Editor's Pick: It's Official! G-Dragon and Missy Elliott's Studio Recording Of 'Niliria' Proves The Song Is A Beast [AUDIO]

Anyone lucky enough to witness G-Dragon and Missy Elliott burn the house down with the live debut of their new collaboration 'Niliria' at KCON last month in Los Angeles, knew that the song was tight.

But what was harder to discern over the roar of the crowd, particularly in the video footage shot for "M Countdown," is just how inventive the production on "Niliria" actually is.

As any Missy Elliott fan knows, when Miss Misdemeanor steps into the studio, jaw-dropping, head-bopping sonic innovation will happen.

But some of the most interesting aspects of "Niliria" are the Eastern elements, namely the main sample reportedly taken from a recording of an old Korean folk song with the same title.

The hypnotizing sample, which briefly begins and ends the song by itself, sounds almost alien in a hip-hop beat with such ferocity. And in the played-out, often recycled world of commercial rap (no matter what country you're talking about), alien is always good.

But with Elliott at the helm, the song stays firmly rooted in the tradition of street raw rap, thanks in no small part to the dense drumbeat.

"Niliria" even features some of the sixteenth note high-hat grooves that Missy and Timbaland turned into their signature sound as they rose to prominence 15 years ago.

But there is more to the beat than is discernible on first listen.

G-Dragon, Elliott and resident YG Entertainment producer Teddy create a soundscape that pulsates with innovatively manipulated samples and found sounds like the screeching sirens.

The overall result offers the perfect vehicle for the two distinctive MCs to deliver.

And deliver they most certainly do.

Missy offers up the clever machine gun delivery she is known for, with lines like "my style be fresh like a peppermint," offering the perfect lightness to a song that gets pretty heavy by the climax.

Ever the stylistic chameleon, G-Dragon seems to adopt a more in your face stature rhyming style than normal on "Niliria." The resulting sound recalls Dynamic Duo rapper Gaeko, or even East Coast rap legends like Nas or The GZA.

Contrasted with his trademark childlike singing, which provides the song's powerhouse hook, the Big Bang frontman proves once again that there are many shades to his talent.

Listen to the studio recording of the burning G-Dragon and Missy Elliott collaboration 'Niliria' RIGHT HERE

Tags
Missy Elliott
G-Dragon
Big Bang
Niliria
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