Missy Elliott is to be inducted into The Song Writers Hall Of Fame, and will make history in the process, as the first female rapper to be included. The news was announced on Saturday’s episode of CBS:This Morning. Missy Elliott (birth name Melissa Arnette Elliott) joined John Prine, Tom T. Hall, Dallas Austin, Jack Tempchin and British song writer Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) as the first inductees under Nile Rodgers’ presidency.
For nearly 50 years, the Songwriters Hall of Fame has recognized the achievements of the artists who put words and music together. We revealed the six artists of the 2019 class, including @MissyElliott, the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted. https://t.co/TUgScFnmVDpic.twitter.com/rJALbUNElx
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) January 12, 2019
Missy Elliot becomes only the third rapper to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, after Jay Z in 2017 and Jermaine Dupri in 2018 and the decision has achieved widespread praise from fellow recording artists and fans. With Elliot herself saying how humbled she was.
YOU ARE THE BLUE PRINT . Without you we would not know how to flip it and reverse it . PeriodT . I love youuuuu @MissyElliott , congratulations !!!! https://t.co/CqqgCP0jds — Janelle Monáe, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) January 13, 2019
Described as “One of the most significant female artists in contemporary music history” Missy Elliott, born 1st July, 1971, has been at the top of the music industry for over twenty years. She has won 5 GRAMMY® Awards and released six studio albums which included the timeless hits “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) and “Work It” (2002). She has also wrote hit songs for a wide range of artists including Beyonce, Whitney Huston and Mary J Blige. In 2016 she appeared on Car Pool Karaoke with the serving First Lady Michelle Obama.
The other artists to be inducted into The Hall of Fame include ‘Wild World’ songwriter Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens). Born in London in 1948 he has been releasing music since the mid-1960s, with his most recent album ‘The Laughing Apple’ being nominated for a GRAMMY® in 2017. American country stars John Prine and Tom T. Hall, record producer and musician Dallas Austin and Californian songwriter Jack Tempchin complete this years list. They will be officially inducted on the 13th of June in New York.
Former Chic front man Nile Rodgers, president of the Song Writers Hall of Fame, released a statement explaining the nominations: “The 2019 slate of inductees represents diversity and unity across genres and gender, highlighting our dedicated mission to honor music creators who have enriched our lives. These are writers who in their time literally transformed music and helped make what’s happening today possible”
Two decades passed since Elliot’s first release, ‘Hot Boyz’. Song Writers Hall of Fame criteria dictate artists are eligible for induction if they have a “catalog of notable hit songs” spanning over 20 years. Elliot’s nomination has therefore come in her first year possible, with Rodgers admitting on air that Elliott “one of my favorite writers of all time”
Elliot’s career has inspired countless new artists, but she’s sure to be ‘the hottest ’round’ for the foreseeable future.
