Missy Elliott is back! This time last week, the internet had been set ablaze by fans of the rapper as she released her brand new single, ‘WTF (Where They From),’ featuring Pharrell. To the pleasure of all, the new record proved that Missy still had a firm grip on the quintessential elements that made her such a dominant force within the Hip-Hop scene year after year. Now, as the rapper is basking in the love and admiration for the new record with her fans, Billboard has shared their brand new cover issue that features the Virginia-born artist. Covering a range of topics from what sparked her return and balancing finances after all the years in the business, the cover issue highlights an aspect that some may forget about celebrities. They’re just like us.
Elliott credits the beginning of her re-emergence to a call that she got from Williams in 2014. “He was just, ‘Yo, whatcha doing?’ ” she recalls. “And I was like, ‘I’m doing some music here and there.’ ” Williams suggested they get into the studio, an idea she took especially seriously because of the timing. “ ‘Happy,’ ” she says with a laugh, “was, like, on fire right then.”
She credits her mother, Pat Elliott, with helping her avoid some of the pitfalls too many of her peers have fallen into. “My mama don’t play,” says Elliott. “When it’s time for taxes to come around, she’s like, ‘Yo, taxes are due. I’m on my way to send your money off.’ ” (Elliott wasn’t always good with her finances: “When I first started in the business, I spent so much! Staying in a Trump Hotel for two years, spending eight Gs a month just living.”)
Surely fans of Hip-Hop can all agree that it’s great that Missy Elliott has returned to the scene after a massive 10 years off. The return is a true testament to her drive and passion for music that not everyone possesses. Now, as timing is everything, we will see just where this resurgence will bring Missy as she currently works on her next studio LP. You can check out more of the cover spread and interview, here.