We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Missy Elliott, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the singer and musician that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: She Respects the Current Industry Talent. Missy has gone on record to say that she likes Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J. Cole more than any other rappers currently in the industry.
Number Seven: She Gets Her Hair Done a Lot. Like, a lot. Missy reportedly gets her hair done every other day.
Number Six: She Wrote Letters to the Jacksons. Missy had a troubled childhood, so to escape, she would write letters to both Michael and Janet Jackson asking them to rescue her from her abusive life. Little did she know that she would actually collaborate with Janet Jackson years later.
Number Five: She Skipped Two Grades in School. Missy’s IQ is above average, and she was thus able to skip two grades when she was in school. However, she was not a big fan of being surrounded by older kids, so she purposely flunked all of her classes so she could return to her normal grade.
Number Four: She Has Struggled With Her Size. Or rather, the industry has struggled to accept her size. Early in her career, she faced a lot of rejection because she was called “too fat” to achieve any success in the music industry.
Number Three: She Used to Be in a Girl Group. Before she hit it big, Missy was part of a girl group called Sista. It was in this group that she met Timbaland. Though she later parted ways with the group, she was able to maintain her relationship with Timbaland.
Number Two: She Recorded Her Debut Album in Two Weeks. Missy’s debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, was recorded in just two weeks. This is incredibly impressive for any artist, debut album or not.
Number One: She Is the Only Female Rapper With Five Platinum Albums. Missy is one of the industry’s most accomplished rappers, and she shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. You go, Missy!