Missy Elliott became the first female hip-hop artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
The Virginia-born rapper, songwriter, producer, and video visionary was inducted as part of the Rock Hall’s Class of 2023. The ceremony took place in November, recognizing a career that had reshaped rap and R&B through inventive production, futuristic visuals, and an unmistakable performance style.
Elliott’s breakthrough solo album, Supa Dupa Fly, arrived in 1997 and introduced hits such as “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).” Her long creative partnership with Timbaland produced an especially influential sound, while songs including “Work It,” “Get Ur Freak On,” and “Lose Control” became defining records of the 2000s.
This achievement is sometimes confused with Elliott’s earlier distinction as the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which happened in 2019. The Rock Hall honor is separate. She was also the first female rapper to receive the MTV Video Music Awards’ Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.