2021 marks another landmark year for Missy Elliott. This year, the Supa Dupa Fly artist has celebrated both her 50th birthday and the 20th anniversary of her third studio album Miss E… So Addictive, and as a result, fans and artists alike have been going out of their way to give the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame inductee her flowers.
Recently a fan account on Twitter participated in the ongoing #MissyMilestones tribute trend and shared a mashup video that featured Lil Wayne acknowledging the influence that Missy Elliott had on him during his early days as an artist. Weezy specifically mentions her animated adlibs, and the video goes on to show a barrage of videos featuring Missy’s most iconic sound effects.
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The femcee caught wind of the tweet and decided to share some new insights into the backlash that she originally received for those same adlibs, revealing that people in the music industry used to bring her to tears by clowning her unique style.
“When i 1st came in the game people laughed at me doing sound effects in my music,” Missy Elliot explained. “I used to cry when they clowned me but then I kept doing wild sounds/crazy adlibs in my songs & people began to rock wit it…Years later those same sound effects are big in songs today.”
A Black Lady Sketch Show comedian Robin Thede was completely caught off guard that Missy Elliot had to endure such treatment from industry insiders. “Reading the [goat emoji] say ‘I used to cry when they clowned me’ is wild,” Thede exclaimed. “You’re such a genius!”
Missy Elliot then replied to Thede’s praise by saying, “I used to cry at the drop of a dime. I will say the Industry will TOUGHEN you up tho! I was DIFFERENT…which some may have deemed my sound & style as weird…But I remained TRUE to myself as a artist & Thankfully people gave my FUTURISTIC vibe a chance.”
Given the music industry’s track record of working with innovative artists, are you surprised that people used to make fun of Missy Elliot so much that she would be brought to tears?