Missy Elliott reacts to historic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination: 'Humbly grateful'
Missy Elliott is reacting to her historic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination for the organization's 2023 class.
The "Work It" songstress becomes the first woman rapper to be nominated for induction, among other potential inductees.
"I have cried my eyes out," Elliott, 51, shared when reacting to the news on Instagram. "I am so HUMBLY GRATEFUL for this nomination with also 14 other Amazing artist so grateful."
"To All of you & my fans who been through this journey with me I Thank You also 4 helping me get here," she continued in her post. "YOU ROCK."
In a separate statement obtained by Billboard, Elliott called her nomination an "incredible honor."
"I've spent my career making the kind of music I love and it means so much to know that I have touched others as well. But to hear that I am the first female hip hop artist to EVER be nominated into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?!? Wow!!" she said. "This one hits extra different as I hope it opens doors for other female emcees to be recognized!"
Elliott is one of 14 total nominees and one of eight first-time nominees on the ballot. She is nominated alongside the likes of Cyndi Lauper and Willie Nelson, among others.
Jason Hanley, vice president of education and visitor engagement at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, told ABC Audio that Elliott secured her nomination due to her catalog, creativity and influence in multiple roles within the music industry.
"Some of the way she chose to produce her own sound, with these kind of glitchy sounds or things that would mix up, samples, the way she rapped over the top of that, the way she sort of expressed these different things in the music, these were very unusual -- and now you see that style copied by so many other different artists," he explained.
Hanley also praised her visual presentation, saying, "It's not just her as a performer, it's her with so many things she's done as a label owner, a producer, an innovator in music video and songwriting and sound. Hip-hop sounded different after Missy Elliott."
Should Elliott be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, she would join the likes of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Eminem.
This year's Hall of Fame class will be announced in May.
