Music

Missy Elliott to be first female rapper to enter Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Published on January 12, 2019 11:50AM EST

This ain’t gossip, folks. Missy Elliott will be the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Elliott, the mistress of hip-hop behind albums like Under Construction (2002), This Is Not a Test (2003), and The Cookbook (2005), joins 2019’s class of inductees, which includes British singing legend Cat Stevens (a.k.a. Yusuf), John Prine, Tom T. Hall (Johnny Cash’s “all-time favorite songwriter” ), Dallas Austin, and Jack Tempchin.

Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri were previously inducted in 2017, which makes the “Work It” spitfire the third rapper to receive the honor.

“The first thing you need to know is it’s about the song, the second thing you need to know is it’s about the song, the third thing you need to know is it’s about the song,” Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman Nile Rodgers said. “That’s true now more than ever but it has always been about the song so I’m very proud that in my first year as Chairman of the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame that we are recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time. The 2019 slate of inductees represents diversity and unity across genres and gender, highlighting our dedicated mission to honor music creators who have enriched our lives. These are writers who in their time literally transformed music and helped make what’s happening today possible.”

“I want to CONGRATULATE all the AMAZING songwriters who have been inducted into the 2019 ‘Song Writers Hall of Fame,'” Elliott tweeted of the honor, “also those who were nominated because their body of work is AMAZING I AM SO HUMBLY GRATEFUL to now be inducted also I [love] you all.”

The 2019 class will be formally inducted in a June 13th ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

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