Everything about Missy Elliott’s “Out of this World Tour” felt like an anomaly. It’s an anomaly that a four-time Grammy Awards winner who’s sold over 40 million records would be headlining her first arena tour since debuting 27 years ago. It’s also an anomaly that the openers — Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, and Ciara — are three music legends in their own rights with multiple platinum plaques hanging on their walls.
But yet here we are.
Timbaland, who’s more known for his production work with some of music’s biggest stars, hit the stage first. With his son Demetrius as his DJ, Timbaland took the crowd through his hits with Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, and Detroit’s late Aaliyah, including “One in a Million,” Are You That Somebody?,” and “Try Again.”
Next up was Busta Rhymes, who performed everything from his breakout verse on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” to “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” and “I Know What You Want.” The 52-year-old emcee also took time to pay homage to the late, legendary Detroit producer J Dilla, telling the crowd, “He’s produced a track on every album I’ve put out.”
Ciara batted cleanup as seven dancers joined her to give a thrilling performance on an awkwardly cool slanted slab stage. Her set had main act energy and included hits “Oh,” “Goodies,”, and “Level Up.”
Missy Elliott’s set started with monitors full of visuals that fit right at the crossroads of an ’80s George Clinton concert and a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. This was going to be a fast-paced intergalactic ride, and it was time for the audience to buckle up. She walked on the stage dressed in a glittery spacesuit performing the bass-heavy “Throw it Back” to the cheers of crowds (many of which were dressed like Missy). Songs “Cool Off” and “Sock It 2 Me” followed, and it seemed like she had a different digital backdrop and wardrobe change for every song. There were laser lights, pyrotechnics, and more than 20 dancers who sometimes dressed like astronauts and other times like medieval Power Rangers . One dancer dressed in an all-black outfit holding an umbrella gave the perfect routine for Missy’s mega hit, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).” Missy also boarded a platform that hovered around Little Caesars Arena and performed “Gossip Folks,” there were breakdancers featured that were better than anything seen at the Olympics, and she jogged a lap around the entire main floor rapping “Work It.”
Her 70-minute set moved so fast it was hard to catch a breath. It was a beautiful futuristic layered body of music and visuals all connected perfectly. Yes, she was taking the crowd through her greatest hits but in a much different way than most artists do. Other than a shout out to Aaliyah and hugs with disabled fans, Missy stayed on script. The night finished with her bringing out Timbaland to perform “Up Jumps Da’ Boogie,” then Busta to perform, “Touch It,” and finally Ciara to perform, “Lose Control.”
Elliott, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year, has nothing to prove as her accomplishments have been cemented for years. With this tour she’s raised the bar on the kind of experience hip-hop acts — and especially legacy acts — can offer and has pushed hip-hop’s creativity forward even more.
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