Janet Jackson made a surprise appearance at Essence’s 9th Annual Black Women in Music event, and it was all to present Missy Elliott with the magazine’s Visionary Award.
The two artists have collaborated on songs like “Burnitup!” and “Son of a Gun,” but they’re also close friends. Jackson surprised Elliott by flying out to New York while touring in the UK to be the one to present her with the award.
The singer noted that Missy has raised the bar for artists in the music industry by being an artist who can do more than just rap. “Some act, some choreograph, some write hit songs, some create whole new sounds, some women are able to make their mark in one of these fields, but there’s only one woman who has made her mark in all these fields.”