Melissa Arnette Elliot, aka Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, was born on July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia where she later graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1990. She embarked on her music career with all-female R&B group Sista in the early 1990’s, and was a member of the Swing Mob collective along with childhood friend Timbaland. Following several collaborations and guest appearances with the likes of SWV, 702 and Aaliyah, she released her debut album Supa Dupa Fly in 1997, which spawned the hit singles “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” and "Sock It 2 Me."
Elliott's next album, Da Real World, was released in 1999 and the release of 3 more albums solidified Missy as an international star as she went on to win five Grammy Awards and sell over 30 million records in the United States, garnering her the title of best-selling female rapper for years to come. Her success was also a result of the visually stunning music videos she put out with each single.
Missy Elliott not only found success as an artist, but also found greatness writing or producing huge hits like Keyshia Cole's "Let It Go," Jazmine Sullivan's "Need U Bad," and Monica's "Everything to Me,” among others.
Most recently, in 2019 Missy became the first female rapper inducted to the songwriters hall of fame and received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. And in April of this year, Elliott stated on Instagram, "I just finished a long project I been working on since last year & this my mood 'Keep On Moving' I'm about to show y'all I'm on some next ish." We can’t wait to see what’s next!