Ciara wrote  “1, 2 Step” with Jazz Pha two years before it appeared on her 2004 debut album, Goodies.  Pha produced “1,2 Step” using the blip aesthetic of ’80s electro music and Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock” as a blueprint. He invited Missy Elliott to appear on the single, and she paid tribute to Teena Marie by lifting her rap from “Square Biz.” Ciara footnoted her single “Goodies” and Queen’s “We Will Rock You” in her lyrics. The bubbly energy of “1, 2 Step” caught on quickly with the masses, and fans were dancing along to Ciara and Missy’s moves in the video. “1, 2 Step” was part of the South’s Crunk & B wave that went mainstream thanks to artists like Lil Jon and Crime Mob. Ciara’s second single Goodies and second top 10 hit was Grammy nominated and won BET, ASCAP, and Teen Choice Awards. “1, 2 Step” is a seminal track from early 2000s pop and southern rap. Ciara released her seventh studio album, Beauty Marks, in 2019. In 2024, she joined Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes for the Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour. 

“Work It” is the first single from Missy Elliott’s 2002 fourth album Under Construction. She wrote the song with friend and producer Timbaland and they were inspired by ’80s hip-hop. Timbaland sampled music from that era including Run DMC’s “Peter Piper” and “Request Line” by Rockmaster Scott & The Dynamic Three. The song was noted for the lyric “I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it” which was played in reverse. Dave Meyers directed the quirky video with tributes to Aaliyah and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. Dancer and graffiti writer Mr. Wiggles of the Rock Steady Crew appeared in the video. Missy was covered in live bees, swallowed a car, and defied gravity in the clip which won Video of the Year at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. The remix of “Work It” features 50 Cent. “Work It” is Missy’s most successful single and was one more innovative step in a career that paved the way for countless rappers after her. Missy’s Out Of This World Tour with Ciara and Busta Rhymes starts on July 4th. 

Missy Elliott is going on her first-ever headlining tour with Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland. The rap legend announced the tour on social media today. All of them have worked together in the past. The Out Of This World Tour will travel through more than 20 cities in North America. Missy and Busta Rhymes are known for their colorful high-tech videos and fans are already excited about what their stage sets will entail. She stated that she was thrilled about making a few firsts including the tour and being the first woman rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Tickets will go on sale Thursday at 10 AM local time.

                             Out Of This World Tour Dates 

Thursday, July 4 — Vancouver, BC — Rogers Arena

Saturday, July 6 — Seattle, WA — Climate Pledge Arena

Tuesday, July 9 — Oakland, CA — Oakland Arena

Thursday, July 11 — Los Angeles, CA — Crypto.com Arena

Saturday, July 13 — Las Vegas, NV — T-Mobile Arena

Tuesday, July 16 — Denver, CO — Ball Arena

Thursday, July 18 — Austin, TX — Moody Center

Saturday, July 20 — Houston, TX — Toyota Center

Sunday, July 21 — Fort Worth, TX — Dickies Arena

Wednesday, July 24 — Tampa, FL — Amalie Arena

Thursday, July 25 — Sunrise, FL — Amerant Bank Arena

Saturday, July 27 — Atlanta, GA — State Farm Arena

Thursday, August 1 — Baltimore, MD — CFG Bank Arena

Friday, August 2 — Hampton, VA — Hampton Coliseum

Saturday, August 3 — Belmont Park, NY — UBS Arena

Monday, August 5 — Philadelphia, PA — Wells Fargo Center

Thursday, August 8 — Washington, DC — Capital One Arena

Friday, August 9 — Newark, NJ — Prudential Center

Saturday, August 10 — Boston, MA — TD Garden

Monday, August 12 — Brooklyn, NY — Barclays Center

Thursday, August 15 — Detroit, MI — Little Caesars Arena

Saturday, August 17 — Montreal, QC — Bell Centre

Monday, August 19 — Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena

Thursday, August 22 — Rosemont, IL — Allstate Arena

Missy Elliott, DJ Kool Herc, The Spinners, Chaka Khan, George Michael, and Don Cornelius were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Elliott is the first female rapper to have the honor. Queen Latifah introduced Elliott before she performed a medley of her hits onstage at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn during the induction ceremony on Saturday, November 4th. Jazmine Sullivan introduced Khan, who performed “I Feel For You” with Common rapping Melle Mel’s part. H.E.R. and Sia joined her while she sang “Ain’t Nobody,” “Sweet Thing,” and  “I’m Every Woman.” Khan brought Tony Maiden from Rufus after she accepted her award. New Edition put on a well-choreographed show in tribute to The Spinners, while a Soul Train scenario played out in the background in honor of Don Cornelius. LL Cool J inducted Kool Herc, who accepted his award with his sister Cindy. Andrew Ridgeley, who was one-half of Wham with Michael, inducted his later former bandmate. Miguel, Adam Levine, and Carrie Underwood performed some of Michael’s classics, including “Careless Whisper” and “Faith.”