Missy Elliott makes history as first female hip-hop artist to be inducted in Songwriters Hall of Fame

Missy Elliott made history by becoming the first female hip hop artist to be inducted into the 50th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame. She is only the third rapper to receive the honor—the other two being Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri. Elliott will join 2019’s class of inductees that includes British singer Cat Stevens (aka Yusuf Islam), John Prine, Tom T. Hall, Dallas Austin, and Jack Tempchin.

According to the  Associated Press , the new class of songwriters will officially be inducted on 13 June in New York City. Generally, songwriters only are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years.

While Elliott has written her own raps, she has a long list of songwriter credits, that include songs for Beyonce, Whitney Houston and the late icon Aaliyah. The singer took to Twitter to celebrate the much-deserved honor:

I want to CONGRATULATE all the AMAZING songwriters who have been inducted into the 2019 “Song Writers Hall of Fame🙌🏾🙌🏾 also those who were nominated because their body of work is AMAZING🙌🏾 I AM SO HUMBLY GRATEFUL to now be inducted also🙏🏾 I ❤️you all🤗 #SHOF2019 ✍🏾 pic.twitter.com/6LRHFoeVz1

— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) January 12, 2019

Stevens, has been a respected writer since his debut in 1967. He’s had a string of Top 40 hits, from ‘Peace Train’ to ‘Morning Has Broken.’ His ‘The First Cut Is the Deepest,’ which he wrote five decades ago, has become a hit for multiple artists, including Rod Stewart and Sheryl Crow. John Prine is a two-time Grammy Award winner and has a remarkable five-decade career. His skills have earned him cuts from Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones and many others. Prine released his first album in 2018 of new material, The Tree of Forgiveness, and the project earned him three nominations in the 2019 Grammy Awards.

I was thrilled to hear about my induction into the @SongwritersHOF. I have been proud to make my living as a songwriter for almost 50 years now. I have to say it's a bonus to be elected by your fellow songwriters. Thank You to the Songwriters Hall Of Fame - JP#SHOF2019 pic.twitter.com/KRLV2Qneoi

— John Prine (@JohnPrineMusic) January 12, 2019

Nile Rodgers, chairman of the organization said to Rolling Stone “The 2019 slate of inductees represents diversity and unity across genres and gender, highlighting our dedicated mission to honor music creators who have enriched our lives.”

(With inputs from The Associated Press)