He watches: Missy Elliott talks about her historic induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Missy Elliott is opening up as she prepares to make history as the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The four-time Grammy Award winner sat down with Robin Roberts for an interview that aired Thursday on “Good Morning America,” reflecting on her life’s journey as she prepares to hit a major milestone in her career.
The hip-hop star, also known as Missy “Misdemenor” Elliott, explained the origin of the nickname which she said was given to her by Magoo of Timbaland & Magoo. “He called me that,” she shared. “He said, ‘It was a crime to have as much talent as I did.’”
Growing up, the “Work It” singer said she always dreamed of becoming a “star,” adding, “I never wavered. I never changed. I said it every time.”
More: Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow are among this year’s inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will stream live on Disney+ on November 3 at 8 p.m. ET. It will also be available for streaming after the induction ceremony.
Given her decades of experience in the industry, Elliott, 52, said “words cannot describe” how honored she feels to have been selected among the most prestigious halls in music. As an artist from “the hip-hop world,” she told Roberts that such a goal “seems out of reach.”
During the upcoming ceremony, Queen Latifah will have the honor of introducing Elliott, who she said is someone she has known for about 20 years.
“She’s someone who, like I said, ‘Come in front of me, open this door, leave it open,'” Elliott said. “And I owe a lot of flowers and bouquets. Bouquets are not enough for those women who came before me. She is one of those women.”
Another special person in her life who will be attending the event is her mother, who Elliott claims has never witnessed her perform live. “She never came to a show because I had some little words that I never wanted her to hear,” the rapper admitted. “So you come for the first time.”
More: Missy Elliott reacts to historic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination: ‘Humbled grateful’
Elliott admitted that she is “very shy”, and also revealed that “no one has ever heard me record before.”
“I was always too shy to do it in front of anyone…” she explained. “You’re going to look at me crazy…so I’ve never scored in front of anyone. Nobody.”
During the interview, Elliott also spoke candidly about her experience dealing with anxiety, recalling the moment she joined Katy Perry on stage at the 2015 Super Bowl when she ended up in the emergency room just hours earlier, and added, “It started out terrifying.” Still, Elliott said, “it feels good” to live in a time when society is more open to discussing the topic. Because you realize… “Hey, there are a lot of people out there with anxiety.” She continued.
In 2008, Elliott was diagnosed with Graves’ disease — an “autoimmune disease that causes generalized overactivity of the entire thyroid gland,” according to a report in the British newspaper the Daily Mail. American Thyroid Association.
She said the diagnosis “completely shattered my nervous system” and affected her mental health. “I remember Monica came home one day, and I couldn’t even hold a pencil,” she recalled. “She wrote the words to me…I felt so helpless.”
“Like, it’s starting[s] “I’m messing with you mentally, my eye. You have all these different side effects that you have to deal with,” she explained.
Elliott has since focused on taking care of herself while continuing to help empower the next generation of creators who have embraced her presence through social media, especially on TikTok. “That’s always great, because there’s a resurgence of all those records,” she said.
“I would tell her, ‘You know what? There’s a bright future for you, keep moving forward,'” she said, offering advice to her younger self.
“This – that girl also knew – she had something different and unique,” Elliott added.
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