51:18,996 Speaker 1: what you're talking about. This, I'm telling you this, This 782 00:51:19,196 --> 00:51:22,316 Speaker 1: what everybody listened to. And that's the That's the great 783 00:51:22,356 --> 00:51:26,596 Speaker 1: thing about I think what we have done is we 784 00:51:26,716 --> 00:51:32,676 Speaker 1: created something in yourself that hadn't been done, and so 785 00:51:33,276 --> 00:51:36,436 Speaker 1: you are in a position to be able to say 786 00:51:36,476 --> 00:51:40,716 Speaker 1: that because you wasn't following what everybody else was doing. 787 00:51:41,196 --> 00:51:46,636 Speaker 1: And if you can teach any upcoming producers like hey, 788 00:51:46,996 --> 00:51:50,236 Speaker 1: you know you stand out because at the end of 789 00:51:50,276 --> 00:51:53,076 Speaker 1: the day, you don't want it to be five of you's, 790 00:51:53,156 --> 00:51:58,756 Speaker 1: because they if you got five of you's, then most 791 00:51:58,756 --> 00:52:00,676 Speaker 1: of the time the label gonna go with the cheapest 792 00:52:00,716 --> 00:52:03,716 Speaker 1: one anyway, So you you better hope you the cheap 793 00:52:03,756 --> 00:52:07,636 Speaker 1: one because otherwise you're not gonna be picked like you. 794 00:52:08,356 --> 00:52:10,956 Speaker 1: It's gonna be easy for them to go with the 795 00:52:10,996 --> 00:52:14,276 Speaker 1: one that is, you know, popping right now. So you 796 00:52:14,396 --> 00:52:17,836 Speaker 1: better off just trying to do something that will be 797 00:52:17,916 --> 00:52:22,116 Speaker 1: game changing and game changing. You don't get a lot 798 00:52:22,116 --> 00:52:26,636 Speaker 1: of those, like you can count those. It ain't a 799 00:52:26,636 --> 00:52:29,916 Speaker 1: lot of game changes, It's true. Thank you so much 800 00:52:29,916 --> 00:52:33,116 Speaker 1: for speaking to me. This was beautiful. I thank you 801 00:52:33,236 --> 00:52:38,276 Speaker 1: and hopefully we will see each other. But it's been 802 00:52:38,316 --> 00:52:42,516 Speaker 1: fun and I appreciate you. Just know that you are 803 00:52:43,236 --> 00:52:48,596 Speaker 1: legendary and will continue to be and it was an 804 00:52:48,636 --> 00:52:52,076 Speaker 1: honor speaking to you. If the honor is all mine, 805 00:52:52,356 --> 00:52:55,396 Speaker 1: thank you so much, and we speak soon and hopefully 806 00:52:55,436 --> 00:52:56,876 Speaker 1: I get to see you and give you a big 807 00:52:56,956 --> 00:53:00,956 Speaker 1: hug and thank you for personally, Yes, well, you enjoy 808 00:53:01,036 --> 00:53:06,636 Speaker 1: yourself and be safe out there. Thanks to Missy Elliott 809 00:53:06,676 --> 00:53:09,436 Speaker 1: for talking through her career with Rick and sharing insight 810 00:53:09,516 --> 00:53:12,516 Speaker 1: into her creative process. You can hear all of the 811 00:53:12,556 --> 00:53:15,476 Speaker 1: songs mentioned in this episode, along with the rest of 812 00:53:15,516 --> 00:53:18,516 Speaker 1: her now twenty five year old album Super Duper Fly, 813 00:53:18,996 --> 00:53:22,836 Speaker 1: on a playlist at broken record podcast dot com. Next week, 814 00:53:22,996 --> 00:53:25,516 Speaker 1: we kick off a month long slate of interviews Rick 815 00:53:25,596 --> 00:53:28,996 Speaker 1: Rubin did with the Red Hot Chili Peppers to commemorate 816 00:53:29,036 --> 00:53:32,476 Speaker 1: the release of their newest album, Unlimited Love. This is 817 00:53:32,516 --> 00:53:35,556 Speaker 1: the Peppers like you've never heard them before, and trust me, 818 00:53:35,836 --> 00:53:38,436 Speaker 1: you don't want to miss it. The first episode comes 819 00:53:38,436 --> 00:53:41,196 Speaker 1: out Friday, April first, the same day as the album. 820 00:53:41,636 --> 00:53:44,156 Speaker 1: Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube 821 00:53:44,156 --> 00:53:47,076 Speaker 1: dot com slash broken record Podcast, where you can find 822 00:53:47,116 --> 00:53:49,996 Speaker 1: all of our new episodes. You can follow us on 823 00:53:49,996 --> 00:53:53,756 Speaker 1: Twitter at broken Record. Broken Record is produced of help 824 00:53:53,796 --> 00:53:58,076 Speaker 1: from Lea Rose, Jason Gambrell, Ben Holiday, Eric Sandler, and 825 00:53:58,196 --> 00:54:03,876 Speaker 1: Jennifer Sanchez. Our executive producer is Melobell. Broken Record is 826 00:54:03,876 --> 00:54:06,876 Speaker 1: a production of Pushkin Industries. If you like this show 827 00:54:06,916 --> 00:54:10,876 Speaker 1: and others from Pushkin, consider subscribing to pushkin Plus. Pushkin 828 00:54:10,916 --> 00:54:14,116 Speaker 1: Plus is a podcast subscription that offers bonus content an 829 00:54:14,196 --> 00:54:17,316 Speaker 1: uninterrupted ad free listening for four ninety nine a month. 830 00:54:17,956 --> 00:54:21,676 Speaker 1: Look for Pushkin Plus on Apple Podcasts subscriptions, and if 831 00:54:21,676 --> 00:54:23,916 Speaker 1: you'd like the show, please remember to share, rate, and 832 00:54:23,996 --> 00:54:26,716 Speaker 1: review us on your podcast app. Our theme music, spect 833 00:54:26,756 --> 00:54:28,636 Speaker 1: Anny Beats. I'm justin Richmond.