Missy Elliott Praises 'Funky White Woman' Performing 'Work It’

A video showing a woman delivering an impassioned rendition of 'Work It' this week went viral, and [...]

By Michael Hein

A video showing a woman delivering an impassioned rendition of "Work It" this week went viral, and Missy Elliot, the singer behind the track, was impressed.

The video was taken at a karaoke event a public park in Rhode Island, according to a report by Page Six. It showed West Warwick's own Mary Halsey looking perfectly at home behind a microphone. With a shofar horn in her other hand, she performed Missy Elliot's "Work It" — sound effects and all.

Elliot shared the video on both Twitter and Instagram. While she did not try to hide her laughter at the unlikely venue, she had nothing but praise for Halsey.

"I just found out I have a FUNKY WHITE SISTER," she wrote with a string of laughing emojis. Halsey referred to herself as "Funky White Sister" in her own stage banter.

"Forreal doe," Elliot went on. "& she brought her home girl with her from da hood that keep tip toeing in the background with a plate of food... Yo I'm done! But she straight killed 'Work It' sound effects & All... I love it."

As Elliot's followers became as obsessed with the video as she was, they soon revealed Halsey's true identity. According to Page Six's report, she works as the recreation assistant at a nursing and rehabilitation facility. Halsey told the outlet that she knew the video of her performance would be big, "but I had no idea it would be this big."

At the time of this writing, the video has nearly 3.5 million views. Elliot's tweet has picked up over 54,000 retweets and over 216,000 likes. Meanwhile, in the replies, fans are calling for more Halsey.

"Get Mary on "[The Ellen Show]!!!" one person wrote.

Halsey herself seemed to show interest in this idea on her Facebook Page. She celebrated her viral status with a few posts, counting as the views on her original post climbed over 10 million.

She also gave a few more glimpses of the shofar, and explained its significance to her faith. Halsey's feed is full of positive messages and thanks to her viewers, as well as a few more versions of her now-famous karaoke performance.

"My lil back up dancer Lynn was enjoying fermented fruit y'all!" she explained. "Keep her in your prayers."

Halsey has made appearances on local news, podcasts and public events. Her video made it all the way to the Today Show. Along the way, she has continued sharing different meme variations and thanking viewers every time she reaches a viral milestone.

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