Honestly, most of us spent 2002 trying to figure out what the hell Missy Elliott was saying in that chorus. Was it "Is your flippity-nippy-wet-yet?" No. It turns out the answer was staring us right in the face the whole time. She literally told us she was going to "reverse it," and then she actually did it. She took the vocal track, flipped the tape, and created a hook that defined a generation.
That is the magic of Work It Missy Elliott. It’s a song that shouldn’t have worked on paper. It has elephant trumpets, 80s old-school samples, and lyrics about "badonkadonks." Yet, it stayed at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks. The only reason it didn't hit No. 1? Eminem’s "Lose Yourself" was busy being a juggernaut.
The Beat That Timbaland Almost Quit On
People talk about the Missy and Timbaland partnership like it was easy. It wasn't. For the album Under Construction, Timbaland was feeling the pressure to return to hip-hop's roots. He has since admitted in interviews that he went back to the drawing board repeatedly because Missy was incredibly picky. She wanted something that felt like 1982 but sounded like 3002.
They ended up layering a mess of genius. You’ve got the intro from Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three’s "Request Line." You’ve got that weird, chirping synth that actually comes from the intro of Blondie’s "Heart of Glass." Then, for the outro, they threw in the cowbell from Bob James’ "Take Me to the Mardi Gras."
It’s a sonic collage. Most producers would make that sound like a cluttered basement. Timbaland made it sound like a spaceship.
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That "Gibberish" Chorus Explained
Let’s settle this once and for all. If you record yourself saying "I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it" and then play that audio backward on your phone, you will hear the exact "gibberish" from the song.
"Ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gniht ym tup I."
It wasn't a secret code. It was a literal interpretation of the lyrics. Missy reportedly even learned how to phonetically pronounce the reversed line so she could perform it live without relying on a backing track. That’s the level of commitment we’re talking about.
There is another reversed moment later in the song, too. After she says, "Listen up close while I take you backwards," the next line is "Watch the way Missy like to take it backwards," also played in reverse. It’s a theme. It’s a gimmick that actually feels like high art because of the rhythm.
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The Music Video and Those Real Bees
If you grew up watching MTV, the "Work It" video is burned into your brain. Directed by Dave Meyers, it was a visual feast of airbrushed tributes to Aaliyah and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. But the most insane part? The bees.
Missy actually wore a "bee beard" for the opening scene. Those weren't CGI. They were live honey bees. According to Meyers, only one crew member got stung during the entire shoot, which is a miracle considering the swarm.
The video also launched careers. A young Alyson Stoner—the little girl in the pigtails—became a household name because of her footwork in this video. It brought "urban" dancing back to the forefront of pop culture at a time when music videos were starting to feel a bit stagnant and corporate.
Why We Are Still Talking About It in 2026
Missy Elliott didn’t just make a hit; she made a blueprint. You can hear her influence in artists like Bree Runway and Flo Milli today. In fact, the group FLO recently released "Fly Girl," which samples Work It Missy Elliott and even features a guest verse from Missy herself.
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She proved that you could be weird, plus-sized, and futuristic while still being the coolest person in the room. She didn't rely on the hyper-sexualized tropes of the early 2000s. She wore bedazzled Adidas tracksuits and Kangol hats. She made "badonkadonk" a part of the Oxford English Dictionary.
How to Appreciate the Song Today
If you want to really hear the production, do these three things:
- Listen for the Blondie sample. Once you hear the "Heart of Glass" synth pattern in the background, you can never unhear it.
- Watch the 2003 VMA performance. It’s a masterclass in stage presence and choreography that still holds up better than most modern award show sets.
- Try the reverse trick. Use a basic audio editing app to flip the chorus. It’s a satisfying "aha!" moment that reminds you why Missy is a genius.
The track is currently certified 3x Platinum, but its cultural value is much higher. It remains a reminder that in a world of copies, the weirdo who "flips it and reverses it" is usually the one who wins.
To get the full experience of Missy's production style, go back and listen to the full Under Construction album. Pay special attention to "Gossip Folks"—it uses the same old-school sampling technique with Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus" to create a completely different, yet equally infectious, vibe.