*Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliot is an American artist who has pushed the boundaries of hip-hop
throughout her entire career.
Not only is she iconic for her singing and rapping, she is also a songwriter and producer
who has strived for full creative control over her art.
The winner of four Grammys, she has sold over 30 million records in the US alone, whilst
also being the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.*
Born as Melissa Arnette Elliott on July 1st in 1971, Missy Elliott was an only child growing
up in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Her childhood was turbulent and troubled.
Although she was an exceptionally bright child, advancing two grades above her age, she was
concerned that no-one would take her seriously due to always being the class clown.
This period of her life, though, she found solace in her school friendships, even purposely
failing her tests so she could be returned to her original class with her classmates.
Her home life, however, was very different.
Her father, who was a marine, would often beat her mother to the point that Elliot begged
her mother to flee.
Not only was she experiencing domestic abuse from her father, but Elliott was also raped
by her older cousin when she was just 8 years old, an experience that mentally affected
her throughout her life.
She would use her religious beliefs to cope with her depression.
Her mother was also an inspiration for her strength.
After escaping the clutches of Elliott’s father, Elliott and her mother began a life
together, and realised how strong her mother truly was, something that would always influence
Elliott.
A year after graduating high school, she joined the female R&B group named Sista and worked
with her childhood friend and fellow producer, Timothy Mosley, also known as Timbaland.
Sista collaborated with Timbaland to create demo tapes of their music and were soon signed
to label Swing Mob Records.
Because of this, she moved to New York to begin her career in music, but the label failed
before they could even release their first album.
*On the back of the failed label release, Sista split up and Elliott made her way in
the music world, writing and producing.
She worked with acts like Aaliyah, Raven Symoné and Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs and produced alongside
Timberland, often contributing guest raps.
Her prolific songwriting efforts were brought to the attention of the CEO of Elektra Entertainment
Group, who offered Elliot the opportunity to create her own label, Goldmind.
This allowed Elliott to release her debut album through her own label as part of Elektra.*
Titled ‘Supa Dupa Fly’ she released the album in 1997 and would gain immediate success,
becoming rap artist of the year in Rolling Stones while the album itself went platinum.
She didn’t stop with her solo success, instead she continued co-writing and contributed to
Whitney Houston’s album ‘My Love Is Your Love’ and Spice Girl Mel B’s number 1
UK hit ‘I Want You Back.’
Elliott stood out in the industry, dominating her own artistic path, she spread the message
that women are equal to men, especially in the music industry.
Her visual presence became just as important as her sonic landscape.
The music videos she created with director Harold ‘Hype’ Williams were innovative
and revolutionary to the hip-hop scene at this time.
Elliott has been a prominent figure in the music industry, especially within hip-hop.
Her songs were shaped around themes that had not really been explored before.
Focusing on feminism, body positivity, sex positivity and gender equality, she would
have a major influence in R&B and hip-hop.
Refusing to be constrained to one genre, she paved the way for female rappers, which is
why she holds the title as the best-selling female rap artist in the US.
‘Da Real World’ was her next release in 1999, and experimented with darker sounds,
stating that this was her way of expressing herself as a ‘strong woman in power.’
Along with her third album ‘Miss E…
So Addictive’, it went platinum.
Her third album produced ‘Get Ur Freak On’ which was a huge commercial success, taking
the number 7 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was based on bhangra, which is a music and dance form from the Punjab in the state
of India, that Timbaland was inspired by on his travels.
It also earned Elliott her first Grammy in 2002 for Best R&B Song, breaking the mould
of hip-hop music.
Her following album ‘Under Construction’ broke record sales for female-led rap album,
featuring several artists such as Beyonce and Jay Z.
While she was working on her fifth album, ‘This Is Not a Test,’ she also remixed
Madonnas track ‘American Life,’ performing at MTV Video Music Awards with Britney Spears
and Christina Aguilera.
‘The Cookbook’ would be her sixth studio album and only established her career even
further.
It received 5 Grammy nominations, including Best Rap Album.
‘Lose Control’ was the lead single from the album, while being nominated for Best
Rap Song, it also won a Grammy for Best Short Form Video.
*A few years after this release, Elliott was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune
disease that affects the thyroid glands.
With multiple symptoms, such as muscle weakness, insomnia and severe spasms, she couldn’t
even write lyrics.
Elliott retreated from the spotlight, to learn how to cope with her illness.
As she began to recover, she continued her co-writing and producing with the likes of
Jennifer Hudson, while appearing on collaborations with artists such as Katy Perry, Little Mix,
Demi Lovato and Eve.
Her collaboration on ‘Without me’ with Kelly Rowland and Fantasia even earned a Grammy
nomination.*
In 2015, she played a major part in Katy Perry’s Super Bowl Half Time show, featuring Elliott’s
songs ‘Lose Control,’ ‘Get Ur Freak On’ and ‘Work It.’
It became the most viewed Super Bowl show in history, with 118.5 million people tuning
in, in the US.
Later that year she worked with Pharrell on her track ‘WTF’ which became certified
Gold in the US.
In addition to this, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music
in May 2019.
Alongside collaborating on Lizzo’s well-known track ‘Uptempo,’ she was also working
on her first new release in 14 years.
Elliot’s latest EP ‘Iconology’ was released in August 2019, and experimented in a handful
of genres, such as pop, hip-hop and R&B, reflecting on her past styles.
*Missy Elliott has been a pioneer for hip-hop and R&B music.
She has empowered creativity in the industry, refusing to be put in a box, and in doing
so has questioned what it is to be an artist in the industry with her innovative ideas.
Not only musically, but visually she has also pushed the boundaries, reinventing herself
while always staying true to who she is.
Her collaborations have been plentiful and because of this, she has honed her craft while
inspiring others along the way.
Influencing major artists and fans alike, she has revolutionised what it means to be
a black female in the music industry.*