Missy Elliot Wants Current Female Rappers To Pay A Special Homage To Early Trailblazers

Missy Elliot is known for her impact on rap’s history. She has been recognized as an influential woman in this particular musical genre. Far from being satisfied with just the acknowledgment of her role in music, she ambitions more. Not just for her, but for other women. She had a special talk with Forbes about it.

In her February 14 interview,  Missy appeared more determined than ever. She specifically demanded that her predecessors be also respected and honored. As for the current women in rap, she invited them to show their recognition of the place and influence played by the elders in the Hip hop genre. “Women have played a big part in what we call hip-hop in this culture. These women are my friends, and we don’t just come together when it’s time to perform. We speak on the phone and hang around each other.”

She added: “Even if the women that are out now may not be familiar with all of their records, they have to know that these women are the reason they’re able to be on many of these platforms.”

Missy Elliott herself was inspired and empowered by artists like Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Pepa to begin her own journey in urban culture, saying: 

“A lot of times, it’s not as easy as it looks, and people only get a chance to see the glitz and glamour and don’t know what it’s like to go through things behind the scenes. So when you have that mentor, it’s everything, especially someone who has already been on that walk. It’s very important for me to be a big sister to those coming behind me because I had Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Salt-N-Pepa be that to me.”