Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott, Anderson .Paak, Kali Uchis, And More Will Play The Inaugural Letsgetfr.ee Carnaval

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Missy Elliott 2019 Urban One Honors Show
Getty Image / Paras Griffin

From Matthew Morgan, founder and ex-head of Afropunk, and partner Jocelyn Cooper comes Letsgetfr.ee Carnaval. Set to take place this August at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York, Letsgetfr.ee comes as a partnership with global creative agency Anomaly and aims to be a “diversity-focused, purpose-driven music experience.”

Letsgetfr.ee will take place over two days on two different stages. Festivities kick off on Saturday, August 20th, with Missy Elliott, Wizkid and Jhene Aiko headlining. Kali Uchis, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, and Ozuna will headline that Sunday.

Anomaly has partnered with DICE to provide a “choose your own adventure” ticketing structure, allowing festival-goers to pick and choose which artists they would like to see on either day of the festival. This will allow for affordable and accessible tickets for “every community that [Letsgetfr.ee] celebrates.”

“When we first heard the plans for Letsgetfr.ee we had to have an ‘everybody sit down’ moment,”said DICE President Russ Tannen in a statement. “The mission and ambition is aligned perfectly with DICE’s values and we’re excited to be named the exclusive ticketing partner.”

Queens residents who present a valid address can access the presale through Sunday, March 6th. by registering through DICE. The Queens presale begins on Tuesday, March 8th. General on-sale begins Wednesday, March 9th.

Check out the full line-up below.

Letsgetfr.ee 2022 line-up
Courtesy of Anomaly

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lizzo Delivers An Emotional Speech At Missy Elliott’s Hollywood Walk Of Fame Ceremony

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Earlier today, Missy Elliott received her well-deserved star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. The iconic rapper not only inspired other Black women to follow their dreams of music industry stardom, she also inspired decades of rappers to work with Timbaland and then to copy the fish lens effect of her “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” video. Ok, I kid, but it is true. She’s a stylistic innovator and Monday morning’s ceremony featured Lizzo, Ciara and Mona Scott-Young all honoring Elliott.

But it was Lizzo’s speech that hit the strongest chord. The pop singer fought back tears as she professed her adulation for Elliott, telling her that “I saw a superstar in you, but I’d also seen myself. I’d never seen myself and you lived so boldly and so beautifully and so unapologetically and so out loud.”

Lizzo moved from emotional to elated, frequently yelling uncontrollably as she was overcome with emotions. “I only have one thing to say to Hollywood Blvd: You’re welcome!” she began. She stopped herself early on to let the Hollywood Blvd crowd know that she hadn’t prepared a speech since she thought she “was just coming to hang out.” Then she added “And now I’m about to cry!,” before delivering this impromptu, yet incredibly moving speech:

“You are the brightest star in the universe Missy. I’ve watched you my entire life. And I saw a superstar in you, but Ive also seen myself. I’d never seen myself and you lived so boldly and so beautifully and so unapologetically and so out loud. You have no idea what you have done for so many Black girls. We don’t deserve you. We don’t deserve Missy Elliott and still you continue to give to us, and given with your heart. Your genius. Let me just drop some words: Genius! Icon! Queen…queen of hip-hop! Visionary! I want to thank you so much for helping me in my career. I never in a million years thought I’d get to meet you and not only did I get to meet you, but we worked in the studio together! Thank you for making my dreams comes true. You have no idea what you mean to all of us Missy. We love you. We celebrate you. God Bless You. This is more than deserved. Let us continue to celebrate all of your accomplishments and your influence forever. We love you so much Missy. Congratulations.”

Watch Missy Elliott’s star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame be unveiled below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Missy Elliott Gives Doja Cat Advice On Staying ‘Far-Left’ In The Music Industry

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Doja Cat is a few months into the release of her anticipated album Planet Her, which landed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Throughout the album rollout, Doja Cat has remained true to her left-of-center brand, asking her fans to roast her for falling on stage and joking that she’s been canceled “maybe 350 times.” Now, Doja Cat gets the chance to speak to another musician who is known for staying true to herself: Missy Elliott.

Elliott and Doja Cat sat down for a conversation with Interview Magazine. Throughout their chat, Doja Cat gushed about how much Elliott has influenced her as an artist. Elliott also gave Doja Cat advice on how to stay weird and authentic with her music, saying that she should stay away from second-guessing herself:

“For my first album, I didn’t listen to the radio. I didn’t watch videos. I didn’t do any of those things, and I didn’t realize how much that helped me at the time. But it helped, because me and Timb, we didn’t mimic. So if we did something far-left, we weren’t afraid, because we didn’t know what was hot anyway. But now, when I got my phone and I’m seeing things, I can think of something really far-left and then I’ll be like, ‘They’re going to think I’m crazy. Let me reel it back.’ […] It gets tricky sometimes, so here’s some advice. Whatever you’re doing, if you feel like you’re in this place, and it seems to be working, stay there. Don’t allow other things to make you second-guess yourself, as long as it feels good to you.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Doja Cat opened up to Elliott about what she hopes to hone in her music. Along with wanting to fine-tuning her flow, Doja Cat says she hopes to open up about her personal life a little bit more in the future. “When it comes to rap I could be better,” Doja Cat said. “I think everybody feels that way with their own art, in all kinds of ways. But I see all these incredibly talented rappers around me, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing pop, but I should focus on my pen now more than ever.’ I’m good, and I can be funny and charming, and I can do little punchlines here and there, but I need to talk about my life more, and about what’s going on.”

Read Elliott and Doja Cat’s full conversation with Interview Magazine here.

Missy Elliott is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

City Girls Strut Their Stuff In The Missy Elliott-Directed ‘Twerkulator’ Video

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It’s been a few months since City Girls served up their hit “Twerkulator,” their unofficiall entry for this year’s song of the summer. Fans have been absolutely loving the track — it instantly went viral on TikTok and City Girls brought the song to the 2021 BET Awards stage for an eye-catching performance. Now following up on the release, City Girls tapped Missy Elliot to direct a vibrant video for the single.

The visual opens with Elliott’s voice booming through megaphones. “This is not a test. Everyone, please take shelter immediately,” she says. “The Twerkulators have already invaded Twerk City and you don’t have much time. They’ve already landed and they’re taking over. Run for cover, motherf*ckers.” City Girls’ JT and Yung Miami then show up to reclaim their spot on the block alongside a number of twerking backup dancers.

“Twerkulator” marks City Girls’ only solo track of 2021, though they did appear on a remix of BRS Kash’s “Throat Baby” earlier this year. Other than that, City Girls have been remaining in the public eye with their recent relationships. Yung Miami was recently seen holding hands with Diddy while JT has been going steady with Lil Uzi Vert. In fact, JT revealed the rapper gifted her $30,000 on their first-ever date.

Watch the “Twerkulator” video above.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Missy Elliott Shows Love To ‘Verzuz’ Participants After Fans Beg For Her Inclusion

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Verzuz has welcomed many acts from all corners of the music world. Their most recent episode saw rappers Trina and Eve going head to head. At one point, Eve played her guest verse on Missy Elliott’s “4 My People,” which appeared on her 2001 album Miss E… So Addictive. The track’s inclusion caused people to asked for Missy’s involvement in a future Verzuz. She responded to the requests on Twitter after one fan’s comment caught her attention.

After a Twitter user mentioned suggested Missy go “on a stage and just run all her hits,” the rapper shared her thoughts on the Verzuz love. “I want to say this,” she began. “I am HUMBLY GRATEFUL because I’ve been on a lot of artist verzuz & I want to thank those AMAZING artist who believed in me as a Writer/Producer or just a artist.” She added, “I love yall 4 the love yall shown me [purple emoji].”

As for the future of Verzuz, Soulja Boy and Bow Wow will go head-to-head in the platform’s next battle which takes place on June 26.

You can check out the Twitter interaction in the tweet above.
Missy Elliott is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Missy Elliott Celebrates The 20th Anniversary Of ‘Miss E’ By Sharing Her 2001 MTV VMA Performance

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This past Saturday (May 15) was the 20th anniversary of the release of Missy Elliott‘s groundbreaking third album, Miss E… So Addictive. Back in 2001, the album’s singles, “Get Ur Freak On” and “One Minute Man,” turned the rap game upside down with their innovative videos and inescapable beats produced by Timbaland. To celebrate the milestone, Missy has shared her performance of both songs from the 2001 MTV VMAs along with guest rappers Ludacris and Trina, as well as pop star Nelly Furtado.

While the original event was one of the “you had to be there” moments of the early 2000s, the remarkably well-preserved video gives fans a glimpse into the high-energy performances that made Missy Elliott an icon worthy of receiving a Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2019. A massive chandelier, a giant Missy head idol statue, and a fleet of backup dancers all contribute to a surreal experience, which admirably reproduces the likewise Dali-esque feel of Missy’s generation-inspiring music videos.

Although there are no currently announced plans for an anniversary edition of Miss E… So Addictive, I’d stay tuned. With an artist as unpredictable as Missy, you never know what you might get.

Watch Missy Elliott’s 2001 MTV VMAs performance of “Get Ur Freak On” above.

Missy Elliott is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Missy Elliott’s ‘Supa Dupa Fly’ Video Draws Wild Reactions From Cozz, Erica Banks, And Yung Baby Tate

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React Like You Know is back and this week, we’ve got a new panel and an inescapable, game-changing classic for them to watch and respond to. When Missy Elliott‘s Hype Williams-directed video for her debut single “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” dropped in 1997, it blew minds with its eye-popping, surreal imagery, avant-garde fashion choices (the air-filled “trash bag” jumpsuit!), and Williams’ signature fish-eye lens technique. It’s safe to say, hip-hop wouldn’t look anything like it does today without Missy’s adventurous debut video.

So, how does it measure up for our gen-Z panelists? Well, the episode opens with a few “Oh my God!” exclamations from Erica Banks and Fousheé, and even NLE Choppa can’t help but gush, “Missy was beautiful!” BRS Kash notes the fish-eye look “makes the video so much more dramatic,” while Blac Chyna, Cozz, and DaniLeigh all shout out the “trash bag” style — even though Missy revealed long ago it was a patent-leather jumpsuit. The Hummer also gets a lot of attention from the panel, while our studio team gets some interesting responses about the producer-artist relationship between Timbaland and Missy, as well as whether Puff Daddy can be “all in their videos — dancin.’” (The answer’s a resounding yes.)

Missy, meanwhile, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her third album, Miss E… So Addictive, with the release of her equally groundbreaking 2001 MTV VMAs performance on YouTube coming later today.

Watch the latest React Like You video above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.