Source: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty
When Missy Elliott released her debut single “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” I was five years old. I vividly remember when the iconic music video came out during the summer of 1997. It was a defining moment in my childhood, not only because her visuals were out of this world but because it was the first time I saw myself reflected within an artist. Beyond her star power being there from the start, it quickly dawned on me that Missy was a Virginia girl like me and was making her dreams come true. I knew that one day, I, too, could do the same.
Moreover, the Portsmouth, Virginia native had something else that fascinated me… she and my mother share the same name and nickname; you couldn’t tell me back then that Missy was not my distant cousin. Born Melissa Arnette Elliott but known to her fans as Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, this woman was not only destined for greatness but also the definition of it. Despite life’s trials and tribulations, Missy always comes out on top. For someone who experienced an almost identical childhood as the “Work It” emcee, her career trajectory hits a little differently to me, which is why when I got the opportunity to witness her perform during her first headlining tour in our home state of Virginia, I jumped at the chance, and she certainly did not disappoint.
On the evening of August 2nd, my best friends and I hit the road from Richmond, Virginia, only a hop and a skip down the road, as my GaGa used to say, filled with only the joy and excitement that seeing a legend can bring. Once we entered the Hampton Coliseum to find our seats, the energy was not only the same but greater. Fans from places near and far filled the space, some even sporting Missy Elliott costumes from her most career-defining moments. There was blue hair, people sporting blow-up suits, door knocker earrings, and asymmetrical bobs. If Missy had ever worn them in her career, you probably saw them at some point during the night.
I think the entire Out Of This World tour was a walk down memory lane for me. First up, Ciara graced the stage, reminding everyone why she was crowned the princess of Crunk with electrifying moves to her hits like “Goodies,” “One Two Step,” “Oh,” and a host of other hits like her recent “How We Roll,” which features another Virginia superstar, Chris Brown. As a kid of the ‘90s raised in the 2000s, I could not stop smiling from ear to ear while Ciara was on the stage, exciting the crowd for the main act, her big sis Missy.
US rap singer Missy Elliot performs on stage during her first concert in Tel Aviv on July 15, 2010. Source: JACK GUEZ / Getty
Next up was Busta Rhymes, who refers to Missy as his twin for their love for hip-hop and music and their ability to make music and moments that transcend the norm. Hitting the stage alongside his partner in crime, Spliff Star, he made several comments about the crowd’s infectious energy before bidding everyone farewell to the woman that everyone had been waiting on.
In true Missy Elliott fashion, the visuals for the show were out of this world, and it wasn’t long before she emerged on the stage, kicking off the night with “Throw it Back,” “Cool Off,” and “We Run This.” The entire venue lit up at one point because no Missy show was complete without a bit of crowd participation. Upon entry, Hampton Coliseum personnel gave fans wristbands to wear during her set, not realizing that they would soon light up in sync with the music as Missy performed classics like “She’s A B,” “Sock It 2 Me,” and “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” of course with a more modern twist on the iconic bubble suit from the music video as mentioned earlier.
Source: Michael Kovac / Getty
It’s hard to believe that this is Missy Elliott’s first headlining tour after more than three decades in the game, but as the adage goes – it’s better late than never. Always lifting as she climbs toward the end of her set, the “Take Away” crooner encouraged the crowd to show love to her dancers, and she declared that the majority of them were experiencing their first-ever tour. While this was the only stop on the tour that I had a chance to visit, it might be safe to say that this one was the most heartwarming as it took place just a few miles away from her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia, where she recently had a street named in her honor when city officials unveiled Missy Elliott Boulevard in 2022. Virginia is known as the home for lovers, and the sentiment rang true among the fans attending to watch the hometown hero share her gifts with them throughout the night.
At one point, I was moved to tears because before the night ended, Missy was joined onstage by Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott and Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck, who showered her with flowers, literally and figuratively. August 2, 2024, was declared Out Of This World tour day, and United States Representative Bobby Scott said it would be “a crime, a misdemeanor” not to recognize Missy with a Congressional Certificate of Community Service for her endless contributions to the place she never holds back from recognizing as home.
In addition to the state representatives joining her on the stage, her longtime friend, fellow Virginian by way of the 757, and collaborator Timbaland returned to the stage after helping to kick off the show. Ciara and Busta Rhymes also reemerged to bid the Virginia crowd goodbye and love on their sister, who had just shut the city down with an out-of-this-world performance (pun all the way intended).
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
As a little girl born and raised in my small hometown of Dinwiddie, Virginia, Missy Elliott gave me a glimpse of what life looks like when you chase your dreams but never lose who you are. Seeing her perform in Virginia at age 31 as an established journalist, covering everything from entertainment to culture, business, technology, and beyond, was a full-circle moment because it proves that we don’t have to be defined by life’s circumstances. During her “Behind the Music” episode on VH1 in 2011, Missy got candid about witnessing abuse in her household at an early age, something that was all too familiar to me as well. She recounted a time when she was fearful that her father would fatally harm her mother, and just when I thought I couldn’t relate to her as a person any further, her sharing her truth encouraged me because I had spent my life in a similar situation.
When she hit the stage, I saw Missy’s inner child light up the stage. By being in her element, sharing her talents and energy with people who have loved and adored her from the beginning, Missy Elliott provided us with a safe space to let our hair down, live freely, and embrace the parts of us that make us out of this world. For me, watching her chase her dreams over the years has inspired me to do the same, and the Out Of This World tour was proof in the pudding that Missy Elliott is the blueprint for generations of little Brown girls to dream big, never allowing life’s circumstances to box them in, whether they’re from Virginia like us or anywhere else in the world.
The Missy Elliot Out Of This World tour ends today on August 23rd in Rosemont, Illinois.
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