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MISSY Elliott and Queen Latifah have made history as the first rappers to receive the National Medal of Arts, the highest given to artists and patrons by the government of The United States.
Missy, who is also the first female MC to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2023) took to social media to voice her excitement. "I am humbly grateful, crying tears of joy," she posted. "Thinking of the days I wasn't so strong, but through faith and prayers I kept going."
"And a big congrats to my sis @IAMQUEENLATIFAH who deserve all the bouquets she also was honored today! Thank you for kicking down doors QUEEN for me & those after you," the 53-year-old "Work It" emcee wrote in another post.
Missy also made history this year by having the first hip-hop song transmitted to space. On July 12, 2024, NASA's Deep Space Network sent her 1997 hit "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) to Venus. The only other song to have ever been sent that far was The Beatles' "Across the Universe" in 2008
The National Medal of Arts was established by the U.S. Congress in 1984 to honour artists and patrons of the arts.
It is the highest given to artists and patrons by the government of The United States.
Previous nominees include writer Ralph Ellison, photographer Gordon Parks, musician Dizzy Gillespie, and bandleader Cab Calloway.
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