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Work It! Missy Elliott Was Inducted Into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame

She is one of the three hip-hop artists to earn this distinction.

Missy Elliott joins Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri as one of the few hip-hop artists to ever be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Associated Press reports. She marks the first female rapper to receive this accolade.  

  • The ceremony took place in New York on Thursday night (June 13) where Missy was celebrated and uplifted by other emcees like Da Brat and Lizzo. OG rap empress Queen Latifah also had the special honor of personally inducting her supa dupa fly sistah into the hall of fame. She received a shout out from our forever First Lady Michelle Obama. In the touching video, she graciously thanked Missy for empowering women all over the world.

    "Missy, I want to thank you for all of your trailblazing ways,” Michelle said in a pre-recorded video that was played during the event. “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.”

  • Despite it being her moment in the spotlight, Missy made sure the occasion wasn’t just about celebrating her. While at the podium, she showed love on the whole hip-hop community.

    “This is big for hip-hop, too,” the 47-year-old spoke from a podium.

    Always an advocate for aspiring artists, she offered some words of advice for writers who are still on their grind.

    “I want to say one thing to the writers, to the upcoming writers, ‘Do not give up.’ We all go through writer’s block,” she shared. “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.”

    After the ceremony, the singer-songwriter thanked her fans for their love and support.

    "Thank you for riding with me. [To] the old fans and the new ones to come, we are family," Missy wrote.

  • For Misdemeanor fans, it’s been a long time coming for the icon, who has long been heralded as one of music’s greatest architects. Few come close to hip-hop's leading lady ill pengame that has crafted a lot of hip-hop's greatest and enduring hits.

    Check out their reactions to the special honor below:

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  • BET sends its congratulations to Missy Elliott!

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