Karis Edwards

Mrs. Weaver

5th Period

27 April 2011

Missy Elliot’s Cultural Imprint

Born Melissa Arnette Elliott in Portsmouth, Virginia,on

July 1, 1971, Elliott is an only child who experienced

immense personal conflicts as a child. Elliott was the

victim of sexual abuse by an older cousin when she was

eight years old, and she frequently witnessed her father

physically abusing her mother. Elliot was often scared

for her own life as well as her mothers. In spite of

such traumatic events, Elliott has recalled lighter

moments as a music-obsessed child. She usually would

shut herself in her room and write music and pretend to

be a superstar.She had little interest in schoolwork,

preferring instead to listen to music and write her own.

Longing for escape from her painful home life,Elliot

wrote music as a distraction and this allowed her to put

all her feelings in the open in a familiar way. Elliot

would write about things that she saw fan interest in,
such as butterflies and coachroaches. However, her deep

and emotional songs shared a connection with her life at

home and often proved that the past has given her the

strength to carry on in her life.

Elliot began in the musci industry as a part of the

"Sista" group with three other teenage girls who each

went to music as an outlet for their everyday lives.

Elliot soon gained connections and when her all-girl

group called it quits, she was on her own way to

becoming a successful rap-artist.