- Missy Elliott is set to perform at the 2019 MTV VMAs.
- During the show, Elliott will be honored with this year's Video Vanguard Award.
- The legendary rapper has an impressive net worth thanks to record sales, producer credits, collaborations with iconic artists, and establishing her own record label.
Missy Elliott's career has spanned three decades so far, and the rapper currently shows no signs of stopping.
![ICONOLOGY [Explicit]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1566834130-51umL4PKNKL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "ICONOLOGY [Explicit]")
Elliott, who was born Melissa Arnette Elliott in Portsmouth, Virginia, recently became the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, according to Billboard. Per TheRichest, Elliott is allegedly worth $50 million, and a quick look at her dexterous career explains exactly how she built her impressive musical empire.
As Elliott is awarded this year's Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs (having been nominated for 41 VMAs, and winning seven, throughout her career), we take a look at how much Elliott is really worth.
She's had amazing record sales.
In 2015, Billboard rounded up Elliott's chart successes to date, and the figures spoke for themselves. The publication noted that Missy was still "reigning as the best-selling female rap album artist in Nielsen Music history." Her most successful album to date is 2002's Under Construction, which has sold more than two million copies in the United States alone. In August 2019, Elliott made her first release in over 14 years with the five-track EP, Iconology.
Elliott has released five other full-length albums so far: 1997's Supa Dupa Fly, 1999's Da Real World, 2001's Miss E....So Addictive, 2003's This Is Not a Test! and 2005's The Cookbook. Presumably, Elliott's still earning healthy royalties from each.
She's a prolific songwriter and regularly produces other artists' music.
Alongside her impressive solo discography, Elliott has worked tirelessly throughout her career to collaborate with successful artists. Way back in 1993, Elliott appeared on Raven-Symoné's "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of." Since then, she's written for artists like Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Destiny's Child, Mariah Carey, and *NSYNC, and produced music for the likes of Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, and Monica.
![Tempo (feat. Missy Elliott) [Explicit]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1566559080-31CfkVgAj5L.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Tempo (feat. Missy Elliott) [Explicit]")
Recent collaborations with artists Ariana Grande and Lizzo have ensured that Elliott remains in the zeitgeist—and presumably keeps adding to that impressive net worth.
She founded her own record label.
Elliott put her songwriting and music production skills to good use when she founded her own label, The Goldmind. In a 1997 profile of the artist, SPIN wrote, "Her marketing savvy borders on ingenious." It's undeniable that the rapper has carved out a completely individual career for herself.
Speaking to The Guardian, the artist revealed, "They said I could sing, I could write, but that I looked wrong. That was the lowest thing you could say. I didn't forget." Per the publication, because of the prior criticism she'd received, Elliott "held out until Elektra offered her her own label, Gold Mind Inc, that ensured Missy would have 100 per cent creative control over her image and music, as well as the opportunity to sign artists. In doing so, they made Missy Elliott America's first black female entertainment mogul. It's a deal that's worked out well for both parties."
Her appearance at the Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show was lucrative.
According to Forbes, Elliott saw a jaw-dropping "2,500% sales bump" after joining Katy Perry onstage during the Super Bowl in 2015. Per Billboard, Perry and Elliott's performance became the most watched halftime show in Super Bowl history and helped to introduce the rapper to a brand-new audience, as well as reintroduce her to loyal fans.
NFL spokesperson Joanna Hunter revealed to Forbes that the football league doesn't pay artists for the halftime show, but it does cover "expenses and production costs" for their performances. Although Elliott didn't receive a fee for performing at the halftime show, the impact the show had on her record sales speaks for itself.
She branched out into acting.
Elliott has branched out into acting on several occasions, making special appearances in TV shows such as American Dad and Star, and movies like Pootie Tang.
Though it's unclear how much money Elliott made for each performance, it's undeniable that her acting roles helped to elevate her music career and star power, and probably paid nicely too.
She's supported some of the world's most famous performers on tour.
As well as embarking upon several solo tours, Elliott has supported legendary superstars on the road, proving that her music is taken seriously.
From opening for Mariah Carey's Rainbow World Tour in 2000 to being the support act on Michael Jackson's 30th Anniversary Celebration in 2001 to supporting both Jay-Z and 50 Cent on their Rock the Mic tour in 2003, Elliott has worked hard. She was also a part of the Verizon Ladies First Tour with Beyoncé, Tamia, and Alicia Keys in 2004.
With the release of her single, "Throw It Back"; her new EP, Iconology; and being honored at this year's VMAs, Elliott's success story is only going to continue.
Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.
