Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

As of late, Missy Elliott has been garnering lots of ink for her new trim appearance. However, in the midst of the “E-Television” minded obsession to put celebs waistlines under a microscope, she has been burning up the charts as well as the calories.

“Work It,” the first single from her latest Under Construction is as inescapable as the polar weather and just as affecting.  

Under Construction sees Elliott reveling in her home territory of nightclubs on “Go To The Floor” and “Play That Beat,” while she goes old school for the funky-filled “Back In The Day.”  She also vents comparatively crossly at rumor mongers on “Gossip Folks.“ 

As always, her rhymes are street and unique with a taste of her (and co-producer Timbaland’s ) revolutionary and futuristic grooves.

As great as Under Construction is, it does not appear that Elliott is at her happiest - as no doubt the loss of her comrade Aaliyah still stings.   

But Elliott should be feeling grand as her once novelty like facade and perception has been replaced with a hard-body and unlimited respect which could certainly result in her rise to being the current Queen of Hip-Hop.