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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 15 June 2019
Missy Elliott, in tears, gets inducted into Songwriters Hall

By MESFIN FEKADU Mariah Carey, Janet Jack-
Associated Press son, Mary J. Blige, Ariana
NEW YORK (AP) — Missy Grande, Destiny’s Child,
Elliott, the creative mas- Fantasia, Jazmine Sullivan,
termind who has written SWV, Total, 702, Mya, Tweet
hit songs for a number of and others.Elliott entered
female acts and created the 2019 class alongside
camaraderie among wom- heavyweights in the music
en in the music industry for industry, including legend-
more than two decades, ary British singer Cat Ste-
felt the love back from her vens and country-folk icon
musical sisters as she be- John Prine.
came the first female rap- “I love songwriting. I love to
per inducted into the Song- paint myself into a corner
writers Hall of Fame. and have to write my way
During a performance, out of it,” said Prine, who
breakthrough singer-rap- performed onstage with
per Lizzo brought Elliott’s Bonnie Raitt. “And when I
colorful and eccentric mu- co-write I always try to pick
sic videos to life in an en- out a really good restau-
semble similar to what El- rant, so if things ain’t hap-
liott sported in the late ‘90s pening in the first 30 min-
— the finger wave hairdo utes, just go: ‘Hey man, let’s
included. Da Brat, fiery as go get some lunch.’”
ever, joined Lizzo onstage Cat Stevens, who convert-
for “Sock It 2 Me” in New ed to Islam and now goes
York on Thursday night. by Yusuf/Cat Stevens, said
Queen Latifah, a Grammy, as his life took several jour-
Emmy and Golden Globe Missy Elliott speaks at the 50th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame induction and awards ceremony neys, so did his songwriting.
winner, inducted Elliott at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on Thursday, June 13, 2019, in New York. “My first search was for
with kind words as she paid Associated Press wealth and success but
homage to their long-last- are still figuring out how to just God, I don’t know why Elliott is just the third rapper then I was dragged un-
ing friendship. And even make their voices heard.” I am here,” she said with to enter into the Songwrit- derground after the first
former first lady Michelle It all brought Elliott to tears: tears in her eyes as the au- ers Hall, following Jay-Z and battle with fame and the
Obama took her turn to say Near the end of her 10-min- dience erupted with cheers Jermaine Dupri’s inductions demands of the music busi-
how much of a Missy Elliott ute speech, the Grammy and applause. “I want to in 2017 and 2018, respec- ness. I was hospitalized with
fan she is. “Missy, I want to winner broke down after say one thing to the writ- tively. While she’s written a thing called TB, but that
thank you for all of your trail- telling funny and deep sto- ers, to the upcoming writ- her own hit songs — from was a great opening for
blazing ways,” Obama said ries about how her creative ers, ‘Do not give up.’ We all “Get Ur Freak On” to “Work me, a great chance, and
in a taped video that aired mind worked as a child. go through writer’s block. It” to “Lose Control” — El- that’s when my real jour-
during the event. “Thank “I am thankful,” she said, Sometimes you just have to liott has also lent her writing ney started,” he said. “And
you not for just sharing your pausing for a few seconds. walk away from a record skills to others — specifically that journey was to do a
gift with the world, but for “Every time I come up to a and come back to it. But girl groups and pop and search for meaning, so that
being an advocate for so podium ... even with all the don’t give up because I’m R&B soloists, including the kind of defined, I think, my
many people out there, work that I’ve done, I don’t standing here. And this is late icon Aaliyah, Beyoncé, main contribution to being
especially young girls who know, and I’m assuming it’s big for hip-hop, too.” Whitney Houston, Monica, a songwriter.”q

Swift calls out homophobes on new song, announces 7th album

By MESFIN FEKADU follow-up to “ME!,” which night.” Earlier this month
Associated Press featured Brendon Urie of Swift posted a letter on so-
NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Panic! at the Disco and cial media asking Tennes-
Swift’s latest song has a peaked at No. 2 on the Bill- see’s Republican U.S. Sen.
new target: homophobes. board Hot 100 chart. Lamar Alexander to pro-
Coinciding with the an- Swift also released a col- tect LGBTQ rights and sup-
nouncement of her sev- orful lyric video to match port the Equality Act. Swift
enth album, “Lover,” the the new song on YouTube lives in Tennessee and said
pop star on Thursday re- late Thursday — appropri- she supported the House’s
leased a new tune called ately during Pride Month. recent passage of the
“You Need to Calm Down,” A music video will be re- act, which would extend
where she addresses her leased Monday. On “You civil rights protections to
own haters but also calls Need to Calm Down,” Swift LGBT people by prohibit-
out those who attack the even references the gay ing discrimination based on
LGBTQ community. rights organization GLAAD sexual orientation or gen-
At one point on the beat- Taylor Swift performs at Wango Tango on Saturday, June 1, 2019, when she sings, “Why are der identity. In the letter,
laden track, Swift sings: at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. you mad when you could 29-year-old also wrote that
“And control your urges Associated Press be GLAAD?/ Sunshine on she “personally rejects” the
to scream about all the At another point she sings: “You Need to Calm Down” the street at the parade/ notion that President Don-
people you hate/ ‘Cause “You need to just stop, like is the second single from But you would rather be ald Trump’s administration
shade never made any- can you just not step on his “Lover,” to be released on in the dark ages/ Making supports equal treatment
body less gay.” gown?” Aug. 23. The song is the that sign must’ve taken all of all people.q