Missy Elliott made history as the first woman ever nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s about damn time!
Source: Variety / Getty
The prolific rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer took to social media to celebrate the announcement on Wednesday. The Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective also honored Missy this week with the Global Impact Award.
Missy Elliott Continues Break Boundaries With Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nomination
“I have cried my eyes out. I am so HUMBLY GRATEFUL for this nomination with also 14 other Amazing artist so grateful. To All of you & my fans who been through this journey with me, I thank you also for helping me get here! YOU ROCK!,” Missy wrote.
If anyone deserves flowers and then some, it’s Missy. And you can help her get them! On Twitter, she posted a link to vote to induct her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Her fellow nominees include The Spinners and a Tribe Called Quest.
“This is so important for us women in Hiphop because there’s never been a female rapper nominated & hopefully this nomination will open the door,” the 51-year-old added in a follow-up Tweet.
It’s hard to believe that other iconic female rappers like Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, or Lil Kim haven’t already received this honor, but Missy’s impact is incomparable. If inducted this year, she would still be one of the few representing hip-hop alongside Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur, NWA, Public Enemy, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Eminem, Beastie Boys, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
Missy Elliott Receives Global Impact Award With Dr. Dre And Lil Wayne At Pre-Grammy Event
The “Throw It Back” rapper continues to win as we get closer to music’s biggest night for the 2023 Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone reports Missy Elliott, Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne, and Epic Records CEO Sylvia Rhone were honored at the 2023 Global Impact Awards.
The Recording Academy and the Black Music Collective recognized them for “personal and professional achievements in the music industry.” The Black Music Collective started in 2020 to address historical inequality and lack of representation in the Recording Academy.
Ciara and Missy’s longtime manager Mona Scott-Young welcomed her to the stage after Lizzo and Timbaland showed love on video.
“This doesn’t get old to me. I’ve won a lot of awards and feel the same way. It hits different when you stand up here. We’ve been through a lot. I know Dre, Wayne, none of us rolled over into success,” she said through tears of gratitude.
The four-time Grammy award winner thanked Rhone for her acceptance and unwavering belief during her emotional speech.
“She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. She never told us ‘no.’ She never told me, “You need to lose weight.’ She never told me, “You need to change your records,” she continued.
Chloe Bailey performed Missy’s hit songs “One Minute Man” and “One In A Million,” which she produced for Aaliyah with Timbaland. Her close friends and collaborators, Tweet and Ciara, also took the stage to sing “Oops (Oh My)” and “1,2 Step.”
DJ Khaled presented the award to Wayne, who thanked his mother, his children, and their mothers. He reflected on a career that cut his childhood short when he signed a record deal with Cash Money at 12 years old.
“I don’t get honored where I’m from. Where I’m from, In New Orleans, you’re not supposed to do this. We don’t get honored. I don’t know all of y’all tonight. Thank you. I ain’t shit without you,” he said in his heartfelt speech.
Dr. Dre discussed the humble beginnings of trying to make enough money to buy shoes and started a career that changed the industry. Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Ty Dolla $ign performed “Deep Cover,” “Nothing But A G Thang,” and “Ain’t No Fun.”
“The birth of hip hop completely changed the course of my life. I heard mixing and scratching and couldn’t get enough of that sound. Once I got my hands on the turntables, I knew I found my wings, and I was determined to learn how to fly. It didn’t stop for me with scratching and mixing. I fell in love with the idea of manipulating sound, taking those different sounds and putting them together like a puzzle to make a song,” Dre said.
Congratulations to Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne, Dr. Dre, and Sylvia Rhone!