2024 Year in Review: Queen Latifah & Missy Elliott Made History as the First Rappers to Receive National Medal Of Arts

For reasons good, bad, ugly, and everything in between, 2024 was one for the books!

As the year draws to a close, That Grape Juice is reflecting on the occasions that rocked – and to some degree – maybe even reshaped the Urban and Pop cultural landscape as we know it.

Next, we’ll revisit how groundbreaking femcees Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah etched yet another history-making feat into the record books.

In October, Latifah (born Dana Owens) and Elliott (born Melissa Elliott) were penciled in history books when they became the first Hip Hop artists to be bestowed the prestigious National Medal of Art for their respective contributions to entertainment and American culture overall.

The recognition is awarded annually to “individuals or groups who are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States.”

Among 37 other honorees including Eva Longoria, Idina Menzel, Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, and the late “Queen of Tejano” Selena Quintanilla, Elliott and Owens attended the National Humanities awards ceremony at the White House to receive the honor directly from United States President Joe Biden.

The day after the ceremony, Missy took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share her elation and congratulate her fellow Rap pioneer.

“I am HUMBLY GRATEFUL! Crying Tears of JOY! Thinking of the days I wasn’t so strong but through FAITH & PRAYER I kept going,” she said on the platform before relaying, “And a BiG CONGRATS to my sis @IAMQUEENLATIFAH who deserve all the bouquets she also was honored today! Thank you for kicking down doors QUEEN for me & those after you.”

[main photo source: Getty Images / AP Photos]