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Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot has made her mark in the record industry. Since first stepping on the scene in 1992, she has worked and collaborated with several superstar artists. She has worked with both Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston remixing many of their tracks. Having signed with Elektra Records, Missy took off on her solo career with the release of “The Rain” in 1997. She continued to work with other big name singer/songwriters and pushed herself forward, going places many female artists had never attempted to go. Through it all, Missy stayed true to home. She kept her base of operations out of her hometown, Portsmouth, Virginia.
One of the unique characteristics that made Missy so popular was her look. She didn’t fit the mold of other women in the industry. At 5′2, Missy was overweight and proud of it. She made it a point to let people know she was comfortable in her own skin. She didn’t plan on changing anything.
In 2008, she began to lose some of her fine motor skills. Her legs, arms and hands sometimes had minds of their own. She couldn’t drive or even hold a pen firmly enough to write her name. Her moods were all over the map and she had trouble concentrating. She was eventually diagnosed with Grave’s Disease. The autoimmune disorder affects the thyroid and how it functions. She lost almost over 30 pounds and began to undergo treatment to control the disease. Fans began to feel that she sold out and had lost the weight on purpose despite her prior statements about being heavy. She finally let her fans know about her illness and that her health had to come first.
Missy has continued to stay true to herself, her music and her fans. Her disease was caught in the early stages and his been kept under control through exercise and lifestyle changes. Missy is back on track and doing what she loves most, making music.
