Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah made history as the first rappers to be awarded the prestigious National Medals of Arts and Humanities by President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday (Oct. 21).

Elliott shared her excitement on X (formerly Twitter), posting, "I am HUMBLY GRATEFUL! Crying Tears of JOY! Thinking of the days I wasn’t so strong but through FAITH & PRAYER I kept going.” He continued, “I’m SO THANKFUL @POTUS &  CONGRATULATIONS to the other amazing ppl who was blessed with this honor.”

In a follow-up post, the “Work It” rapper gave a shoutout to her fellow rap legend. "And a BiG CONGRATS to my sis @IAMQUEENLATIFAH who deserve all the bouquets she also was honored today! Thank you for kicking down doors QUEEN for me & those after you.  #NationalMedalsofArts @FLOTUS. The entire committee,” Elliot added. 

The National Medals of Arts and Humanities, the highest recognition for artists in the U.S., were awarded in a combined ceremony for 2022 and 2023 after delays caused by COVID-19. Among the 39 honorees that day were also notable figures such as Spike Lee, Levar Burton, the late Selena Quintanilla, and Eva Longoria.

“Above all, you are the masters of your craft that have made us a better America with all of you have done,” Biden said at the ceremony, according to the Associated Press.