Queen and icon Missy Elliot (real name Melissa Arnette Elliott) slayed on the cover of Essence magazine. 

Glimmering in a gold disco ball-esque, phosphorescent suit with gold chains that read “iconic,” Missy Elliot Blvd” and “Cancer” (her zodiac sign), the “Work It” rapper held a pose of a goddess who paved the way for other female rappers and still dominates the game. 

She donned gold because everything she vocally and visually touched turned to gold. Because of the queen, the world jams to hits like “1, 2 Step” (written by Elliot, sung by Ciara), “Get Ur Freak On,” “Hit Em wit da Hee” and “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).”

Furthermore, her iconic futuristic music videos were ahead of time with her ingenious costumes and visuals, inspiring today’s artists such as Beyoncé and Rihanna.

Ironically, she didn’t intend to become the influential woman she is today.

In an interview with Essence, the humble rapper shared she didn’t see herself going big or making a huge impact. 

“I was having fun when doing the videos,” Missy Elliot said. “I never even thought, ‘Let me try to do the most outlandish thing.’ That never crossed my mind, ever. It just spoke to who I was in school.”

She continued, “I was always just different,” she continues. “So by the time I started doing videos, the music just really spoke to who I was as a person. And so I never thought, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this, and this is going to change the world

. ‘It’s going to change the way videos look.’ Or, ‘I want to do the craziest thing ever.’ Nothing seemed crazy to me.”

While the rapper has had many highs, like five Grammys and being the first female rapper to get inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, Missy Elliot dealt with numerous nadirs, from dealing with an abusive father and having anxiety struggles to battling Graves disease — an immune disorder.

But a male friend reminded her to remember herself despite the obstacles. 

“…he was just like, ‘Next time I see you, I’m going to put a mirror in front of your face, so you can remember who you are and all that you’ve done,’” she said. 

Now, she continues to inspire other Black girls and women out there.

Over the 25 years she has made her mark in the music industry, she maintains her humility by holding dear to her grandmother’s advice, reminding her about the importance of maintaining good relationships. 

“As long as you have great relationships, you will always get a check because people won’t mind helping you when you are down and out. I want people to know me for good music, but just being a good person, that is important.”