Missy Elliott Wows at LCA as Out of This World Tour Nears Finale

When she burst onto the scene 27 years ago, Missy Elliott was justly hailed as the future of hip-hop as the genre raced toward the new millennium.

So, it makes a unique sort of sense that the future is when the pathbreaking rapper finally decided to launch her first-ever headlining concert tour. This momentous summer tour brought her to Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night.

It was definitely worth the wait. In a vivacious show that never seemed to pause, Elliott delivered one of summer 2024’s most colorful and upbeat concerts. The performance combined elements of sci-fi spectacle, hit parade, and a jump-start to the weekend party.

With her familiar infectious grin, Elliott led a cast of backing dancer-performers that numbered two dozen strong. She showcased the vastly influential body of work she created in the years following her 1997 debut.

Her stage entrance set the tone for the evening—a descent from a Funkadelic-style mothership in a sparkling spacesuit and platform sneakers. A series of set pieces enhanced by a video backdrop transported Elliott from outer space to under the sea, beneath the streets, and finally, by the time she performed “Pass That Dutch” late in the show, to the middle of a cornfield with a flying saucer overhead.

The approach was conceptual but never overly serious. The 53-year-old rapper kept the focus on fun in a sleek and fast-paced show. Abbreviated versions of songs allowed her to fit in more than two dozen numbers within 70 minutes.

Elliott’s singsong flow effortlessly rode atop the burbling beats and skittering synths, played out by a live band behind the stage’s video screen. Her ever-changing costumes were wonderfully extravagant. The apocalyptic black slicker she wore for “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” was perhaps the most restrained.

Alongside energy igniters like “Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It,” Elliott gave each song a vibrant treatment. The graffiti-streaked fluorescence of “Ching-a-Ling” and the neon iciness of “DripDemeanor,” one of the few recent tunes, showcased this well.

For all its production dazzle and hits-packed setlist, the Out of This World Tour also reaffirmed what Elliott represents. She is not just a groundbreaking rapper-producer but also a Songwriters Hall of Famer and hip-hop’s first-ever female inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Joyous and celebratory energy flowed throughout Thursday’s show. What could have been a night of easy nostalgia was instead brimming with fresh and hardworking creativity.

The set reached a crescendo as Elliott welcomed her opening acts back to close the night with a festive family vibe. Prime collaborator Timbaland joined her for “Up Jumps da Boogie,” Busta Rhymes for “Touch It,” and Ciara for the show-ending “Lose Control.”

The LCA concert marked Elliott’s most significant Detroit performance since her 2003 opening act for Eminem’s hometown stadium debut at Ford Field. She noted with pride that her first trip to Detroit was to support Aaliyah—the Detroit singer’s 1996 “One in a Million” album featured essential contributions from Timbaland and a then-little-known Elliott.

Elliott’s LCA show came as the tour moves into its final week, with three Canadian dates and a concluding two-night stand in Chicago.

Source: Detroit Free Press