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Missy Elliott is in a class of her own in the school of hip-hop. Elliott, who recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, is a proud one-woman-band, serving as the singer, songwriter, rapper and producer of most of her tracks. She’s also lent her production prowess and songwriting skills to a impressive roster of artists like Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, TLC, Ciara, Lil’ Kim, Jazmine Sullivan, Aaliyah, Ginuwine and the list goes on and on. When it’s time for the four-time Grammy winner to bring her tracks to life, she partners with music video directors like Dave Meyers and Hype Williams to create these innovative, ground-breaking music videos full of special effects that show there are no bounds to how far her imagination can go.
Take a look below and read five facts about the Virginia-bred femcee below.
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Missy Elliott Has An Honorary Doctorate
Thanks to her impressive two-decade career, she received an honorary degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In May 2019, she became the first female rapper to receive a honorary doctor of music degree from the institution. During her acceptance speech, she shared words of encouragement to the graduating class.
“I just want y’all to know there will be ups and downs,” she said. “Prepare for that, but don’t give up. I know y’all may hear that all the time, but if I had given up a long time ago I wouldn’t be standing here today. You have come too far to quit.”
