Missy Elliott Becomes 1st Female Hip-Hop Artist To Be Nominated To Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

TheRoot.com, By Shanelle Genai, Posted February 24th 2023

Other nominees include The Spinners and A Tribe Called Quest.

Missy Elliott’s impact on music and the culture at large is one that can never be overstated and now, thanks to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, both she and her legacy have made history as she’s the first ever female hip-hop artist to be nominated.

Per a press release provided to The Root, this honor falls right in line with Missy’s previous honors, as she was also the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the first to receive the VMAs Vanguard Award, and the first to be honored with Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Music Pioneer Award at the United Nations—all in 2019 alone. Of additional note, she’s also currently the best-selling female rapper in Nielsen Music history.

“This is an incredible honor. I’m so humbled and grateful to be counted amongst all the incredible honorees,” Missy said in a statement. “I’ve spent my career making the kind of music I love and it means so much to know that I have touched others as well. But to hear that I am the first female hip hop artist to EVER be nominated into the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame?!? Wow!! This one hits extra different as I hope it opens doors for other female emcees to be recognized!”

Hopping on social media to share the news, Missy additionally wrote on Twitter: “I’ve cried my eyes out. I’ve always dreamed big but to be nominated for this is bigger than I dreamed & I am so Humbly Grateful to @rockhall & to all my fans who helped me get here to please vote.”

That’s right, y’all! Even thought the nomination alone cements her place in history, if we want her to actually get inducted—we have to go vote. You can do that by visiting vote.rockhall.com. And while you’re at it, go ahead and cast your votes for The Spinners and A Tribe Called Quest to be officially inducted too. It is Black History Month after all, and like Issa Rae said, we’re rooting for everybody Black!