MISSY ELLIOT AND QUEEN LATIFAH BECOME FIRST RAPPERS TO RECEIVE NATIONAL MEDALS OF ARTS

Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah have received the National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden. They are the first rappers to receive this prestigious honor.

On Monday (October 21), President Biden presented the 2022 and 2023 recipients of the National Medal of Arts at a private ceremony at the White House, with the female rap pioneers being honored alongside the likes of Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg and Eva Longoria.

The National Medal of Arts is “the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government,” according to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The rare accolade adds to a series of recent wins for Missy Elliott.

Last month, she became the third female rapper in history to earn over $2 million from a single concert.