Missy Elliott breaks the female MC mould with Super Duper Fly

Female MCs were ten a penny in the 90s, the most notable of whom were Foxy Brown and Lil' Kim. Both were attached to different crews, the Firm and Junior Mafia respectively, both rapped about sex and violence while wearing precious little. Then came a female rapper of a totally different calibre; with her lysergic raps and gigantic, multicoloured outfits, Missy Elliott was unlike any of her contemporaries. Her debut, Supa Dupa Fly, was more than just an instant smash hit – it helped set a precedent for experimentalism in hip-hop in the noughties.