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Missy Elliott

(b. 1971) The most commercially successful female Hip Hop artist of all time, Missy Elliott is also lauded as an innovative creative force whose influence extends across the genre. A distinctive rapper-singer-writer with a verbal wit to match her visual panache, Elliot has sold over 30 million records in the United States and won five Grammys. In addition to her own releases, she has worked extensively as a songwriter and producer for other artists, both on her own and in collaboration with childhood friend Timbaland. Born Melissa Arnette Elliott in Portsmouth, Va., Missy had a difficult upbringing; she has said her...