“I'm just the warm-up, baby!” So said Timbaland during his opening set (July 12) for one of the most anticipated tours of 2024: The Out of This World Tour — The Missy Elliott Experience: the rap icon's first headlining outing.
It was the second of the two-night Los Angeles leg of the tour at the Crypto.com Arena. With a blistering set that included classics in the songwriter-producer's hit arsenal, such as “The Way I Are,” 50 Cent's “Ayo Technology” and Justin Timberlake's “My Love,” Elliott's longtime musical partner gave the packed house a delicious taste. he would be in the store later when the legend himself arrived on the scene.
Fellow guests Ciara and Busta Rhymes also brought their A-games. Deftly picking up Timbaland's baton, a black leather Ciara came out blazing to a burst of cheers from the crowd. Noting that she 'just had my fourth baby', the singer-songwriter showed she's lost none of her formidable dancing skills as – accompanied by a highly versatile dance crew – she bobbed, shimmied and weaved her way through crowds as ” Goodies, “Ride”, “Like a Boy”, “Promise”, “Level Up” and, of course, “1, 2 Step”.
Missy Elliott performs at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Friday, July 12, 2024.
Following suit, rap legend Rhymes, along with his favorite singer Spliff Star, took the excitement level even higher with songs like Chris Brown's “Look at Me Now” (with Rhymes' signature rapid flow: ” We don't use special effects because they're special effects,” Rhymes noted), “Turn It Up,” and “Pass the Courvoisier.” He also brought Ty Dolla $ign and 310Babii to the stage our artists,” Rhimes said. “That's what we have to do.”
Then it was Missy's time.
The 90-minute show that followed was divided into four acts, performed by dancer/master of ceremonies Kanec. The first act opened with the huge image of a spaceship crashing onto the stage. Then a gate rose, emblazoned with a giant M, and there stood the woman whom all—all cheering their hearts out—had come to see. Kicking off with “Throw It Back,” a silver-helmeted Elliott wasted no time in minding her own business as she and her 20-piece dance crew rolled into a rousing eight-song set that also included “We Run This,” “Sock It to Me' and 'I'm Really Hot'.
Elliott left no stone unturned (“We'll see who Missy's real fans are.”). as the next two eight-song sets included lookers from 'The Rain', 'She's a B—-' (wearing a bubble coat that popped up behind her at one point) and a crazy 'Get Ur Freak On' in precious stones “One-Minute Man”, “Drip Demeanor” and “Coochie Don't Fail Me Now”. To give fans an equal chance to see the proceedings a little closer, four circular screens near the top of the arena relayed what was happening on stage as an energetic, red-haired Elliott went wild with her male and female troupe of dancers. . And at one point, to get even closer to the fans during the second act, he jumped onto a smaller circular platform that extended above the fans on the floor.
In act four, “the last stop on the planet,” Elliott (wearing a large pink faux-fur hat) and crew donned graffiti outfits, whose kaleidoscopic neon colors glowed brightly on stage (as did the bracelets handed out the entry to Crypto). Kicking off a “WTF (Where They From)” mashup of “Bring the Pain” and another fan rousing “Work It,” Elliott surprised everyone by exiting the stage and walking the perimeter of the venue, an apparent victory lap with the smiling one to slap. hands as he walked past cheering fans. Returning to the stage, Elliott completed the final act of her lovefest with 'Pass Dat Dutch' and 'Dance with Me' before tearing it up with Timbaland on 'Up Jumps the Boogie', Rhymes on 'Touch It' and Ciara in “Losing Control.”
“I say that every place I go,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said toward the end of the show. “I never take it for granted that you spent your hard earned money. that means a lot. I appreciate the last one from all of you. Amen!” And as a fed-up crowd filed out of Crypto.com, their comments echoed what Rhymes had noted earlier on his show: “Thank you, Missy, for bringing us all together.”
The 30-date, North American Out of This Word – The Missy Elliott Experience tour lands in Las Vegas on Saturday (July 13) with upcoming stops in Denver (7/16), Houston (7/20) and Washington, DC ( 8/ 8), before concluding on August 23 in Rosemont, Ill. See the rest of the tour itinerary on her official website here.
