Missy Elliott celebrates Lizzo for EW's Entertainers of the Year: She'll 'be deemed legendary' (original) (raw)

When Lizzo busted onto the radio and into our hearts in 2019, it seemed like a debut that would be impossible to top — but the multi-hyphenate just keeps on impressing.

Over the past year, the recording artist not only scored her second no. 1 single with "About Damn Time," but the song's album, Special_, made her the highest-charting female artist of the year and a five-time 2023 Grammy nominee heading into next year's ceremony._

She also added "Emmy winner" to her résumé, taking home the Outstanding Competition Program trophy in September for her Amazon Prime Video series, Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. And the singer — who also found time to host and perform as musical guest on Saturday Night Live —might be back at the Emmys next year to celebrate her recent HBO Max documentary, Love, Lizzo.

To honor Lizzo as one of EW's 2022 Entertainers of the Year, legendary rapper and producer Missy Elliott — who is featured on "Tempo" off Lizzo's Cuz I Love You — pays tribute to her Atlantic Records labelmate.

Lizzo; (inset) Missy Elliott.

I still remember the first time I met Lizzo in the studio. Instantly, I knew she was amazing. She walked in, heard the music, and just went right into the booth and started rhyming and singing — she was just wilding. That was so like me when I first got into the music business. I actually told her, "You remind me so much of myself." I immediately connected with her.

What I really appreciate about Lizzo is that she is so diverse. There are so many levels to her. When she's in the studio, she knows how to go into these different characters, she knows how to be heard, she knows how to sing, dance, rap, and it's all amazing.

Take her song "Grrrls," that's my fighting record. Listen, I ain't out there fighting, but that's my alter ego record that I go to — and I just love the structure of it. And then there's "About Damn Time," which makes me just feel like I'm at Studio 54. I love that whole album. You put it on and you're going to learn self-love, you're going to love your friends, and you're going to feel like a bad bitch. The whole thing just makes me feel happy. It feels like a little bit of disco, a little bit of Grease, a little bit of hip-hop. Actually, I could see her doing a musical off of [_Special_]. I told her that at her concert, actually.

I think we can always say someone is talented, but Lizzo is someone with feelings, a sweetheart. Like me, she's sturdy, but we're mush inside — and she's humble, and just so welcoming of other artists. I believe humility will take you very far. When I went to her show, I was like, "Wow. It seemed like just yesterday we were in the studio just cutting up, climbing, and now I'm sitting in here and she's selling out arenas but is still so humble." And that's not easy to do. You should be, but a lot of people aren't when they get to that level. I love that about her. And she's just regular. She's like the girl up the street. I think that's why a lot of people can relate to her. Lizzo says the things that we say in our houses, and she cuts up the way that the girls up the street do. She doesn't feel like she's untouchable.

I believe that Lizzo is classic, and she's going to be deemed legendary. She's one of those artists that will always work. She's going to sell out every single time. Anything that Lizzo wants to do, I believe she'll be great at doing it.

More EW Entertainers of the Year 2022: