Missy Elliott Makes History For Women In Rap

Bella Breakdown

We all know that there is a shortage of women in the hip hop genre of music. And even when there is a strong female presence, recognition and honors tend to go to males anyway. Well, Missy Elliott is breaking that streak, becoming the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Elliott has six studio albums, four Grammys, and 30 million record sales. Needless to say, this honor has been a long time coming. She is also applauded for her work as a producer and collaborator, working with some of our favorite powerhouse females like Beyonce, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige and Ciara.

Just two years ago, Jay-Z was the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, setting a precedent for future nominees. Both Jay-Z and Missy Elliott thanked the other rappers in their industry for their inspiration and work, and we can only hope that more female rappers will be nominated in coming years!

“I want to CONGRATULATE all the AMAZING songwriters who have been inducted into the 2019 Song Writers [sic] Hall of Fame. also those who were nominated because their body of work is AMAZING. I AM SO HUMBLY GRATEFUL to now be inducted also,” Elliott wrote on Twitter. “I [heart emoji] you all.”