Is Missy Elliott about to make a long-awaited comeback? According to Timbaland, it might just be happening – or as he puts it, "we got the hollow tip bullet in the gun".

"She got the first single, it's just a matter of when she wants to do it," the producer told Rolling Stone. "It’s something you ain’t never heard Missy do. It sounds today, but the future."

The record would be Missy's first release since 2005's The Cookbook. In an interview with People in 2011, the rapper shed some light on her mysterious absence from the limelight – in 2008 she was diagnosed with Graves' disease, an autoimmune illness that affects the thyroid and causes mood swings, hair loss and bulging eyes. "You live with it the rest of your life," she said at the time.

In an interview with Yahoo's Yo Show earlier this month, Missy also explained her thirst for quality. "When I create something, it's got to be special," she said. "And it can't just be to throw something out there because I feel like I'm Missy."

After several years out of the spotlight, she released Timbaland-produced singles "9th Inning" and "Triple Threat" in 2012. Last year, she featured on Little Mix's "How Ya' Doin?" and Fantasia's "I Deserve It" – all appearances that hint at a genuine comeback.

Here's hoping that Missy can put illness behind her and reclaim her place as one of hip-hop's most forward-thinking artists.