Missy Elliott tours as a headliner − and it’s about time

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Elliott H. Powell, University of Minnesota

(THE CONVERSATION) Missy Elliott’s first-ever headline tour, which stops in Philadelphia on Aug. 5, 2024, comes nearly three decades after she released her debut album, “Supa Dupa Fly,” in 1997.

For a seasoned artist like Elliott – a rapper, singer, songwriter and producer whose accomplishments include six platinum-selling albums, four Grammys and an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – her first experience as a headliner may seem shockingly overdue.

As a scholar of American studies and Black popular music, I’ve been writing about and discussing Missy Elliott’s artistry for over a decade.

I believe that Elliott’s long wait to headline a tour is in sync with how she’s long refused to be governed by norms of time.

From...