ESSENCE reveals Hip-Hop legend and the first female rapper - Missy Elliott

 

ESSENCE reveals Hip-Hop legend and the first female rapper inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Missy Elliott, as their July/August Music Issue Print Cover star.

The issue is a special ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ edition and a continuation of Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary celebration with an ode to Black Music Month. Missy Elliott is set to take the stage as one of the headliners at the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™presented by Coca-Cola® and she is ready to show this year’s attendees how to ‘work it’! 

The 2023 ESSENCE Music Issue (July/August) will hit newsstands on Tuesday, July 4th.

 “I want people to know me for good music, but just being a good person, that is important.”

 “I never thought, ‘Hey, I'm going to do this and this is going to change the world…’ or ‘I want to do the craziest thing ever.’ Nothing seemed crazy to me."

CREDITS

Creative Director, Photography, & Photo Editing by Derek Blanks

Styling by Missy Elliott & Mike Smith

Hair by Kellon Deryck at Mastermind MGMT

Makeup by Yanique Downer at Yaya Beats Face

Nails by Tiffany Everett

Set Design by Derek Blanks Photography

Production by crowdMGMT

Essence Communications is the number one—and only 100% Black-owned—media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to African-American women and communities. 

With a community of more than 31 million African-American women, ESSENCE inspires a global audience through diverse storytelling and immersive original content rooted in Culture, Equity and Celebration.