It takes a special kind of fly to be Melissa “Missy” Elliot, who has built a career that’s decorated with hit songs, gnarly videos, and accolades. For nearly three decades, she has delivered hits that have captivated our hearts (“Take Away”), our egos (“She’s a B”), and dancefloors (“Work It”). Now, one year after receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Madame Tussauds has unveiled the singer/rapper/producer’s very own wax figure. The resemblance is uncanny but more than anything iconic.
She revealed the sculpture on her Instagram page,
The doppelganger captured two of Missy’s most memorable looks. The hair was braided across the wall to spell out the Grammy-award winner’s 2019 album cover for Iconology. Taking delight in the styling, she exclaimed, “Braids! This is real hair” and “I love that my name is spelled in hair.”
The tracksuit was the look from the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. The “Lose Control” singer wore it on stage when she accepted the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. While glancing over the black hoodie with her name stitched in gold across the front, she shared, “One of my fans, actually, he studded this whole suit.” Missy donated the tracksuit along with Versace sneakers to the sculpture.
On Instagram, Missy said it took two years to “get it to perfection”. To capture Missy’s exact features, including tattoos, a team of 20 studio artists in London reviewed approximately 200 measurements and photographs.
She posted,
Missy is the second female rapper on record to receive the honorable replication (after Nicki Minaj in 2020). Her signature swag, sound, and visuals have left a significant impact on the culture. The “All In My Grill” rapper has been praised by artists such as Lizzo, Flo Milli, Chika, and Leikeli47. Despite being a legend in his own right, Lil Wayne has been “very vocal” about Missy’s influence. A legendary rap group, Salt-N-Pepa, requested their star be placed near Missy’s on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, whom they consider their favorite.
The Virginia native dropped her Grammy-nominated solo, Supa Dupa Fly, debut in 1997. Missy has received 21 nominations and four Grammy awards during her career (“Work It”, “Screamin’ aka Itchin”, “Get Ur Freak On”, and “Lose Control”). She has sold over 30 million records. Nine of her songs made the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her production and songwriting credits include Monica’s (“So Gone”), Aaliyah’s (“One in A Million”), Ciara’s (“1,2 Step”), Mariah Carey’s (“Babydoll”), Whitney Houston’s (“In My Business”), and Beyonce’s (“Signs”).
What’s your favorite Missy Elliot song and why? Tell us in the comment section. We want to hear from you.