On June 2nd, Nashville’s National Museum of African American Music’s Celebration of Legends will honor hip-hop icon Missy Elliott, as well as famed record label, Atlantic Records as they commemorate 75 years of recorded music history. Past honorees include Lionel Richie, Chaka Khan, Quincy Jones, Smokey Robinson, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
Missy’s career is multifaceted, as she’s charted new creative territory through songwriting, rapping, singing, and producing, with style and grace. Her influence is broad – Elliott has inspired or collaborated with a number of heavy hitters, including Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, and the late Whitney Houston. No matter the time, her music and videos are always relevant, making her a cross-generational rap star with enough talent to keep her legacy alive for eons.
Atlantic Records is an American major record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic Records earned a reputation as one of the most important American recording labels, specializing in jazz, R&B, and soul recordings by African-American musicians including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Ruth Brown and Otis Redding. Its position was greatly improved by its distribution deal with Stax Records. In 1967, Atlantic Records became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, now the Warner Music Group, and expanded into rock and pop music with releases by bands such as Led Zeppelin and Yes.
