Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott, also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the R&B girl group Sista during the 1990s, who were part of the larger musical collective Swing Mob—led by DeVante Swing of Jodeci. The former group signed with Elektra Records to release their debut album, 4 All the Sistas Around da World (1994), which was critically praised but commercially unsuccessful. She collaborated with album's producer and Swing Mob cohort Timbaland to work in songwriting and production for other acts, yielding commercially successful releases for 702, Aaliyah, SWV, and Total.