*** 1/2; MISSY “MISDEMEANOR” ELLIOTT; “Da Real World”; Gold Mind/EastWest

Just two albums into her solo career, Missy Elliott understands all too well that trying to keep one step ahead of the zeitgeist isn’t easy. Her 1997 debut, “Supa Dupa Fly,” already looks to be one of the decade’s benchmark hip-hop albums, combining as it does the Virginia native’s playful homegirl narratives with producer Timbaland’s innovative rat-a-tat beat science. But what was once fresh is now ubiquitous; echoes of “Supa Dupa Fly” can be heard in everything from Busta Rhymes’ loosed-limbed juvenilia to TLC’s latest album, “FanMail.”

But rather than try to capitalize on their trademark sound, Elliott and Timbaland have forged new sonic terrain. Ripping a page from the Wu-Tang Clan playbook, they’ve stripped their sound to the bare elements--minimal bass lines march in lock-step with hard, insistent beats, while spooky violins, harps and sitars circle overhead. If “Supa Dupa” was a bumptious jeep ride, then “Da Real World” (which arrives in stores Tuesday) is an ominous journey into darkness. Party time’s over, and Missy means business; such tracks as “All N My Grill” and “We Did It” lay bare the mind games men play with vulnerable women, while “Beat Biters” takes on all the Missy plagiarists (you know who you are). “Da Real World” isn’t as readily accessible as “Supa Dupa Fly,” but its willingness to take chances pays off in frequently startling fashion.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

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* Excerpts from Missy Elliott’s “Da Real World” and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.calendarlive.com/soundclips