Missy Elliott is celebrating her own holiday by helping others. For the one-year anniversary of Oct. 17 being declared “Missy Elliott Day” in Virginia, the “Work It” rapper returned to her Portsmouth hometown to donate $50,000 to a local housing organization — paying 26 families’ past-due rents with the funds.
Elliott, 52, appeared at the Dr. O. Marriner Family Life Center at Grove Church, according to The Virginian-Pilot, to present a large check to the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which the organization’s executive director Alisa Winston accepted.
The “Lose Control” performer told the crowd she spent time pondering how to commemorate “Missy Elliott Day” before deciding on the generous move.
“Instead of it being a celebration of Missy Elliott, you know about me, I wanted to give back and let that be the celebration of Missy Elliott, just to show that I love everybody out here,” she said, per the outlet.
Elliott also spoke about how her “giving heart” and hometown appreciation were learned from her mother, Patricia Elliott.
Just know that P-town is with me no matter where I go,” she said. “I love my city. I love my state. I love everything about it. Everything about Missy comes from here — the hospitality, the humility, the confidence — if you mess with me, it’s a problem. We sweet, but don’t try us.”
After Elliott’s speech, Winston told the audience her donation would cover 26 families’ past-due rents. The move meant a lot to Patricia. “So when you give, you give because you remember those days when you didn’t have,” she said after the ceremony, per The Virginian-Pilot. “If each person would give when they get to the top, then, what a real beautiful world we would be in.”
Last year, Oct. 17 was declared “Missy Elliott Day,” and the Grammy winner was honored with some of Portsmouth’s McLean Street renamed to Missy Elliott Boulevard.
On Tuesday, Elliott shared photos of herself at the boulevard to X (formerly Twitter) alongside a heartfelt caption. “I been through MANY ups and downs but it’s nothing like having FAITH! God I thank you for FAVOR,” she wrote.
“If anybody feel like quitting NO just hang in there your BLESSING may be coming sooner than you think! Just keep PUSHING even through tough times,” continued the musician. “You built 4 it!”
In other news – Stephen Rubin dies at 81
Stephen Rubin, a longtime publishing executive with an eye for bestsellers and a passion for music and public life who helped launched the career of John Grisham, among others, and released such blockbusters as “The Da Vinci Code” and “Fire and Fury,” has died. He was 81.
Rubin died Friday at a hospital in Manhattan after “a brief and sudden illness,” according to his nephew, David Rotter. Read More
