Missy Elliott facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Missy Elliott
Elliott in 2015
Background information
Birth name	Melissa Arnette Elliott
Also known as	Misdemeanor
Born	(1971-07-01) July 1, 1971 (age 54) Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop R&B progressive rap neo soul
Occupations	Rapper singer songwriter record producer
Years active	1988–present
Labels	The Goldmind Inc. East West Elektra Atlantic

Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and music producer. She started her music journey in the 1990s with an R&B girl group called Sista. This group was part of a bigger music family called Swing Mob, led by DeVante Swing. Sista's first album, 4 All the Sistas Around da World (1994), did not sell well but critics liked it. Missy then worked with the album's producer, Timbaland, to write and produce songs for other artists. They created hit songs for groups like 702, Aaliyah, SWV, and Total.

By 1996, Missy Elliott began to perform on her own and with other artists. In July 1997, she released her first solo album, Supa Dupa Fly. This album was a huge success, reaching number three on the Billboard 200 chart. It also featured the popular song "Sock It 2 Me". Her second album, Da Real World (1999), included the songs "All n My Grill" and "Hot Boyz". "Hot Boyz" stayed at the top of the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart for a record 19 weeks.

Missy Elliott's third and fourth albums brought her Grammy Awards for Best Female Rap Solo Performance. These awards were for her songs "Scream a.k.a. Itchin" and "Work It". Her fifth album, This Is Not a Test! (2003), and sixth album, The Cookbook (2005), also did very well. The Cookbook featured the top three hit song "Lose Control". After a long break, she released her first extended play (EP), Iconology, in 2019. This was her first new music in 14 years.

Missy Elliott has won many awards, including four Grammy Awards. She has sold 40 million records around the world, making her the best-selling female rapper in Nielsen Music history. She was the first female rapper to join the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She also received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her amazing music videos. In 2021, she got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2023, she became the first female rapper to be nominated for and join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2024, she received the National Medal of Arts.

Missy Elliott's Early Life

Melissa Arnette Elliott was born on July 1, 1971, in Portsmouth, Virginia. She is the only child of Patricia Elliott, a power company worker, and Ronnie, a former U.S. Marine. Missy grew up in a family that sang in the church choir, so singing was a big part of her childhood.

From a young age, she wanted to be a performer. She would sing and perform for her family. Missy was known as the "class clown" and worried people wouldn't take her seriously. When her father was in the Marines, her family lived in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Missy enjoyed school for the friends she made, even though she wasn't very interested in schoolwork. She later scored very high on intelligence tests and was moved ahead two years in school. This made her feel lonely, so she purposely failed to return to her old class. When her father came back from the Marines, they moved back to Virginia and lived in poverty.

Missy and her mother lived in the Hodges Ferry area of Portsmouth, Virginia. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School (now Manor High School) in Portsmouth in 1990.

Missy Elliott's Music Career

Starting Out: Sista and Early Work (1988–1995)

Elliott's childhood friend Timbaland (pictured in 2012, far right) helped create her unique sound. They have worked together for many years.

In 1988, Missy Elliott started an all-female R&B group called Fayze with her friends La'Shawn Shellman, Chonita Coleman, and Radiah Scott. They later changed the group's name to Sista. Missy was introduced to her friend Timothy Mosley (Timbaland) by Melvin Barcliff (Magoo). Magoo wanted Timbaland to produce the group's music. They started making demo songs, including "First Move" in 1991.

Later in 1991, the group caught the attention of Jodeci member and producer DeVante Swing. They sang Jodeci songs without music for him after a concert. Soon after, Fayze moved to New York City and signed with Elektra Records through DeVante's Swing Mob label. The group was renamed Sista. Sista's first song, "Brand New," came out in 1993. Missy brought Mosley and Barcliff with her, and DeVante renamed them Timbaland & Magoo.

All 20-plus members of Swing Mob, including future stars like Ginuwine and Tweet, lived in one house in New York. They often worked on music for Jodeci and their own projects. Missy wrote and rapped on Raven-Symoné's first single, "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of" (1993). This was her first big music success. She also helped with Jodeci's albums Diary of a Mad Band (1993) and The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995).

Timbaland and DeVante produced a Sista album called 4 All the Sistas Around da World (1994). Even though music videos were made for the song "Brand New," the album was never officially released. One of Sista's songs, "It's Alright," was included on the soundtrack for the 1995 movie Dangerous Minds. By the end of 1995, Swing Mob had closed down. Missy, Timbaland, Magoo, Ginuwine, and Playa stayed together. They worked on each other's music for the rest of the 1990s as a group called The Superfriends.

Supa Dupa Fly and Rising Fame (1996–1998)

Missy Elliott started working with other artists in the late 1990s, including Aaliyah (pictured in 2000).

After leaving Swing Mob, Missy and Timbaland became a songwriting and production team. They created songs for artists like SWV, 702, and especially Aaliyah. They wrote and produced nine songs for Aaliyah's second album, One in a Million (1996). These included hit singles like "If Your Girl Only Knew" and "One in a Million". Missy often sang background vocals or rapped on these songs. One in a Million sold millions of copies and made Missy and Timbaland famous producers.

Missy and Timbaland continued to make hits for other artists. These included Total's "What About Us?" (1997) and Nicole Wray's "Make It Hot" (1998). Missy also wrote most of Total's second album and Nicole Wray's first album. Missy also started her career as a guest rapper on remixes for artists like Gina Thompson and MC Lyte.

In 1996, Missy signed a deal to create her own record label, The Goldmind Inc., with East West Records. This allowed her to record as a solo artist. Timbaland continued to be her main producer. Missy kept working with other artists, appearing on songs like LSG's "All the Time" in 1997. In the middle of all this work, Missy's first album, Supa Dupa Fly, came out in mid-1997. The success of its first song, "The Rain", helped the album sell over a million copies.

In the music video for "The Rain," Missy wore a famous oversized trash-bag outfit. The success of her music videos, directed by Harold "Hype" Williams, also helped her career. Supa Dupa Fly was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998. Missy also performed at the MTV Video Music Awards with other rappers like Lil' Kim and Da Brat. She continued to produce and write for artists like Whitney Houston and Spice Girl Melanie Brown.

Da Real World and Miss E... St. Patrick's Day (1999–2001)

Missy Elliott's second album, Da Real World (1999), was a bit darker than her first. However, it was still very successful, selling 1.5 million copies in the U.S. and 3 million worldwide. Missy said it was harder to make because people expected more after her first album's success. This album included the song "All n My Grill" with Nicole Wray and Big Boi. In 1999, Missy also appeared on the remix of Mariah Carey's song "Heartbreaker".

Missy released her third album on May 15, 2001. It debuted at number two in the U.S. and sold 250,000 copies in its first week. It featured popular songs like "One Minute Man" and "Get Ur Freak On". It also had the international dance hit "4 My People" and the song "Take Away". The music video for "Take Away/4 My People" came out shortly after the sad death of Missy's friend Aaliyah and the 9/11 attacks. The "Take Away" part of the video was a tribute to Aaliyah. The "4 My People" part showed people dancing happily in front of American flags.

Tweet's appearance on "Take Away" and on Missy's episode of MTV Cribs helped make Tweet famous. Tweet's first song, "Oops (Oh My)," was co-written by Missy and released in February 2002. It became a top ten hit. Missy also helped produce the famous "Lady Marmalade" cover for the Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film album. This song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2001.

Under Construction and This Is Not a Test! (2002–2004)

For her fourth album, Under Construction (2002), Missy and Timbaland used an old-school sound. They used samples from classic rap and funk songs. This album is known as the best-selling female rap album, with 2.1 million copies sold in the United States. In 2002, Missy won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "Get Ur Freak On". In 2003, Under Construction was nominated for Best Rap Album and Album of the Year at the Grammys. The New York Times called it "this year's best hip-hop album".

Under Construction had two hit songs. The first, "Work It", reached number two on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. It also won "Video of the Year" at the MTV Video Music Awards. The second song, "Gossip Folks" featuring Ludacris, became a Top 10 hit. It was one of the most played music videos in 2003.

Between albums, Missy produced a remix for Madonna's "American Life" and was a guest rapper on Timbaland & Magoo's song "Cop That S...". She also produced "Fighting Temptation" for the movie soundtrack of the same name. Missy was also featured on songs by Wyclef Jean and Ghostface Killah. She also had a role in the film Honey. Gap asked Missy to be in a commercial with Madonna, which got a lot of attention. Missy also performed with Madonna, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. In September 2003, Missy performed the theme song for the TV show Eve, starring her friend Eve.

A year after her successful album, Missy felt pressure from her record label to release another album quickly. Her fifth album, This Is Not a Test! (released November 2003), included the songs "Pass That Dutch" and "I'm Really Hot". These songs did well on urban music charts but were not as popular on pop radio. This Is Not A Test sold 690,000 copies in the U.S. Missy later said that the album "came out extremely too quickly for me." In 2004, Missy was featured on Ciara's hit song "1, 2 Step". Missy also had her own reality show on the UPN Network in 2005, called The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott. By the early 2000s, Missy Elliott had sold more albums than any other female rapper in the U.S.

The Cookbook and More Success (2005–2006)

Missy Elliott onstage in 2006

Missy Elliott wanted to "give people the unexpected" with her sixth album, The Cookbook. She worked with different producers besides Timbaland to create a sound that was not as "far out" as her previous music. The album was released on July 4, 2005. It debuted at number two on the U.S. charts and later sold over 1,000,000 copies.

Missy's work during The Cookbook era was highly praised. She received 5 Grammy nominations in 2005, including one for Best Rap Album. The album's first song, "Lose Control," won a Grammy for Best Short Form Video. "Lose Control" also earned Missy six MTV VMA award nominations, winning Best Dance Video and Best Hip-Hop Video. Missy won Best Female Hip Hop Artist at the 2005 American Music Awards.

"Lose Control" featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop, became a Top 5 hit. The second song, "Teary Eyed," did not chart as well. The third song, "We Run This", was played a lot on VH1, MTV, and BET. It was also used as the main song for the movie Stick It. This song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006. Respect M.E., Missy's first greatest hits album, was released outside the U.S. and Canada in 2006. It became her second top ten album in the UK.

Focusing on Production (2007–2014)

Missy Elliott was honored at the 2007 VH1 Hip Hop Honors. Many artists performed her hit songs to celebrate her career. Since 2007, Missy's seventh album has been delayed many times. In 2007, she worked with Timbaland and other producers. In January 2008, "Ching-a-Ling" was released for the Step Up 2: The Streets movie soundtrack. Missy also released the song "Best, Best" that year.

In 2012, Missy released two songs produced by Timbaland, "9th Inning" and "Triple Threat". These songs charted on Billboard Hot Digital Songs. In an interview, Missy explained her break from making records: "Your brain needs time to refresh! Things happen in your life where you can then write something else instead of the same three topics. I gotta feel like what I'm giving the fans is 100 percent."

While working on her seventh album, Missy Elliott found success behind the scenes. Her writing and production helped songs like Keyshia Cole's "Let It Go" (2007) and Monica's "Everything to Me" (2010) reach number one on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Many songs she wrote or produced for artists like Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson received Grammy nominations.

In mid-2010, Missy went on a tour in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. She also performed at VH1's "Hip Hop Honors" to celebrate Timbaland. In 2008, she appeared in "Whatcha Think About That" by The Pussycat Dolls. In 2011 and 2012, Missy was a guest on songs by Demi Lovato, J. Cole, and Busta Rhymes. She also appeared on a remix of Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" which helped it reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. She also produced songs for Monica.

Throughout 2013, Missy Elliott was featured on songs by Eve, Little Mix, and G-Dragon. She also helped her new artist Sharaya J with her songs. In December 2013, Missy received a Grammy nomination with Fantasia and Kelly Rowland for their song "Without Me". Missy and Timbaland also recorded songs for Kat Dahlia's album My Garden (2015). In August 2013, R&B singer Faith Evans said Missy would be on her album. In March 2014, Evans said one song was called "I Deserve It" and featured Missy and Sharaya J. Evans said Missy contributed three songs to her album. In July 2014, R&B singer Monica confirmed Missy would be on her eighth album.

Super Bowl and New Songs (2015–2018)

In 2015, Missy Elliott performed at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show with Katy Perry. Missy performed a mix of her songs "Get Ur Freak On", "Work It", and "Lose Control". Her performance was very popular. It greatly increased digital sales of her music. It also became the most watched Super Bowl halftime show ever, with 118.5 million viewers in the U.S.

On February 3, 2015, it was confirmed that Missy would be on the remix of Diplo and Skrillex's "Take Ü There". On February 11, Missy said she was still working on her seventh album, Block Party, with Timbaland. On April 2, 2015, Pharrell Williams confirmed he was working on Missy's album. On November 12, 2015, "WTF (Where They From)" and its music video were released. The song and video were streamed millions of times.

On February 7, 2016, the day of the fiftieth Super Bowl, Missy released a new song called "Pep Rally". Later that month, Missy worked with Tweet and Timbaland again on the song "Somebody Else Will". On March 15, 2016, First Lady Michelle Obama announced a song called "This Is for My Girls" featuring Missy Elliott, Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monáe, and Zendaya. This song was used to promote Ms. Obama's program to help girls get an education.

After appearing with TLC on a TV special in 2016, Missy announced plans for a documentary. This film would show her impact on music production and videos. On January 27, 2017, Missy released a new song called "I'm Better".

In July 2018, Missy Elliott hinted at a new song with Skrillex. One month later, Missy appeared on the Ariana Grande song "Borderline" from her album Sweetener (2018). In October 2018, Missy announced she was working on a new album for 2019. On March 20, 2019, Lizzo released a song with Missy Elliott called "Tempo".

New Music and Recent Work (2019–Present)

On June 13, 2019, Missy Elliott was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She was the first female rapper to receive this honor. Missy also received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. She also became the first female rapper to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. In 2019, Missy received the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Music Pioneer Award at the United Nations for her achievements in music.

Missy Elliott released her first extended play (EP) on August 23, 2019, called Iconology. This EP has five songs and shows off her different music styles. It received good reviews from critics. When the EP came out, she also released the main song, "Throw It Back", with a music video featuring Teyana Taylor. Iconology mixes pop, hip hop, and R&B, similar to Missy's older music. The songs "Throw It Back" and "Cool Off" have a "futuristic" sound. "Throw It Back" also mentions Missy's past and other artists she worked with. "DripDemeanor" is a slower song that shows Missy's "sensuous side". "Why I Still Love You" is a doo-wop song with gospel and jazz influences. The EP ends with an a cappella version of "Why I Still Love You".

Missy wanted to write uplifting music to encourage more dance music that makes people feel good. "DripDemeanor" was released as the second song from the EP on October 22. "Why I Still Love You" was the third song, released on January 17, 2020. "Cool Off" was the fourth and final song from the EP, released on April 21, 2020. On June 26, 2020, Missy appeared on the remix of Toni Braxton's song "Do It". On August 13, 2020, Missy appeared on the remix of "Levitating" by Dua Lipa, which also featured Madonna. Missy appeared in the music video for this remix.

On January 11, 2021, Missy appeared on the song "ATM" by Bree Runway. She directed the music video for "Twerkulator" by the City Girls in July 2021.

Missy Elliot on stage in Chicago during "Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour"

On February 17, 2023, Missy Elliott appeared on the song "RATATA" produced by Skrillex. This confirmed rumors from 2018 about their collaboration. On March 23, 2023, the British group Flo released the song "Fly Girl," featuring Missy Elliott. The song uses parts of Missy's "Work It" and includes a new rap section.

On April 8, 2024, Missy Elliott announced her first ever headlining tour, called “Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour.” The tour started on July 4 in Vancouver, Canada. Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, and Ciara performed as opening acts.

Other Projects

Movies and TV

In 2005, there were plans to make a movie about Missy Elliott's life. It was to be produced by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal. Missy said in 2007 that she was still working on the script to make sure it was "raw and uncut" like her life.

Missy has also appeared in several films and TV shows, often playing herself. She was in the movie Honey (2003) and voiced a character named Missy in Shark Tale (2004). She also had her own reality TV series, The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott, in 2005.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

In 2002, Missy Elliott wrote a letter to the mayor of her hometown, Portsmouth, Virginia. She asked that all shelter animals be neutered or spayed before being adopted. For her reality TV show The Road to Stardom, there was a contest for viewers to create a public service ad for the Break the Cycle fund.

In 2004, she worked with MAC Cosmetics to promote their "Viva Glam" campaign. Missy promoted the MAC Viva Glam V lipstick, where 100% of the sales go to the MAC AIDS Fund.

In 2007, Missy appeared on ABC's Extreme Makeover. She gave four scholarships for a weight loss program to four teenagers who needed help.

In August 2017, a man named Nathan Coflin started a petition to build a statue to honor Missy Elliott in her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia. The petition gained over 30,000 signatures. The proposed site for the statue was where a Confederate Monument used to stand. This news was covered by many national newspapers and magazines.

In October 2022, a part of McLean Street in Portsmouth, Virginia, was renamed "Missy Elliott Boulevard".

Missy Elliott's Impact and Legacy

Missy Elliott is often called the "Queen of Rap", the "Queen of Hip Hop", and the "First Lady of Hip Hop". Her creative music videos changed how hip-hop videos were made. Her songs often talked about feminism, gender equality, and body positivity from the start of her career. She was one of the first in hip-hop and R&B to focus on these topics.

The Guardian and The Observer called her America's first Black female music leader. In 2001, she gained full control over her image and music. The Observer said that her albums "changed the sound of R&B and hip-hop" and brought back "fun and fantasy" to urban Black music. Artists like Destiny's Child and Eve have said she helped them succeed as Black female R&B/hip-hop performers.

The New Yorker said Missy became the first Black female rapper to become popular in Middle America. Vibe magazine said her first album, Supa Dupa Fly, "changed the rap game for women". It noted how she refused to be put into a box with her image. The New York Times called her the "Queen of the Beats".

Jem Aswad from Variety said Missy and Timbaland "reshaped the sound of hip-hop". They made songs using unique sounds that became a base for much of the music that followed. Doreen St. Félix of The New Yorker wrote that her first album "expanded the definition of rap" and "defined a new hip-hop aesthetic". She noted that Missy and Timbaland created a new R&B sound. For Los Angeles Times writer Gerrick D. Kennedy, Missy "started a new era of creatively ambitious music videos." The music video for "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" inspired many others.

Missy Elliott led female hip hop album sales in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As of 2015, she remained the best-selling female rap album artist in the U.S. ABC website editor Gab Burke said Missy "fought against the male-dominated mainstream rap scene throughout her career, always pushed boundaries, and made a place for women in hip hop."

Missy Elliott has influenced many musicians, both in how they look and how they sing. Artists like Cardi B, Lil Wayne, Lizzo, Tyler, the Creator, Ciara, and Doja Cat have said she inspired them.

Missy Elliott's Achievements

Missy Elliott has won four Grammy Awards, eight MTV Video Music Awards, two American Music Awards, six BET Awards, and a Billboard Women in Music award for Innovator. On June 13, 2019, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She was the first female rapper to receive this honor. Also in 2019, Missy received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. She also became the first female rapper to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award from MTV.

In 2018, Missy Elliott received Essence magazine's Black Women In Music honor. In 2019, she was given the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Music Pioneer Award at the United Nations. In 2020, Urban One gave her the Music Innovation Award.

In May 2021, Missy Elliott was one of the first people to be inducted into the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame. In November 2021, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In December 2022, Missy Elliott received a second honorary doctorate from Norfolk State University. The university also helped rename a street in Portsmouth after her. She was also given a key to the city of Portsmouth.

In 2023, she became the first female hip-hop artist to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. In November 2023, Missy Elliott became the first female rapper to join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Missy Elliott's Personal Life

In June 2011, Missy Elliott shared with People magazine that she had been diagnosed with Graves' disease. This is a condition that affects the thyroid gland. She experienced severe symptoms, like leg spasms, which made it hard for her to even hold a pen to write songs. After getting treatment, her symptoms became stable.

Missy Elliott's Music Albums

• Supa Dupa Fly (1997)
• Da Real World (1999)
• Under Construction (2002)
• This Is Not a Test! (2003)
• The Cookbook (2005)

Missy Elliott's Film and TV Appearances

Film

Television

Missy Elliott's Tours

Images for kids

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  Elliott in 2015

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  Elliott's childhood friend Timbaland (pictured in 2012, far right) helped create her unique sound. They have worked together for many years.

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  Missy Elliott started working with other artists in the late 1990s, including Aaliyah (pictured in 2000).

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  Missy Elliott onstage in 2006

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  Missy Elliot on stage in Chicago during "Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour"

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  Missy Elliot's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

See Also

In Spanish: Missy Elliott para niños

• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• The Goldmind Inc.