- Born Melissa Elliot in Virginia, 1971.
- Has released 6 studio albums. She frequently is a featured artist on collaborations with other performers – she has been a featured artist on 46 singles, showcasing her hip-hop talents. Much of her lead artist work has been done in collaboration with Timbaland as co-producer on her records. Timbaland has been associated with some of the most successful artists over the last 20 years, including Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Rihanna, One Republic and Drake.
- From her initial album in 1997 to today, she continues to shape the sound of hip hop music. Her songs typically combine style, sex and humor in a way that has become identifiable with her.
- Elliot performed at halftime at Superbowl XLIX in 2015, along with Katy Perry. She performed a medley of 3 of her biggest hits – Get Ur Freak On, Work It, and Lose Control.
- She was diagnosed with Graves disease in 2008, which caused her to scale back her work for several years as she managed the effects of the disease. A healthy life style, exercise and strict diet that removed 70 pounds has allowed her to return to a more active artist.
- She has received 3 Grammy Awards in rap categories, and a fourth for Best Short Form Video for Lose Control. Here’s that award winning video.