Long ago in 2002, back when Missy Elliot was at the height of her stellar career, the 49-year-old powerhouse collaborated with R&B singer Tweet to create the hit single “Oops (Oh My).” While the song had always been believed to be filled with heavily suggestive innuendos referring to self-pleasure, the rap veteran is shutting down this nearly two-decade-old assumption.

While interacting with fans on Twitter, the “Get Ur Freak On” artist clarified the meaning behind the provocative song. “#Funfact this song was never bout Masturbation,” she said in response to a fan who said the song was a bop. She continued, “it was always about her appreciating her Dark Skin (Self Love) when she looked in the mirror it was the listeners that thought it was about sex & just ran with it…”

She attributed explaining the true meaning of the song to marketing purposes, adding, “Not interested in ruining a good story we just let the consumers mind create what they wanted.”


Peter Kramer/Getty Images

The strategy surely worked for the artists, as the song peaked at number seven on the charts. Production on the track was handled by Timbaland, who, if you recall correctly, was one of the hottest producers in the game at the time–perhaps even one of the best of all time.

Listen to “Oops (Oh My)” below and let us know if you buy the altered story from Missy.

[via]