Elliott, Missy”Misdemeanor” (actually Melissa Arnette)

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Elliott, Missy”Misdemeanor” (actually Melissa Arnette)

Elliott, Missy ”Misdemeanor” (actually Melissa Arnette), one of the most formidable personalities in hip-hop, both behind the scenes and in the grooves; b. Portsmouth, Va., c. 1972. As a young child, Missy Elliott used to stand on overturned trash cans in front of her house and sing Motown songs for the passing cars. Daughter of a former marine and a dispatcher for a Va. utility company, her mother left her father early in Elliott’s teen years. Raised by a strong woman, she learned to take care of herself. Always interested in music, she learned everything there was to know about it. In high school, she formed the vocal group Fay Z, which became the R&B group Sista. She also started writing songs with her friend Tim Mosely. After graduation, she and the group went professional—much to the consternation of her mother, who wanted her to go to college or join the military and get a trade.

With a brashness that would serve her well through the years, she auditioned for Devante Swing of Jodeci, who took Sista to N.Y. and arranged for a contract for them with Elektra Records. Their record never came out, however, and the group broke up. A couple of songs that Elliott wrote, “Want Some More” and “Sweaty,” appeared on Jodeci’s Diary of a Mad Band. Using them as an entree, she and Mosely—renamed Timbaland—started selling songs. They wrote songs for Ginuwine, 702, Craig Mack, Levert, and Aaron Hall. Aaliyah’s #1 hit “If Your Girl Only Knew” (and most of the rest of her One in a Million album) was written by the duo, which opened the floodgates for them as songwriters and producers.

Elliott also started rapping on other people’s records, using the laid-back but assertive style that would become her trademark. She appeared on tunes by Levert, 702, and L’il Kim. On the strength of these projects, Elektra reapproached her, offering her a custom label. The day that Elliott established Gold Mind records, she signed Nicole Ray; Nicole’s debut album went gold. Finally setting to work on her own project, she and Timbaland finished Supa Dupa Fly in less than two weeks.

The album debuted at #3 powered by “The Rain” and its accompanying video by Hype Williams. Elliott earned three Grammy nominations. It also set in motion Missy Mania, with Elliott becoming the first hip-hop artist to play the Lilith festival, moving her further into the pop mainstream. She was featured in commercials for Sprite and The Gap. Professionally, Elliot produced the soundtrack for the film Why Do Fools Fall in Love, as well as tracks for projects by Whitney Houston. She cowrote the tune “Babydoll” for Mariah Carey and remixed records for Janet Jackson and Paula Cole.

A line of lipstick called “Misdemeanor” came out the same day as Elliott’s sophomore release Da Real World (a portion of the cosmetic’s profits go to Break the Cycle, an organization dedicated to the end of domestic abuse). The new album generated raves, led by the single “She’s a Bitch.” Songs on Da Real World featured a who’s who of hip-hop, from the great white hope Eminem, to the leading lady of Jamaican dancehall, Lady Saw.

One of the smartest people in the music business, Elliott has a tremendous future.