3.0 out of 5 stars
Reduced Phat Hip Hop {3 Stars}, September 12, 2006
Missy Elliott is a bit of an anomaly. Lyrically, she's not that great, but people seem to eat her up. I chalk it up to the energy and charsima that she has. With Timbaland in her corner, that's a definite recipe for success. On her fourth LP, Missy targets the dancefloor again and does a good job of turning out good material. "Gossip Folks", "Funky Fresh Dressed", "Work It", and "Play That Beat" are all guaranteed to get your butt moving. "Can You Hear Me" and "Back In The Day" are great reflective tracks that blend well with the rest of the dance tracks. Also, 50 Cent drops in to lend his talents to the "Work It" remix. So in alot of ways, Under Construction definitely accomplishes its mission.
A lot of what plagues the album is the lack of lyrical prowess and the severe nosedive the album takes toward the end. Another issue I kept running across was the lack of creativity, which is practically her trademark. Joints like "Pu***" (despite nice production) and "Nothing Out There For Me" sound as if she wrote them within a 24 hour period and "Bring The Pain" features Method Man on what has to be one of the most uninspired songs I've ever heard from her. "Slide" is plain awful, "Hot" is mad corny, and "Ain't That Funny" is straight wack. A lot the production is forgetable too (which is hard for me to say because I'm a HUGE Timbaland fan).
Under Construction is one of those albums that just doesn't stand out. For an artist like Missy Elliott, who made a name for herself by standing out, an average album is simply inexcusable. It's not necessarily a bad album, but a lot of it is just plain lazy. If you're new to Missy, you may like a lot of this album, but those familiar with her capabilities should grab this one from the used bin. Like I always say, it won't blow your socks off, but you won't be mad at yourself for buying either.
Standout Tracks: Play That Beat, Work It, Funky Fresh Dressed feat. Ms Jade (My Favorite), Gossip Folks feat. Ludacris, Back In The Day feat. Jay Z, and Work It [Remix] feat. 50 Cent
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