Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia), better known by her stage name Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, is an American Grammy Award winning rapper, singer, producer, actress and former member of the R&B group Sista. With sales of over seven million in the United States alone she is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA and has worked extensively as a producer for many other artists along with her childhood friend Timbaland.