Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott
Hot Boyz (East West)
"January 10, 2000. Lexus Jeeps given: four. Credit cards pushed to limit: three. Male hearts/assorted organs left in pieces on floor: beyond count. Records released: one (vg)."
Laser-witted and vicious-fingernailed, 'Hot Boyz' could change Bridget Jones' sorry life with one flick of its eyelashes. Sure, it's about finding that special man but Missy's criteria are somewhat light on anything as foolish as romance. What she wants is "a fun toy", a bit of smooth who can "play hardball with the platinum vis-aaah" yet remain a soft touch. Staccato, sexy, and predatory like a cheetah in mascara, it's certainly champagne feminism of the most cold-hearted kind. But in a world where that vile Atomic Kitten record - appealing, you imagine, to the kind of men who have a special relationship with the babysitter - is allowed to get into the minds of the nation's girl-children, 'Hot Boyz' is a superbly callous call to arms. It's just market forces, after all, and make no mistake, Missy knows the price of a good woman. It's the music that's digging for gold.
Victoria Segal
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