Months after she was nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, American rapper, songwriter and record producer, Melissa Arnette Elliott better known as Missy Elliott has finally made history as the first female rapper inductee.
Becoming the first female rapper to achieve the feat, Missy Elliot, 51, took to microblogging app, Twitter to express her excitement and gratitude at the honour, which marks the latest milestone in her storied career.
She tweeted;
‘I want to say this is HUGE not for just me but all my Sisters in HIPHOP this door is now OPEN to showcase the hard work & what many of us contribute to MUSIC,’ she said. ‘I have cried all morning because I am GRATEFUL thank you @rockhall & all on the committee & Supafriends.’
She added that she couldn’t ‘stop crying,’ noting,
‘I am from Portsmouth Virginia aka P-Town.. #757 to 804 I send my love … You day dream of these moments but today it’s Real … VA 2 up 2 down the 7 Cities all my folk I am GRATEFUL.’
It’s times I have gotten on line & seen your irrelevant your a flop your washed up & it would crush me at times🥺BUT God you made me STRONG I kept going & you allowed my decades of WORK to SPEAK 4 itself🙏🏾 I am HUMBLED thank you all my Supporters💜 I LOVE YOU💜 pic.twitter.com/gkHUttWoU5
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) May 3, 2023
Missy Elliot further noted that she was flattered to receive the vaulted honour in the music industry.
‘It’s times I have gotten on line & seen your irrelevant your a flop your washed up & it would crush me at times,’ she tweeted. ‘BUT God you made me STRONG I kept going & you allowed my decades of WORK to SPEAK 4 itself.’
The music veteran, who also has been a producer, and writer for artists such as the late Aaliyah and Diddy, was lauded by peers such as Ciara and Janet Jackson upon announcement of the honours.
Janet Jackson said
‘I’m SO proud of you sis!!!!’
Ciara said, ‘
Congratulations to my sis @MissyElliott on being inducted into the @rockhall!! You deserve it all! Will never stop thanking you for the inspiration you give us all! I love you so much!’
Other artists named inductees included Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, Rage Against the Machine and the Spinners, while Chaka Khan is slated to receive the Musical Excellence Award.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame chairman John Sykes told Variety of Elliott’s induction:
‘Missy Elliott got in first ballot, just like Eminem got in first ballot last year and Jay-Z the year before.
‘So if there’s a throughline we’re seeing, it shows the power of hip-hop music culture now, as if we didn’t know it already, as far as how quickly these artists are being recognized on the first ballot.’
Read Also: Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj ranked the greatest male and female rappers of all time