Few artists in rap and R&B have attained as much commercial success as Missy Elliott. No one else has achieved such prominence while simultaneously reshaping two genres as a hired gun and headliner, defying stereotypes, and combining style, sex, and humor into a cartoonishly outsized image. After she broke through with partner Timbaland as the co-writer of Aaliyah's number one R&B/hip-hop hits "One in a Million" and "If Your Girl Only Knew," Elliott went on an extraordinary run for herself, beginning with the certified gold single "Sock It to Me"/"The Rain." Her albums consist...