via Wikimedia
Mainstream music awards have been doing Black women artists wrong for decades. Did you know Aretha Franklin was NEVER nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys?
Well, MTV is finally acknowledging a legendary hitmaker for something we’ve known for decades. That legend is Missy Elliott. And she DESERVES the Video Vanguard Award.
A true trailblazer in hip hop and R&B, the roster of artists with songs penned by Elliott is practically endless. Beyoncé, Ciara, Destiny’s Child, Ariana Grande, Whitney Houston, Mary J Blige, and Aaliyah all have Missy to thank for hit songs we all love.
Missy has blessed us with classics like “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It,” “Gossip Folks,” and “Pass That Dutch,” to name ONLY a few.
And the complementary videos are JUST as iconic.
Her innovative spirit came to life in her videos. With outlandish and stunning visuals that shock and awe all at once, leaving your eyes glued to the screen, Missy has given us works of art that inspired OTHER unique artists, like SZA and FKA twigs!
Moments like this are why creating our own institutions and award shows is so important. We don’t need MTV or any other mainstream award show telling us how great Missy Elliott is. Because we already know of her greatness! And will continue recognizing it!