Referring to Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott as "a true path breaker in a male-dominated genre", The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation has named Elliott as one of its 2023 inductees.
It's an honour the celebrated artist doesn't take lightly. She took to social media to acknowledge just how monumental an occasion this is saying it was "huge not for just me but all my sisters in hip hop".
By the time Elliott had released her groundbreaking debut album Supa Dupa Fly in 1997, she was already a force to be reckoned with.
She had long joined Timbaland to co-write and co-produce songs for artists such as Aaliyah and Jodeci and was already a performer and label executive.
Possessing a knack for music production, writing, rapping and singing, Elliott's first album went platinum and was nominated for a Grammy.
Her second album Da Real World was released in 1999 and stayed on the Billboard R&B chart for almost a year.
But it was perhaps with 2001's Miss E… So Addictive and the crossover dance track Get Ur Freak On when the rest of the world came to learn what hip hop heads already knew: Elliott's talent, originality and creativity make her a powerhouse across genres.
With trendsetting music videos featuring, among other things, Elliot with a retractable head and busting out dance moves that others would later adopt, Elliott's place on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is being welcomed by fans and peers.
This was the first year of eligibility for Elliott. Artists need to have released their first record 25 years prior to Induction.
Fellow hip-hop royalty and 2021 inductee LL Cool J announced the 2023 inductee class, which also includes, in the Musical Influence Award category, the founding father of hip hop DJ Kool Herc, who planted a potent seed in 1973 that would grow into the enormous global force hip hop is today.
The Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation John Sykes pointed out that November's induction ceremony coincides with two milestones in music culture: the 90th birthday of Willie Nelson, who was also inducted, and the 50th anniversary of hip hop.
"This year's incredible group of Inductees reflects the diverse artists and sounds that define rock & roll," Sykes said.
Kate Bush inducted after a Stranger Things resurgence, Bernie Taupin writes his way into history
English singer songwriter Kate Bush responded to her induction by expressing surprise.
"I have to admit I'm completely shocked at the news of being inducted into the Hall of Fame!," Bush wrote on her website.
"It's something I just never thought would happen."
Bush experienced a resurgence after her 1985 hit Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) re-entered the charts after it was featured in the Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things.
The visionary is said to have inspired countless musicians with her radical experimentation.
Bernie Taupin, whose songwriting partnership with Elton John has produced hit after hit after hit including Rocket Man, Your Song and I'm Still Standing was inducted in the Musical Excellence Award category.
Taupin and John began collaborating in 1967 and the Foundation described their partnership as "one of the most successful in rock & roll history."
George Michael, who died in 2016, was posthumously inducted.
The 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, November 3 in Brooklyn, NY.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2023 Inductees
Performer Category
- Kate Bush
- Sheryl Crow
- Missy Elliott
- George Michael
- Willie Nelson
- Rage Against the Machine
- The Spinners
Musical Influence Award
- DJ Kool Herc
- Link Wray
Musical Excellence Award
- Chaka Khan
- Al Kooper
- Bernie Taupin
Ahmet Ertegun Award
- Don Cornelius
