Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott is cultural royalty for many ways that supersede music. She is revolutionary, before her time. She has emerged as the undisputed queen of Afrofuturistic hip-hop since her solo debut in '97. From the late '90s, she has built an unparalleled legacy, one that continues to evolve in a predominantly male-dominated industry. Her catalogue is deep; un-fck-withable and nostalgic all around thanks to samples, out-of-the-box production techniques, lyrics and her ultimate muse: music videos.
So, needless to say, sis knows what's she's doing out here.
On my daily scroll on the 'gram, I came across her popular 2019 interview with Angie Martinez, where the two of them discuss her journey from 90's Missy, to peak-of-her-career groundbreaking Missy, to the legend that she has evolved into today. The two mega-watt curators discussed her journey, her untimely Graves' disease diagnosis, and more.
But it was when Martinez brought up her MTV Cribs episode where we got all our lives (again), as the conversation of money, and longevity in this music industry, popped off all because of a car bed. Yes, a car bed. After Angie asks her if she still has or sleeps in the bed, Missy's response went down in hip-hop's flex history:
"Well, I have 7 houses, so I don't even be at that house."
Talk yo sh*t, Missy! (which, both me and Angie Martinez scream at the same time)
Sidebar: it was her humble approach to saying so, for me. She continues:
"Seven houses all paid for. No mortgage. Amazing credit. How you think I was able to be gone for 14 years? I'm blessed to still be financially okay. I've seen people [who] sometimes may catch me in the airport and be like, 'why you not on a private jet?!' 'Cause I plan on living for a long time and I'm not finna spend all my money and then, come 70, I'm sitting somewhere back in coach. Nah. I'm saving my money. I be looking like...ya'll go right ahead because when that money run out..."
We stan a saving, frugal, RICH queen.
And listen, as much as this conversation is well above most of our tax brackets, there's something refreshing about seeing a woman of her caliber, practicing spending precautions.
"If you notice, people who have it, don't really have to do that. Most of the time when you have it--I just always says spend your money wisely. This thing, especially for artists, you know, you could be hot and getting mad mad bread, especially the way stuff is moving now, there's new artists every second, now you want to save that money."
The two then touch on cars, where she admits she has over 10. Angie reaffirms, "So you have over 10 cars, and 7 houses, but you won't fly private."
"No, because that's not an investment. And this is not to knock anybody, I'm not mad at people feeling like, 'hey I work hard, I want to be able to enjoy.' But for me, God willing, I plan on living for a long time, and I don't want my money to run out."
Watch the full interview below (the conversation begins at the 29:00ish mark)
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Featured image via Giphy