ATLANTA — It was a star-studded tribute to a music icon during Monday night's 2019 VMA Awards.
Janet Jackson, Lil Kim, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Ciara and several other pop music icons shared a heartfelt tribute in honor of MTV Video Vanguard Award recipient Missy Elliot.
"One word is not enough to explain Missy. The first time I heard "The Rain" I remember telling my friends that this is the future," Timberlake said.
The hip-hop superstar performed a string of her greatest hits, starting with her latest single ”Throw It Back,” before moving to “Supa Dupa Fly”,“Get Your Freak On” and “Pass That Dutch.”
Fans of Elliot’s 2002 music video “Work It,” got feels when Alyson Stoner, a young dancer featured in Elliot’s video, returned to the stage for the big night.
“That was fire! That was fire,” Cardi B screamed before she presented Elliot with the award.
During her speech, Elliot thanked directors Dave Meyers, Hype Williams, Laurie Ann Gibson, and Atlanta choreographer Sean Bankhead.
Elliot and Bankhead spent several days preparing for the star's big MTV performance. The two also spent time together in Atlanta filming parts of "Throw It Back" in Southwest Atlanta.
Ellot dedicated her award to the dance community all around the world.
“Y’all are the icing of the cake. Y’all the beat to the heart,” Elliot said.
Earlier this year, she was the first female hip-hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Elliott has an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music, and she is the only female rapper to have six studio albums certified platinum, including her debut 1997 album "Supa Dupa Fly" and her 2002 blockbuster "Under Construction."
This “Lose Control” rapper joins a prestigious list of past Video Vanguard Award recipients, including Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Guns N' Roses, Britney Spears, Kanye West, Rihanna and P!nk
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