Rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott is quite impressed with a Rhode Island woman who went viral for her rendition of the artist's popular 2002 track "Work It."
Mary Halsey, a New York native who currently resides in West Warwick, Rhode Island, is the woman catching the internet's attention with her "Work It" cover. She works at a local nursing and rehabilitation center, according to her Facebook profile. She describes herself as Elliott's "funky white sister."
Halsey covered Elliott's Timbaland-produced track while attending an event in Goddard Memorial State Park in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. She took to Facebook in late July to share the post. She cautioned viewers to the "explicit lyrics" she raps within the 4-minute video. In the video, she performed Elliott's lyrics word-for-word while holding onto her shofar—a musical horn that's used within Judaism for religious celebrations such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. She was successful in nailing the songs various sound effects as well.
The video has attracted more than 8 million views to date. One of Halsey's many viewers, however, happens to include Elliott herself. Elliott was compelled to share part of the viral video before her more than millions of Instagram and Twitter followers. She expressed her love for the video as well.
"I just found out I have a FUNKY WHITE SISTER for real doe," Elliott, 47, tweeted Tuesday. "She brought her homegirl with her from da hood that keep tiptoeing in the background with a plate of food yo. I'm done! but she straight killed 'Work It' sound effects & all I love it."
After Elliot shared the video via Twitter and Instagram, a woman who is familiar with Halsey's karaoke performance recognized her. "OMG. It's 'Missy Mary.' This park/beach is in my hometown. She used to be at my friend's restaurant every Friday night for karaoke and perform this," a local who knows of Halsey tweeted Wednesday. "She'd get the whole room crazy every time! She's a sweetheart. Go, Mary!"
Halsey last covered "Work It" in 2010. At the time, she was seen in a Facebook video performing a karaoke rendition of the hip-hop track at Dan's Place. "Work It," however, isn't Halsey's first published cover. In 2017, the Rhode Islander shared a video that featured her acapella version of "My Humps" by The Black Eyed Peas.
Halsey has accumulated thousands of fans for her rap videos. She has more than 15,500 people following her on Facebook. Her fans have campaigned for her to be featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, according to HuffPost.
Halsey did not immediately return Newsweek's request for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dory Jackson is a New York-based entertainment journalist from Maryland. She graduated from Randolph-Macon College—in May 2016—with a focus in Communication ... Read more
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