The late pop icon that Missy Elliott nearly worked with
Missy Elliott is one of hip-hop’s most cherished female MCs. Rising to prominence by the side of Timbaland in the mid-1990s, the rapper is loved for her funny lyrics, provocative raps and outlandish music videos that leave her listeners mind’s blown. Known as one of hip hop’s first mainstream female MCs, Missy is definitely one of the greats.
Since her retirement, she has received numerous accolades for her contribution to hip-hop. From the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award to her induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, the culture has bestowed several honours upon her. However, there is an even more decorated icon that Elliott nearly collaborated with, and it’s fair to say that if she had, it may have been one of the most significant hip-hop crossover hits of all time.
Many musical icons died in the 2010s. From Whitney Houston to Aretha Franklin, Black culture received a lot of blows. However, there was one pop and rock pioneer whose death really shocked the world, and that was the demise of Prince.
Prince, simply put, was an artist cut from a different cloth to his contemporaries, and he put out some iconic albums that live on to this day. The vocalist’s 1984 project, Purple Rain, is a diamond-certified album and is one of the best-selling albums of all time.
That said, Elliott was set to collaborate with Prince in 2016, but the lyricist made a tragic mistake and lost the music files the late icon sent to her. During an appearance on CBC’s The Strombow Show, Elliott detailed how they connected.
Missy explained that she first contacted Prince for permission to use a lookalike of him in one of her live shows. However, following the show, the two continued messaging, and amazingly, Prince later sent Elliott music for a potential collaboration.
Speaking about how she foolishly lost the files he sent her, Elliott told the host, “He had sent me some stuff, music of his, and I moved, and I could never find that music. Yesterday, I was sitting there saying, I have to go to my house, in my storage space, and find this music.”
Elliott told host George Stroumboulopoulos about her admiration for the Purple Rain star, declaring, “When he entered the room, he was like a giant. … We really have to start appreciating these artists while they are still here, and not wait until these moments [after they’ve died] to recognise their genius and the greatness of what they’ve done for music.”
There could still be a posthumous Prince and Missy Elliott album in the vaults, but only if the Supa Dupa Fly creator can find those golden lost files. Still, it’s amazing to think two performance icons nearly joined forces.