MTV VMAs: How Missy Elliott Broke the Music Video Mold

We’re a week away from the MTV VMAs and Missy Elliott is set to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her achievements in video.

Missy will be the first female rapper to receive the award and it’s her captivating visuals that have earned her a spot among pop elite.

“I’m sure many little girls like me looked on in awe to see her style, charisma and talent ooze off the screen. She embraced the weird and the wonderful, which was a rarity among her equally talented but hyper-sexualized peers,” says The Voice online editor Leah Sinclair.

Prior to Missy’s unique and out-of-the-box visuals, many of the videos that featured females were overly sexual, Missy was the first to bring special effects to video that included everything from an oversized black waterproof jumpsuit to the Virginia rapper removing her head from her body.

What is your favorite Missy Elliott video? Some would argue that the MTV Video Vanguard Award should be renamed after Missy, do you agree?

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