Missy Elliott is no stranger to seeing the words “first ever” attached to her name over her 25-year career.
In addition to becoming the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, she’s also the first female rapper to receive the MTV VMA Michael Jackson Vanguard Award for her achievements in the medium of music video.
This week, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) added yet another groundbreaking milestone to her lengthy list of accomplishments when it reported the upgraded certification status of her 2005 album, ‘The Cookbook.’
Details inside:
On Wednesday (January 26), the RIAA took to press to reveal Elliott’s sixth solo studio album – ‘The Cookbook’ – had crossed its threshold for Platinum status thanks to an impressive recipe of ongoing sales and streams. The measure means the 16-year-old project has earned the sales equivalence of 1 million units in the United States alone.
Already a personal standout in her discography as it – alongside the #2-peaking ‘Miss E…So Addictive’ (2001) – stands as the highest-charting album of her career to date on the Billboard 200, the updated RIAA status of ‘Cookbook’ means Missy is the first female rapper to own 6 LPs certified Platinum or higher.
The newly reported plaque follows 1997’s ‘Supa Dupa Fly’ (Platinum), 1999’s ‘Da Real World’ (Platinum), 2001’s ‘Miss E…So Addictive’ (Platinum), 2002’s ‘Under Construction’ (2x Platinum), and 2003’s ‘This is Not a Test’ (Platinum).
Together, alongside the hits that spawned from each era, Elliott’s cumulative career worldwide sales hover near the territory of 30 million – making her one of the best-selling rappers of all time.