Thank God for Missy

“From the early stages of music, beginning with Blues and Jazz in the ’20s to hip-hop and pop music from the ’90s onward, you will find one common denominator: Black women leading the way. Whether behind the scenes, in front of the mic, building empires, or shaking things up in the boardroom, Black women play a significant role in moving music forward every single day.” -Vocal Media, 2021

Storytelling and the arts are a powerful force for enlightenment and change. Film has the power to subtly make political and societal statements in the guise of entertainment, while uniquely revealing all dimensions of the human psyche.

As a writer/director, my mind can produce detailed stories from simply hearing a melody. I create universes. My talents, whether it be behind or in front of the camera, drove me to understand my true purpose as a creative. But before there was a camera in my hand, Missy was on my screen.

As a little black girl in the early 2000s, I was lucky enough to witness countless examples of people who looked like me, doing versions of what I’d envisioned myself one day doing. Black excellence thrived as our culture took the nation by storm and Missy Elliot was the leading woman in the crowd.

If it weren’t for Missy Elliot and her groundbreaking fearlessness, I wouldn’t be the creative that I am today. Missy topped the charts without ever abandoning her comforts or conforming to the status quo, while simultaneously supporting her fellow women in the business.

Unlike many of her peers, she retained full creative control over her music, videos and productions. She led the helm for her career and decided all that she would do and say with her platform. With all of the “platforms” around today, it’s easy to lose sight of the staggering accomplishments of those before us.

Missy “Misdemeanor” is the one to thank for our favorite hip-hop and pop artists of today.

Melissa Arnette Elliot faced many hardships as a child. Whether that be the egregious acts of abuse she fell victim to or the poverty she and her mother had to fight their way through. Young Elliot overcame all challenges by keeping her faith and focusing on her craft to drown out the tragedies.

While in school, Elliot formed a girl group Sista and in no time they were signed to Swing Mob Records. The group moved to New York to pursue their dreams upon graduation though the record label didn’t survive past the move. The now solo artist began writing for her producer, childhood friend, Tim “Timberland” Mosley, and the rest is history.

Melissa officially became Misdemeanor, herself, once presented with the opportunity to form a label of her own, Goldmind, and released her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly in 1997.

Elliot’s first album quickly went Platinum as she blazed ahead continuing her work writing for herself, as well as co-writing for artists: Whitney Huston; The Spice Girls; Aaliyah; P Diddy and more. Her trailblazing work earned her the accolade of Rap Artists of the Year from Rolling Stone (notice I didn’t say female artist of the year) and raving reviews from The New Yorker. She is now recognized as the first female hip-hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Throughout Missy’s career, she never missed an opportunity to support women working in her industry by preaching that women are “equal to men, as important as men, and as powerful.” Her unique style was an inspiration to all as she sat at the tables with all the big players in the game, both male and female.

In an industry that thrives on misogyny and homophobia, Missy Elliot stood against heteronormative gender binaries long before it was cool and never apologized for it. She simply put her thang down, flipped it and reversed it.

Her strong feminist voice carried shockwaves into this male dominated field, without anyone blinking an eye. Her lyrics and art embody femininity. And let us not forget her consistent uplifting of the black culture in all of her creative video concepts, while including performers of all races, shapes and identities.

As a preteen, in Missy’s darkest days, she wrote letters to her favorite artists Janet and Michael Jackson to rescue her from her current predicament. In my darkest hours I often thought of her. As she grew, she realized that rather than wait for someone to save her, she needed to make a reality for herself. Missy has now become good friends with the iconic Janet and can look back to how she made her own reality come full circle.

"Music should be your escape." - Missy Elliot

Storytelling and the arts are a powerful force for enlightenment and change. A special set of skills are required to effectively bring a story to life. Missy Elliot told stories, advocated for equality, and created universes.

Her career impacted my entire creative makeup and views on music and the arts by simply being herself. Missy Elliot’s life decisions have resonated with me differently in each stage of my creative journey. Everything that she stands for, is everything that I am.

Missy took a stand to teach the world that we as women are not each other’s competition and that one’s light does not dim another’s. Her presence in the entertainment industry as a black writer, producer, and successful business owner brought visibility to today’s innovators and tomorrow’s world.

Melissa Arnette Elliot taught me the importance of representation. Melissa Arnette Elliot showed me the benefit of being true to myself. Melissa Arnette Elliot showed the world that there are a million black girls who are just waiting to see someone who looks like them.

"I want kids of this generation to see that everything is cool, that there's some kind of unity in hip-hop. We all found something that's really important to us, and music is all we've really got." - Missy Elliot