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Sock It 2 Me

The second single, with Da Brat, on a Delfonics sample.
Missy Elliott, from Supa Dupa Fly (1997)

Written by
Shawntae Harris, William Hart, Thom Bell, Timbaland
Released
1997
Album
Supa Dupa Fly

Released as the album's second single in a slightly re-recorded form, it features Da Brat and is based on a sample of the Delfonics' 1968 Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love). Shawntae Harris, William Hart and Thom Bell are credited with Timbaland. It peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100 and reached the top ten on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The Guardian noted that the Fugees had had a hit with the same song the year before, and that Timbaland warped the sample into a strange, disjointed new shape. Had it been her first single instead of her second, the paper wrote, it would surely rank among the greatest debuts of all time.

Hype Williams directed the video, set on a remote planet where robot monsters chase Elliott and Lil' Kim in red and white space suits until Da Brat rescues them. At one point dancers perform Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal dance aboard a spaceship. The Guardian said the video defied industry expectations by exaggerating rather than playing down Elliott's body shape. The B-side Release the Tension was later re-recorded by SWV as Release Some Tension.

More songs by Missy Elliott

The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly), Get Ur Freak On, Work It, Gossip Folks, Lose Control

Sources

  1. Sock It 2 Me, Wikipedia
  2. Missy Elliott: 10 of the best, The Guardian (2017-09-06)
  3. Missy Elliott's solo singles, ranked, The Guardian (2019-08-29)