Missy Elliott's fearless rhymes and forward-thinking beats draw from innovators across genres. The experimental synths of Chaka Khan's “Ain't Nobody” and the bold sampling on Run-DMC's “It's Tricky” speak to her love of ‘80 hip-hop in her production style. But most of all, Missy's themes of female empowerment come from women who play by their own rules, like Roxanne Shanté, who fires back at rap machismo on “Roxanne's Revenge.”