For literal decades, Melissa Arnette Elliott, better known as Missy Elliott, has been one of rap music’s foremost pioneers, determinedly breaking new ground for the genre and the women within it with more grace and style than the next seven rappers combined.
So it makes sense that she’d be the first female rapper to ever be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Missy joins the 2023 class of inductees in the Performer category, a class that also includes George Michael, Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, Sheryl Crow, the Spinners, and Willie Nelson. The induction ceremony is scheduled for November 3 at Barclays Center in New York, with the television broadcast date still to be announced.
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame CEO and President Joel Peresman said, “We’re very happy with this year’s class. People always try to pigeonhole what rock and roll is, but our story has always been that it’s a wide tent. It includes all different kinds of genres. We think this class really shows the breadth of rock and roll. When you have Missy Elliott, Sheryl Crow, and the Spinners along with Rage Against The Machine and Willie Nelson, you’re covering a lot of things.”
Missy’s induction comes during a triumphant run for the rap rulebreaker, who was also recently honored by the Recording Academy, received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, and became a hotly-demanded collaborator for much of the music industry. This year alone, she appeared on songs with Chloe Bailey, FLO, and even Skrillex. Her induction into the Hall Of Fame opens the door for more of her peers, but just as importantly, it acknowledges her influence in hip-hop and pop culture — even as she continues to shape the course of the future.