Earlier this year, Missy Elliott emerged from the Technicolor cave she'd been hiding in to bless Katy Perry, the NFL and the world at large with a performance at the Super Bowl. That quick turn in Arizona was enough to vault her illustrious, forward-thinking catalog back to the top of the charts; since then, fans have been clamoring for new music and performances by the legendary MC. Last night, New Orleans got the latter, as Missy came out for an hour-long set at the 2015 edition of the Essence Music Festival. In fact, her performance was clipping along with such steamroller inevitability that festival organizers eventually just cut off her microphone while she was playing "Holdin' You Down." Fans were unhappy, and once Usher's headlining set was complete, hours later, Missy hopped back on stage to let everyone know what the deal was. “I’m sorry I was cut off,” she said, "I came here to give 100 percent. I was cut off. I was disappointed. I thank you for coming out.”

It was during that Usher set that Wale came out to perform "The Matrimony," the pair's collaboration from Wale's The Album About Nothing. Needless to say, Essence guests got more than the price of admission last night. As for those who are hoping for more recorded music from Missy, there's good news on that front as well. Speaking at the ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards, Missy's longtime friend and collaborator Timbaland announced that the first single from her new project will be produced by none other than a Neptune. “I love my sister to death. I know the tabloids love to talk," Timbo said. "I’m going to say it now: Her first single is from my cousin—and yes, we are family—Pharrell.”

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