Missy Elliot: First Female Rapper Inducted In Songwriters Hall Of Fame

The Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony took place on Thursday, to honour the top music stars. While it praised artists like Cat Stevens, John Prine, and Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliott shone like the brightest star of the evening. She became the first female rapper to be inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The rapper was visibly emotional and unable to hold back her emotions; she could be seen in tears, advising the future generation of female rappers. “I want to say one thing to the writers, to the upcoming writers,” she said, after being introduced by Queen Latifah and Michelle Obama, “Do not give up. We all go through writer's block. Sometimes you just have to walk away from a record and come back to it. But don't give up because I'm standing here. And this is big for hip-hop, too,” she added.

The first female rapper to be inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Elliott is also the third rapper to be inducted, following Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri.

This was the 50^th Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and Missy Elliott, five-time Grammy-winning, singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer, made history, as she is the first female rapper to be inducted. Former First Lady, Michelle Obama appreciated and congratulated her with a taped video that was aired during the event. She said, “Missy, I want to thank you for all of your trailblazing ways.” Further adding, “Thank you not for just sharing your gift with the world, but for being an advocate for so many people out there, especially young girls who are still figuring out how to make their voices heard.”

“Do not give up. We all go through writer's block. Sometimes you just have to walk away from a record and come back to it. But don't give up because I'm standing here. And this is big for hip-hop, too.”

Not only her own hits, but Elliott has also written songs for many girl groups, pop and R&B soloists, including the late icon Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Monica, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Ariana Grande, Destiny's Child, Fantasia, Jazmine Sullivan, SWV, Total, 702, and Mya.

This was the 50^thSongwriter’s Hall of Fame and Missy Elliott, five-time Grammy-winning, singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer, made history, as she is the first female rapper to be inducted.

The first female rapper to be inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Elliott is also the third rapper to be inducted, following Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri. Interestingly, songwriters are eligible to be inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame only after writing hits for more than 20 years. Other inductees this year included Cat Stevens and John Prine, while Sara Bareilles, Halsey and Justin Timberlake all won awards and performed at Thursday night's event.

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