First female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Missy Elliott (USA, b. Melissa Elliott) was among the 2019 inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at a ceremony in New York City, USA, on 13 June. Elliott, famous for solo hits such as “Sock It 2 Me”, “Get Ur Freak On”, “Work It” and “Lose Control”, and for lending her writing skills to artists like Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande, is only the third rapper to receive the honour, after Jay-Z (2017) and Jermaine Dupri (2018).

In a taped video broadcast at the 2019 awards show, former first lady Michelle Obama praised the colourful rapper formerly known by the stage name Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott: “Missy, I want to thank you for all of your trailblazing ways. 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.”

Inducted at the 2019 ceremony alongside Missy Elliott were Dallas Austin, Tom T Hall, John Prine, Cat Stevens and Jack Tempchin.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by US singer-songwriter Johnny Mercer and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. Songwriters are eligible for induction after a career of at least 20 years.