Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on MadameNoire on July 1, 2015
Like most Black girls around the world, Missy Elliott is an inspiration to us. Supa Dupa Fly was the first time I saw and felt myself represented in Hip-Hop. And in addition to her musical genius, Missy, also taught us the invaluable lesson that you can make it all the way to the top and be beloved the world over just by being exactly who you are. In honor of the legacy of the rapper, entertainer, singer, producer, and all around renaissance woman, here are 10 ways she forever changed the game.
Source: Ebet Roberts / Getty
He-He-Haw
If you’ve seen Missy Elliott’s “Behind The Music,” you know that she got one of several big breaks when she finally got the chance to work with Puff Daddy. He asked her to be a part of the 1996 remix of Gina Thompson’s song “The Things That You Do.” The song was the one and only time Thompson appeared on the Billboard charts, but Missy’s “He-He-Haw” line seemed to singlehandedly launch her into mainstream consciousness, where she would remain, until today.
