Missy Elliott Covers Elle, Shares Her Fearless Approach To Being A 'Provocative Woman'

 Missy Elliott is too cool for school on the cover of Elle magazine’s June issue.

The 45-year-old rap icon discussed fearlessly expressing herself, especially through her music videos. She revealed to the magazine that the iconic black plastic bag suit in the 1997 video for “The Rain” was actually a way to mask her shyness and tap into her power.

“To me, the outfit was a way to mask my shyness behind all the chaos of the look,” she said. “Although I am shy, I was never afraid to be a provocative woman. The outfit was a symbol of power. I loved the idea of feeling like a hip-hop Michelin woman. I knew I could have on a blow-up suit and still have people talking. It was bold and different. I’ve always seen myself as an innovator and a creative unlike any other.”

Still vibrant and unique as ever, Misdemeanor also explained that she’ll never sacrifice her true sense of self to be on trend.

“One thing I won’t do is compromise. I will never do something based on what everybody else is telling me to do. And have to kick myself in the ass every night. Nah,” she said. “I have to make sure that it’s right. I’ve been through so many stumbling blocks to build a legacy, so I wouldn’t want to do something just to fit in. Because I never fit in. So …”

Keep doing you, Missy! 

 Elle’s June issue will hit newsstands on May 16.