Missy Elliott, sometimes known as Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Melissa Arnette Elliott was born on July 1, 1971. She began her musical career in the early to mid-1990s with the R&B girl combo Sista, and then joined Timbaland’s Swing Mob collective with him. Together, they worked on songs for American R&B artists Aaliyah, 702, Total, and SWV. She began her solo career in 1997 with the release of her debut album Supa Dupa Fly, which produced the top 20 songs “Sock It 2 Me” after a number of collaborations and guest spots. The album had the highest charting debut for a female rapper at the time when it opened at number three on the Billboard 200.
Elliott has been dubbed the “Queen of Rap” by the media. She has won four Grammy Awards, among other honors. According to Billboard, she is the best-selling female rapper in Nielsen Music history with 40 million records sold globally. She got the MTV VMAs Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her influence on the world of music videos and became the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She was named fifth on Billboard’s list of the 100 greatest music video artists of all time in 2020. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021 as a mark of respect. She was the first female hip-hop performer to be considered for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.