Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Missy Elliott on Songwriters Hall nod: ‘I feel so blessed’

Missy Elliott

Amy Harris/Invision / AP

In this July 7, 2018, file photo, Missy Elliott performs at the 2018 Essence Festival in New Orleans.

NEW YORK — For Missy Elliott, being a good friend and listener turned into songwriting gold.

Conversations with her girlfriends fueled a great deal of her songwriting, Elliott said, resulting in her turning those stories into smash hits, from Monica's "So Gone," a No. 1 R&B success to Fantasia's "Free Yourself."

Elliott could probably write a song about anything. Her wild, eccentric style and creative lyricism make her one of music's best storytellers and recently earned her a nomination for the prestigious 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame class. She could be the first female rapper to enter the organization and the third rapper overall after Jay-Z and Jermaine Durpi.

Says Elliott: "I feel so humbled and truly blessed to be even nominated."