Old School Joint

Melissa Arnette, known worldwide as Missy Elliott, was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on July 1, 1971. Her career is notable, accumulating five Grammy awards and selling over seven million records in the United States. She is the only rapper in history with six platinum albums, including a double platinum for 2002's *Under Construction*. Elliott has left her mark with tracks like *The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)*, *Hot Boyz*, *Get Ur Freak On*, *One Minute Man*, *4 My People*, *Work It*, *Pass That Dutch*, and *Lose Control*. Her talent is not limited to her own voice; she has collaborated extensively as a songwriter and producer, often with Timbaland, with whom she shared her first production credit in 1996 for Ginuwine's album, *Ginuwine... the Bachelor*. Elliott's family lived in Jacksonville, North Carolina, while her father, Ronnie, served in the Marines. From a young age, at four years old in 1975, Missy dreamed of being an actress, although she was often seen as the class clown.