"Work It"
Single by Missy Elliott
from the album Under Construction
Released	October 22, 2002
Format	Digital download CD single 12" single
Recorded	2002
Genre	Hip hop
Length	4:58
Label	Goldmind/Elektra
Writer(s)	Missy Elliott Tim Mosley
Producer(s)	Timbaland and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott (co-producer)
Peak chart positions
#2 (US Hot 100) #6 (UK Singles Chart)
Missy Elliott singles chronology
"Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is about You)" (2002) "Work It" (2002) "Gossip Folks" (2003)

"Work It" is a hip hop song written by American rapper/singer Missy Elliott and her producer Tim "Timbaland" Mosley for Elliott's critically acclaimed fourth studio album Under Construction (2002). The song's musical style, and production by Timbaland, were heavily inspired by Old school hip hop from the 1980s, and includes a portion which samples Run-D.M.C.'s "Peter Piper". The song's main sample is Blondie's "Heart of Glass". Released as the album's first single in the fall of 2002, the track reached the number two position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Missy Elliott's most successful single to date. Although it would be topped by one of Elliott's future singles "Lose Control" featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop. Image File history File links Missy_elliott-work_it. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia), better known as Missy Elliott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, MC, and record producer. ... Under Construction is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Missy Elliott, released in the United States on November 12, 2002 via Goldmind Inc. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... // A digital download (also known as a digital single or a paid digital download) is an official and legal music single available for purchase through an online store. ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... 12 single for U2s Beautiful Day The 12-inch [30 cm] single gramophone record came into existence with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Timothy Z. Mosley (born March 10, 1971), better known as Timbaland, is an American musical composer and R&B record producer and rapper whose style influenced both genres even helping to blur the distinction between the two, as well as Pop and Dance music. ... Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia), better known as Missy Elliott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, MC, and record producer. ... // A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... “British Hit Singles” redirects here. ... Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia), better known as Missy Elliott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, MC, and record producer. ... Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You) is the third single from Janet Jacksons seventh studio album, All For You. ... Gossip Folks is a 2003 hip hop/R&B song by Missy Elliott, featuring Ludacris. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia), better known as Missy Elliott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, MC, and record producer. ... Timothy Z. Mosley (born March 10, 1971), better known as Timbaland, is an American musical composer and R&B record producer and rapper whose style influenced both genres even helping to blur the distinction between the two, as well as Pop and Dance music. ... Under Construction is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Missy Elliott, released in the United States on November 12, 2002 via Goldmind Inc. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Old school hip hop is a term used to describe the very earliest hip hop music to come out of the block parties of New York City in the 1970s and 1980s. ... Run-DMC is a famous hip hop crew founded by Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) and includes Joseph Run Simmons and Darryl DMC McDaniels, all from Hollis, Queens. ... Raising Hell is a 1986 (see 1986 in music) album by old school rappers Run-D.M.C.. Their breakthrough album, Raising Hell trumped standing perceptions of commercial viability for hip hop groups, achieving triple-platinum status and receiving critical attention from quarters that had previously ignored hip hop as... Blondie or Blondi may mean Blondie (band), an American rock band Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie who is often incorrectly referred to by that name Blondie (album), the self-titled debut album from Blondie Blondie (comic strip), a long-running newspaper comic strip Blondie (film) (1938), a movie based... Heart of Glass Experimental film for which director Werner Herzog had the entire cast, except for the actor playing a seer (and real-life glass blowers appearing in the film), hypnotized before each shooting. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... Lose Control is a 2005 single by Missy Elliott featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop, released on Goldmind/Atlantic Records. ... Ciara (born Ciara Princess Harris on October 25, 1985 in Austin, Texas)(IPA pronunciation: [1])is a Grammy Award-winning American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and occasional actress. ... Fatman Scoop born Isaac Freeman III is a New York City hip hop hype man and radio personality famed for his on-stage rough, loud voice. ...

The single spent ten consecutive weeks at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States (about this Elliott confessed: "I just wanted to die those ten weeks, I mean, it wasn't cool"), and reached number one for five weeks on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song is tied with Foreigner's 1981 hit "Waiting for a Girl Like You" as the longest-running U.S. number-two single that did not reach number one. "Work It"'s music video was directed by Dave Meyers. A remix of this song features rapper 50 Cent. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly known by various names including Hot Soul Singles, Hot Black Singles, and Hot R&B Singles (before the hip-hop term was added in the late 1990s), is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. ... Foreigner is a pop/rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald, along with then unknown vocalist Lou Gramm (Louis Grammatico). ... Waiting for a Girl Like You is a song by Foreigner. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... David Dave Meyers is an American music video director. ... A remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. ... For the currency amount, see 50 cents. ...

Lyrics

• A portion of the song's lyrics helped popularize the African-American slang term "badonkadonk" with mainstream audiences:

"...love the way my ass go 'bum-bump-bum-bump-bump'

keep your eyes on my 'bum-bump-bum-bump-bump'

and think you can handle this 'badonk-a-donk-donk'"

• During the chorus, the line "I put my thing down, flip it, and reverse it" is played backwards 2X fast, a part many mistakenly assumed to be gibberish. In the middle of the song, after the line "Listen up close while I take you backwards", the line "Watch the way Missy like to take it backwards" is also played in reverse.
• "Go downtown and eat it like a vulcha" is a reference to cunnilingus.

Badonkadonk (also pronounced badunkadunk) is a slang term for a womans buttocks that are voluptuously large and firm. ... Backmasking (also known incorrectly as backward masking)[1] is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backwards onto a track that is meant to be played forwards. ... Watercolour painting depicting cunnilingus by Achille Devéria Cunnilingus is the act of performing oral sex, using the mouth, lips, and tongue to stimulate the female genitals. ...

Music video

• Aaliyah & Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez are briefly commemorated in the music video.
• Actress and dancer Alyson Stoner appears as a background dancer in the video.
• Prince, Halle Berry, and the miniseries Roots are parodied.

For Aaliyahs self-titled album, see Aaliyah (album). ... Lisa Nicole Lopes (stage name Left Eye) (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002) was a member of the popular R&B group TLC. In addition to hit songs like Waterfalls with TLC, Lopes also did some solo performing. ... Alyson Rae Stoner (born August 11, 1993 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American actress and dancer. ... “The Artist” redirects here. ... Halle Maria Berry (born August 14, 1966[1]) is an American actress. ... Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haleys work Roots: The Saga of an American Family, his critically acclaimed genealogical novel. ...

Charts