Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), is an American rapper

Rapping

Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

, singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

, record producer

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

, and actress

A five-time Grammy Award

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

 winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA

Recording Industry Association of America

The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...

, including one double platinum for her 2002 album Under Construction.
Elliott is known for a series of hits and diverse music videos, including "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)

The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)

"The Rain " is a 1997 hit song recorded by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. It was written and composed by Don Bryant, Bernard "Bernie" Miller, Elliott, and producer Timbaland for her debut album Supa Dupa Fly and contains a sample of Ann Peebles' 1974 single "I Can't Stand the Rain",...

", "Hot Boyz

Hot Boyz

"Hot Boyz" is the title of a number-one Hip hop/R&B single by rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott featuring Lil' Mo. The remix version of the song was an urban hit featuring Nas, Eve, and Q-Tip...

", "Get Ur Freak On

Get Ur Freak On

"Get Ur Freak On" is a hip hop song written by American rapper/singer Missy Elliott and her producer Tim "Timbaland" Mosley for Elliott's third studio album Miss E... So Addictive. Released as the album's first single in 2001, the track reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Missy...

", "One Minute Man

One Minute Man

"One Minute Man" is an R&B single released in 2001 by American rapper Missy Elliott from her third album Miss E… So Addictive. It is noteworthy because instead of her usual rapping, Elliot sings on the record. Ludacris is featured on the album version, with Trina appearing alongside him in the...

", "Work It", "Pass That Dutch

Pass That Dutch

"Pass That Dutch" is the first single from Missy Elliott's album This Is Not A Test! The single reached No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 21, 2003.The song contains samples of "Magic Mountain" by War and "Potholes in My Lawn" by De La Soul....

", and "Lose Control

Lose Control (Missy Elliott song)

"Lose Control" is a song by American rapper/songwriter Missy Elliott featuring singer Ciara and rapper Fatman Scoop. It was released as the lead single from Elliott's sixth studio album, The Cookbook. It contains samples from Cybotron's "Clear", Hot Streak's "Body Work" and Les Rythmes Digitales'...

".