Today is Missy Elliott's Birthday!
Ms. Elliott has become one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time.
She broke out in the mid 90s as a member of the Swing Mob along with childhood friend Timbaland. The two worked on projects for Aaliyah, 702, Total, and SWV.
She launched her solo career with her debut album Supa Dupa Fly, which spawned the top 20 single "Sock It 2 Me". The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, making it the highest charting debut for a female rapper at the time.
Her second album, Da Real World, produced the singles "She's a Bitch", "All n My Grill", and the top five hit "Hot Boyz", which broke the record for most weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart, and spent 18 weeks at number one on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
The releases of Miss E... So Addictive (2001), Under Construction (2002), and This Is Not a Test (2003), established her international career with hits like "Get Ur Freak On", "One Minute Man", "4 My People", "Gossip Folks", and "Work It".
Elliott has won four Grammy Awards and sold over 30 million records and is the best-selling female rapper in Nielsen Music history. Missy is the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and received the MTV VMAs Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her impact on the music video landscape, and Billboard ranked her at number five on the 100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time!
Happpy Birthday Missy!