3. The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) — Missy Elliott — 3. The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) — Missy Elliott

This debut-era statement establishes a complete world: elastic low end, conversational authority, and a hook whose coolness comes from restraint. Missy sounds unhurried even as the production bends around her.

The song received a Grammy nomination, but its higher value is aesthetic clarity—the arrival of an artist whose humor and experimentation were already inseparable.