Unlike most female hip-hoppers Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot runs her own show, from writing songs to producing records to taking care of business. After a supa breakthrough in '97, what's ahead for the powerhouse some are calling Puff Mommy? There's no stopping Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott as she shakes up the male-dominated hip-hop world.

At a time when most female R&B and rap artists are mere figure- heads whose music and image are controlled by male producers and handlers, Missy Elliot is her own boss, from writing and producing her music to dictating the visual style of her videos. She even manages herself. In an industry whose freewheeling image belies a timid, follow-the-leader mentality in its day-to-day operations, Elliot might be the irresistible force that can finally break down the barricades keeping women from equality- in the broader pop world as well as the recording studio. The only woman to even approach her impact in hip-hop is Queen Latifah, who will never truly rivaled the males the way Elliot does now.

This page has been visited times.