Hot 21 Radio

Missy Elliott released her fourth studio album, 'Under Construction' in 2002. See why her audience thought her 'Work It' lyrics were 'nasty.'

February 8, 2020 RELATED: Zendaya Reveals Why She Turned Down Controversial Aaliyah Biopic While Missy Elliott Wants to Front a Major Do-Over Although Elliotts fans enjoyed the visual elements of Work It, one part of the song left many of them debating years after it came out. The hook of the piece reads, Ti esrever dna ti pilf, nwod gniht ym tup. The lyrics meaning is debated among music lovers decades after Work Its release. After years of keeping her audience guessing, Elliott confirmed to the Associated Press that the lyric came from an engineers slip. The lyrics are also the hook of the song in reverse. Furthermore, she said that many assumed she had an ulterior motive with the verse due to her previous songs. The reverse thing, that was a mistake. The engineer happened to hit something, and it just went backward, and I was like, Oh, thats kind of crazy because it went backward on the beat, Elliott said, per USA Today So, after that happened, I said, Yo, keep that in there, and Im going to write around it.' They thought I was saying all kinds of nasty stuff, she continued. No, actually, Im not, this time. Missy Elliott said Timbaland challenged her with Work It Throughout her career, Work It proved to be one of Elliotts staple songs. The song and video helped earn the rapper the in 2019. Also, she became the first female rapper to enter the rock and roll hall of fame that June. RELATED: Missy Elliott Praises Rapping Teacher and Shares Fun Fact About Her Own School Days During her interview with AP, Elliott said her friend and music partner, Timbaland, had much to do with the success of Work It. While she worked on Under Construction, she said he challenged her to record in front of him until she had an innovative song. I dont record in front of anyone, so I went in another room and recorded, and I felt like a little kid going to their daddy with their report card, Elliott said. About the fifth time, hes like, Thats it. Thats what Im talking about.' 2021 Showbiz Cheat Sheet, All Rights Reserved. Read more