Missy Elliott Regales L.A. With Out of This World Tour

“I’m just the warm-up, baby!” So declared Timbaland during his opening set (July 12) for one of the most anticipated tours of 2024: the Out of This World Tour — The Missy Elliott Experience: the rap icon’s first headline outing.

It was the second of the tour’s two-night Los Angeles stand at Crypto.com Arena. With a percolating set that included classics in the songwriter-producer’s hit arsenal such as “The Way I Are,” 50 Cent’s “Ayo Technology” and Justin Timberlake’s “My Love,” Elliott’s longtime musical partner gave the packed house an appetizing taste of what would be in store later when the legend herself arrived onstage.

Fellow featured guests Ciara and Busta Rhymes brought their A games as well. Deftly catching Timbaland’s baton toss, a black leather-clad Ciara came out blazing to an explosion of audience cheers. Noting that she “just had my fourth baby,” the singer-songwriter proceeded to demonstrate she’s lost none of her formidable dancing skills as she — accompanied by a fiercely flexible dance crew — undulated, twerked and sashayed her way through crowd-pleasers like “Goodies,” “Ride,” “Like a Boy,” Promise,” “Level Up” and, of course “1, 2 Step.”

Following suit, rap legend Rhymes, alongside his fave hype man Spliff Star, ratcheted the excitement level even higher with songs like Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now” (featuring Rhymes’ signature rapid flow: “We don’t use special effects because we are the special effects,” noted Rhymes), “Turn It Up,” “I Know What You Want” and “Pass the Courvoisier.” He also brought Ty Dolla $ign and 310Babii to the stage. “We lift our artists up,” said Rhymes. “That’s what we’re supposed to do.”

Then it was Missy time. 

Her ensuing 90-minute show was divided into four acts, introduced by dancer/master of ceremonies Kanec. Act one began with the huge image of a spaceship that touched down onstage. Then a portal door, emblazoned with a giant M, rose and there stood the woman that everyone — all cheering their hearts out — had come to see. Launching into “Throw It Back,” a silver-helmeted Elliott wasted no time getting down to business as she and her 20-member dance crew got to stepping on an invigorating eight-song set that also included “We Run This,” “Sock It to Me” and “I’m Really Hot.”

Elliott left no stone unturned (“We’re going to see who the real Missy fans are.”). as the next two eight-song acts featured roaring crowd pleasers from “The Rain,” “She’s a B—-” (wearing a bubble coat that billowed out behind her at one point) and a rollicking “Get Ur Freak On” to gems “One-Minute Man,” “Drip Demeanor” and “Coochie Don’t Fail Me Now.” To give fans an equal opportunity to view the proceedings a bit closer, four circular screens near the top of the arena relayed what was happening onstage as an energetic, red-haired Elliott went toe-to-toe with her male and female troupe of dancers. And at one point, to get even closer to fans during the second act, she hopped onto a smaller circular platform that was rolled out above the fans on the floor.

In act four, “the last stop on the planet,” Elliott (wearing a large pink fake fur hat) and crew donned graffiti-splashed outfits whose kaleidoscopic neon colors flashed brightly onstage (as did bracelets that were distributed upon entering Crypto). Segueing from a “WTF (Where They From)” mashup to “Bring the Pain” and another rousing fan fave “Work It,” Elliott surprised everyone by coming offstage and walking the perimeter of the venue, a seeming victory lap with her smilingly slapping hands as she passed by clamoring fans. Coming back onstage, Elliott rounded off the final act of her love fest with “Pass Dat Dutch” and “Dance with Me” before ripping it up with Timbaland on “Up Jumps the Boogie,” Rhymes on “Touch It” and Ciara on “Lose Control.”

“I say this every place I go,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said toward the show’s end. “I never take for granted that you spent your hard-earned money; this means a lot. I appreciate every last one of you all. Amen!” And as a satiated crowd filed out of Crypto.com, their comments echoed what Rhymes had noted earlier in his show: “Thank you, Missy, for putting us all together.”

The 30-date, North American Out of This Word Tour – The Missy Elliott Experience lands in Las Vegas Saturday (July 13) with upcoming stops in Denver (7/16), Houston (7/20) and Washington, D.C. (8/8), before wrapping on Aug. 23 in Rosemont, Ill. View the rest of the tour’s itinerary on her official website here.