Melissa Arnette “Missy” Elliott, also known as Misdemeanor, is a prominent American rapper, singer, and record producer. She started her musical journey with the R&B group Sista and later joined the Swing Mob collective with her childhood friend Timbaland, collaborating on projects for popular R&B artists like Aaliyah, 702, Total, and SWV. Missy Elliott’s debut solo album, ‘Supa Dupa Fly’, introduced her to the music scene in 1997, featuring the hit single ‘Sock It 2 Me’. Her second album, ‘Da Real World’, showcased her versatility with tracks like ‘She’s a Bitch’, ‘All n My Grill’, and the chart-topping ‘Hot Boyz’. With subsequent albums like ‘Miss E… So Addictive’, ‘Under Construction’, and ‘This Is Not a Test’, Elliott solidified her international presence with songs like ‘Get Ur Freak On’, ‘One Minute Man’, ‘4 My People’, ‘Gossip Folks’, and ‘Work It’, the latter earning her a Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance.
Recognized as the ‘Queen of Rap’, Missy Elliott’s remarkable career has earned her four Grammy Awards and global recognition. She holds the title of the best-selling female rapper in Nielsen Music history and was the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her impact on music videos led to receiving the MTV VMAs Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, and Billboard ranked her among the 100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time. In 2021, Elliott received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2023, she made history as the first female hip-hop artist nominated and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.