After the unexpected success of last year's Miss E - So Addictive, the queen of hip-hop finds herself the one thing she never expected to be - a mainstream star. The intro to this follow-up fuels fears that she hasn't taken to it well, a rambling rap addressed to 'magazine writers, radio cats, listeners and plain old haters' that slams the people who mock her eccentricity and excessive weight. Thankfully, once it hits its stride, Under Construction shows that Missy has plenty of creative fire left in her yet. Produced as usual by her cohort Timbaland, it's a rich collection of urban breakbeats and fast-talking street poetry that draws inspiration from sources as diverse as children's nursery rhymes and murdered rappers. There are also guest spots from Beyonce Knowles, TLC and Jay-Z, smatterings of be-bop, soul and electronica, and samples of old-school stars such as Run DMC and the Beastie Boys. It's tremendous stuff - and confirms Missy as one of the most entertaining American artists of her generation, in any genre.
