Missy Eliott Makes History, Becomes 1st Female Rapper to Receive Berklee Honorary Doctorate

Missy Elliott will receive an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Boston’s Berklee College of Music, alongside fellow honorees Justin Timberlake and Alex Lacamoire.

The prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston has announced that it will be attributing an honorary Doctor of Music degree to rapper Missy Elliot.

The occasion will also similarly honor fellow musician Justin Timberlake and Alex Lacamoire, the musical director of "Hamilton," who is an old alumnus of Berklee.

A SINGULAR HONOR FOR A FEMALE RAPPER

Trailblazer Missy Elliot will be the first female rapper to be so honored in the institution's history, a recognition long overdue for her contribution to rap music.

Elliot will receive her honorary degree from the hands of Berklee President Roger H. Brown on May 11, 2019, at the Agganis Arena in the Boston University campus.

The honorary degrees will be attributed at a special ceremony followed by a concert given by the College's pupils

PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGE HONORS MISSY ELLIOT

The Berklee College of Music is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. It has nurtured multiple contemporary talents, from jazz, to rap, to hip hop, and boast a dazzling array of music stars as old pupils.

HONORING EXCELLENCE AND ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC

Berklee College of Music is well known for its excellence and its famous alumni have won 294 Grammy Awards, 95 Latin Grammy Awards, 19 Emmy Awards, 5 Tony Awards and 5 Academy Awards.

A CONCERT TO HONOR THE GRAMMY WINNERS

The honorary degrees will be attributed at a special ceremony followed by a concert given by the College's pupils in which they will perform the music of the three Grammy Award-winning honorees, Missy Elliot, Justin Timberlake, and Alex Lacamoire.

The three will join an illustrious list of past recipients of the honorary doctorate which includes Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jone, and Smokey Robinson.

MISSY ELLIOT'S INDUCTION INTO SONGWRITER HALL OF FAME

Missy Elliot is having an incredible year, and making history left-right-and-center.

Not only is she being honored by the Berklee College of Music, but she is also being inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame.

This is yet another first for female rappers and brings much-deserved recognition to the musician for her work in nurturing the genre.

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