#TBT: Missy Elliott's 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)' Music Video Style In GIFs
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Hear that? It's the sound of you singing "I CAN'T STAND THE RAIN" to yourself over and over for the rest of the day. Why? Because I'm dropping another #TBT on you, and Missy Elliott's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" is the proud owner of an Ann Peebles-sampled hook that just won't quit. Today is the first day of spring (vernal equinox for all my science folk) which, for those of us on the East Coast, means a lot of rain in our near future. Thus, the song selection. (Well, that, and Broad City briefly spoofed it last night.) Now, without further ado, I'm breaking down the FASHUN from this iconic Missy x Hype Williams joint in this week's #TBT.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
The vid starts off with one of the most audacious fashion statements ever to grace a music video (and I'm saying this in a world post-Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" #alexandermcqueen). Missy posts up against Hype's fisheye lens in a black patent nylon, blow-up jumpsuit accessorized with matching shoes and gloves and a glitter-covered helmet-meets-sunglasses situation. (Again, brilliantly recreated on Broad City with a gold bike helmet and goggles.)
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Not to be overlooked, Missy also served a pretty enviable ombre black lipstick look.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
In fact, Missy's entire beauty look for this video is IMMACULATE. Those lashes. That liner. The eye shadow and contouring. That berry lip. Even the glossy finger waves. And they're made even more striking set against a plain white tee and some delicate gold jewelry.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Makeup takes a backseat, though, when you've got red-orange plastic overalls and a matching floor-length rain slicker in your wardrobe arsenal.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
WHICH REMINDS ME. It's not just Missy who's stunting in "The Rain." Her backup dancers (a Missy video wouldn't be complete without them) get swagged out in some pretty cool outfits, too. Peep dude on the left's bucket hat. Hope he's still got that tucked away in a drawer somewhere because they're about to hit the festival circuit all over again.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
And then there are the Supa Dupa Fly Girls (see what I did there?). Not everyone can pull off the white tank + high-waisted tighty whiteys look (Miley is #blessed), but couple it with a yellow raincoat, wheat-colored Timbs with scrunched tube socks and wear it with a pack of other girls dressed the same, and this quickly becomes the coolest outfit anyone's ever seen.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Missy does her own yellow outfit: a jacket and long shorts set worn with matching oversized shades and a lime green tee. Color-coordinating was everything in the '90s. (See also: TLC.)
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Because I know you were curious, here's a GIF of her dancing, so you can see that she wore the look with green socks and yellow kicks.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
At one point she does leave the cylindrical indoor set and ventures outdoors. *BEEP BEEP. Who got the keys to the Jeep? VRRRRRRRRRRRRROOM* Missy takes her all-red-everything sunnies and lacquered baby hairs to the beach by way of an open top Hummer. She's also wearing a black leather bomber jacket, which isn't my first choice for beach attire, but to each her own, right?
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Once at the beach, she's in more leather. An all-white leather jacket and pants set worn with matching golf gloves, a cobalt tee and similarly blue sneakers. Again, a little less breathable than what I wear to the sand, but who am I to argue with a queen?
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Our time outside with Missy is short-lived, though. She finds herself on the hilltop of an outdoor-looking indoor set with a cartoonish quality very akin to Busta Rhymes' "Gimme Some More" video (also directed by Hype, a year after "The Rain").
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
On the hill, she wears a mint green track suit with the same flawless makeup look, but swaps in a shoulder-length wig with blunt bangs for the finger waves she sports throughout the majority of the vid.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Oh, AND, she's not wearing gloves, so we can FINALLY see her black-and-white nail art.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
There are quite a few guest stars in this, Missy's first big solo hit. Diddy (at the time "Puff Daddy") made a cameo in a Pittsburgh Pirates cap. Who knew he was such a fan of Pennsylvania baseball? *radiates sarcasm*
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Of course, Timbaland was there. In a jacket made of either satin or velvet, with clasps that are probably not functional in any way.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Da Brat came through with zig zag braids and a translucent windbreaker.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
But our favorite special guest is obviously Lil Kim. No shade to Lil Cease holding down the background, this is just... It's Kimmy Blanco. And not only is she's wearing Chanel shades, she's predating two #CCcertified trends of the past year: Chanel suspenders and the Chanel chain belt.
Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" music video.
Photo: Atlantic Records/GIF: MTV/Jenny Shafei
Queen Bee indeed.
+ MISSY ELLIOTT - 'THE RAIN (SUPA DUPA FLY)'
