Missy Elliott worked it and is now the first official female Hip Hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The platinum-selling artist received the honor on Thursday (June 13) at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.
Queen Latifah was tasked with inducting Missy and spoke about their decades-long friendship, while former first lady Michelle Obama sent in a taped video that aired during the ceremony.
“Missy, I want to thank you for all of your trailblazing ways,” Obama said. “Thank you not for just sharing your gift with the world, but for being an advocate for so many people out there, especially young girls who are still figuring out how to make their voices heard.”
As Missy was giving her acceptance speech, she broke down in tears.
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“Every time I come up to a podium … even with all the work that I’ve done, I don’t know, and I’m assuming it’s just God, I don’t know why I am here,” she said. “I want to say one thing to the writers, to the upcoming writers, ‘Do not give up.’ We all go through writer’s block.
“Sometimes you just have to walk away from a record and come back to it. But don’t give up because I’m standing here. And this is big for Hip Hop, too.”
Misdemeanor addressed her special evening on Instagram later that night.
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“Make sure yall SWIPE LEFT because last night my heart was full,” she captioned the post. “@Queenlatifah one of my besties your a Queen i love you & @lizzobeeating @sosobrat my sisters i Love yall & yall MERKED IT!!! Well @MichelleObama you are Everything I LOVE YOU! You are AMAZING & FIERCE most def give at da cookout electric sliding tease
“I am humbly grateful for your kind words and to the committee of Songwriters Hall of Fame i Thank you all for voting for me i am SPEECHLESS 20 some years of writing for myself and others is worth it. Thankful to smell my flowers while i’m here and the other WONDERFUL songwriters who were inducted Congratulations.”
Check out her posts below.
[This article has been updated. The original article was published on January 12, 2019 and can be found below.]
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Missy Elliott will officially become the first female Hip Hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
CBS This Morning revealed the 2019 class of inductees on Saturday (January 12). Naturally, the “Supa Dupa Fly” mastermind celebrated the news on social media.
“I want to CONGRATULATE all the AMAZING songwriters who have been inducted into the 2019 “Song Writers Hall of Fame,” she wrote on Twitter.” also those who were nominated because their body of work is AMAZING. I AM SO HUMBLY GRATEFUL to now be inducted also. I love you all #SHOF2019.”
Other 2019 inductees include British singer Cat Stevens, country-folk icon John Prine, Tom T. Hall, Jack Tempchin and Dallas Austin who wrote radio hits for TLC, Monica, P!nk, Boyz II Men and Madonna.
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Misdemeanor is only the third rapper to be inducted. JAY-Z was inducted in 2017 while Jermaine Dupri made his entrance last year. In addition to her own songs, Missy has also lent her songwriting talent to Beyoncé, Whitney Houston and the late Aaliyah.
The 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
