Hip-Hop Icons: Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah Honored with National Medal of Arts

Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah have just added another incredible achievement to their already iconic legacies.

On Monday, these trailblazing women were honored with the prestigious National Medal of Arts by none other than President Joe Biden. This special day found the White House buzzing with excitement as the 2022 and 2023 recipients of this honor gathered in a private ceremony.  Missy and Latifah were joined by fellow luminaries such as Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, and Eva Longoria.

The National Medal of Arts, established by Congress in 1984, is the highest award presented to artists and arts patrons by the federal government.  According to the National Endowment for the Arts, it’s given to individuals whose contributions have elevated the arts in the United States to unprecedented levels of excellence and impact.

Missy couldn’t contain her joy and gratitude, taking to Twitter to celebrate her inspirational accolade.

“I am HUMBLY GRATEFUL! Crying Tears of JOY! Thinking of the days I wasn’t so strong, but through FAITH & PRAYER, I kept going. I’m SO THANKFUL @POTUS.” And in true Missy style, she showed love to her fellow honorees, adding: “CONGRATULATIONS to the other amazing ppl who was blessed with this honor.”

🙏🏾I am HUMBLY GRATEFUL! Crying Tears of JOY! Thinking of the days I wasn’t so strong but through FAITH & PRAYER I kept going..I’m SO THANKFUL🙏🏾@POTUS 🙏🏾& CONGRATULATIONS to the other amazing ppl who was blessed with this honor🙌🏾☺️ https://t.co/F86ksfZZsM

— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) October 22, 2024

But that’s not all – Missy was beaming with pride for her longtime friend and fellow honoree, giving Latifah the ultimate shoutout in another tweet: “And a BiG CONGRATS to my sis @IAMQUEENLATIFAH who deserve all the bouquets she also was honored today! Thank you for kicking down doors QUEEN for me & those after you.”

And a BiG CONGRATS to my sis @IAMQUEENLATIFAH who deserve all the bouquets she also was honored today! Thank you for kicking down doors QUEEN for me & those after you🙏🏾🫶🏾 #NationalMedalsofArts @FLOTUS
The entire committee 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/HlyJgbIAtp

— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) October 22, 2024

This honor comes amid Missy Elliott’s unstoppable wave of success. Just last month, she made history as the third female rapper to earn over $2 million from a single concert, her August 8th Capital One Arena show.

As for Latifah, she’s not just celebrating this incredible moment. A biopic about her legendary rise to fame is officially in the works, with Will Smith on board as a producer.