Missy Elliot super fans now have a new reason to take a trip to her hometown. That’s because from now on, the section of McLean Street between Airline Boulevard and Greenwood Drive in Portsmouth, Virginia, will be known as Missy Elliot Boulevard. It kind of has a ring to it, doesn’t it? The name change came on Tuesday after the Portsmouth city council unanimously voted to approve a request from a citizen to rename part of the street after one of the city’s most famous hometown heroes, according to WTKR in Hampton Roads, VA.
WTKR reports that the name change will enhance the city’s recently rezoned Entertainment District. Along with the existing Victory Crossing Shopping Center and Tidewater Community College, the new Missy Elliot Boulevard will be the future home of the Portsmouth Rivers Casino. Elliot shared her heartfelt appreciation for the honor in an August 10 tweet, writing, “I am forever GRATEFUL P-TOWN VA #757 LOVE.”
The 51-year-old rapper, songwriter and producer established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the 90s, writing and producing hits for R&B heavy-hitters like Jodeci and Aaliyah alongside her childhood friend Timbaland. But it was her first solo album, 1997’s Supa Dupa Fly, that showed the world Elliot could hold her own among the best in the rap game and earned her GRAMMY nominations, including Best Rap Album. Since then, Elliot has cranked out a seemingly endless string of hits you can’t help but dance to, including “The Rain,” “Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It.” Missy’s work has earned her 22 GRAMMY noms, 4 wins and countless other accolades. But as someone who lives for 90s music, I’ll always love Missy’s futuristic videos as much as her music. I mean who can forget the video for “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)?” No one else could make dancing in a trash bag look cool.