Editing Missy Elliott (section)

=== 1988–1995: Early work and Sista ===
[[File:Noelia, Timbaland and Jorge Reynoso.jpg|left|alt=Two persons seated and one standing over a mixing board; at the far right is Timabland|thumb|Elliott's childhood friend [[Timbaland]] (pictured in 2012, far right) helped define her sound and the two have continued working together for decades]]
In 1988, Elliott formed an all-women [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] group called Fayze (later renamed Sista)<ref name="Kellman">Kellman, Andy. "[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1687503|pure_url=yes}} Still Standing – Monica]". [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved on March 23, 2010.</ref> with friends La'Shawn Shellman, Chonita Coleman, and Radiah Scott.<ref>{{cite web|author=Andy Kellman|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/missy-elliott-mn0000502371|title=Missy Elliot|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 24, 2019|archive-date=October 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018081606/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/missy-elliott-mn0000502371|url-status=live}}</ref> She was introduced to her neighborhood friend [[Timbaland|Timothy Mosley (Timbaland)]] by [[Magoo (rapper)|Melvin Barcliff (Magoo)]] who was trying  to recruit his Dj Timbaland to be the group's [[record producer|producer]] and began making demo tracks, among them included the 1991 promo "First Move".<ref name="ew1">{{cite magazine|last=Brown|first=Ethan|title=Everyone Wants Timbaland|url=https://ew.com/article/2007/03/23/timbaland-wants-be-his-own-star/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=March 23, 2007|access-date=January 16, 2010|archive-date=February 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228080503/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20015777,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Later in 1991, Fayze caught the attention of [[Jodeci]] member and producer [[DeVante Swing]]<ref name="sunshine" /> by performing Jodeci songs [[a cappella]] for him backstage after one of his group's concerts. In short order, Fayze moved to New York City and signed to [[Elektra Records]] through DeVante's [[Swing Mob]] imprint and also renaming the group Sista. Sista's debut song was titled "Brand New", which was released in 1993<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web|last=Birchmeier|first=Jason|title=Missy Elliott&nbsp;– Biography|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p212097/biography|pure_url=yes}}|publisher=Allmusic|year=2005|access-date=April 18, 2008}}</ref> Elliott took Mosley & Barclif whom DeVante re-christened the duo as [[Timbaland & Magoo]].

All 20-plus members of the Swing Mob—among them future stars such as [[Ginuwine]], [[Playa (band)|Playa]], and [[Tweet (singer)|Tweet]]<ref name="How They Made It">{{cite book|last=Kimpel|first=Dan|title=How They Made It|publisher=[[Hal Leonard Corporation]]|year=2006|page=[https://archive.org/details/howtheymadeittru0000kimp/page/38 38]|isbn=0634076426|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/howtheymadeittru0000kimp/page/38}}</ref>—lived in a single two-story house in New York and were often at work on material both for Jodeci and their own projects.<ref name= universe /> While Elliott wrote and rapped on [[Raven-Symoné]]'s 1993 debut single, "[[That's What Little Girls Are Made Of]]" which was her first big musical breakthrough, peaking at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,<ref name= dispatch /> she also contributed, credited and uncredited, to the Jodeci albums ''[[Diary of a Mad Band]]'' (1993) and ''[[The Show, the After Party, the Hotel]]'' (1995). Timbaland and DeVante jointly produced a Sista album, entitled ''[[4 All the Sistas Around da World]]'' (1994). Though videos were released for the original and remix versions of the single "Brand New", the album was shelved and never released.<ref name= ew1 /> One of the group's tracks, "It's Alright" featuring [[Craig Mack]] did however make the cut on the [[Dangerous Minds (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] of the 1995 motion picture ''[[Dangerous Minds]]'' but by the end of 1995, Swing Mob had folded and many of its members dispersed. Elliott, Timbaland, Magoo, Ginuwine, and Playa remained together and collaborated on each other's records for the rest of the decade as the musical collective The Superfriends.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Carlos|first1=Marjon|title=Missy Elliott tops iTunes charts after killing it at the Super Bowl|url=http://fusion.net/story/42515/missy-elliott-stays-winning/|website=fusion.net|publisher=Fusion Media Network|access-date=January 27, 2016|archive-date=February 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204061900/http://fusion.net/story/42515/missy-elliott-stays-winning/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Higgins|first1=Keenan|title=Timbaland Surprises Shaggfest With Missy Elliott & Magoo|url=http://www.vibe.com/2012/06/timbaland-surprises-shaggfest-missy-elliott-magoo/|website=Vibe.com|publisher=Spin Media|access-date=January 27, 2016|archive-date=February 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204203658/http://www.vibe.com/2012/06/timbaland-surprises-shaggfest-missy-elliott-magoo/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last1= Hobbs| first1= Linda| title= One In A Million| date= December 2008| work= Vibe| pages= 113| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qiYEAAAAMBAJ&q=super+friends+missy+elliott&pg=PA113| access-date= January 27, 2016| archive-date= March 29, 2021| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210329042741/https://books.google.com/books?id=qiYEAAAAMBAJ&q=super+friends+missy+elliott&pg=PA113| url-status= live}}</ref>