Elliott, Missy (1971– )

US R&B and rap singer, songwriter, and producer. Known for her independence and ambition, she pursued successful careers as both a musical talent and as a talent scout, arranger, and producer, becoming one of the most influential figures in her genre during the late 1990s and early 2000s. She won Grammy awards for her hit singles ‘Get Ur Freak On’ (2001), ‘Work It’ (2002), and ‘Scream aka Itchin’ (2003).

She released her first album, The Rain: Supa Dupa Fly in 1997, featuring the hit singles ‘Supa Dupa Fly’ and ‘Sock It 2 Me’. After several collaborations with other artists, she released her second album, Da Real World, in 1999. She followed this with the critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums Miss E… So Addictive (2001), Under Construction (2002), and This is Not a Test (2003).

She was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. She performed with a local vocal group, Sista, who were signed by DeVante Swing of R&B group Jodeci in 1992. She began writing songs with hip hop producer Timbaland (Tim Mosley) and was eventually signed on as a solo artist with Elektra Records, who sponsored her own label, Gold Mind Records. She has written songs for Jodeci, Busta Rhymes, Adina Howard, Janet Jackson, and Whitney Houston.