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Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott is set to embark on her first-ever headlining tour after she finally triumphed over the health issues that kept her away from the road.
The seasoned artist opened up about her reluctance to tour in a new interview People published on Wednesday, June 19. She attributed most of the blame on her battle with Grave's disease, which caused significant weight loss, increased her anxiety and sent her into a period of depression. The other main reason she declined multiple opportunities to tour is simple.
“I’m most definitely an introvert," she explained. “I’m shy... I don’t know. It’s one of those things I can’t really explain.”
“Ciara had been asking me and asking me,” Elliott continued. “I’d be like, ‘Okay,’ but then I’d always find myself in the studio doing something else.”
Missy Elliott was diagnosed with Grave's disease in 2008. The auto-immune disease causes extreme weight loss, hand tremors, bulging eyes and heart palpitations, according to Mayo Clinic. After she took a break from the public eye, the rapper and songwriter focused on producing. She hasn't released a formal studio album since The Cookbook in 2005 and hasn't been part of a tour in 20 years.
In recent years, Missy has slowly made her return to music by collaborating with a slew of artists like Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Anitta, and, of course, her go-to producer Timbaland. In 2019, she delivered her first EP Iconology filled with nostalgic Missy vibes. Now, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee is healthier than ever before, and plans to headline her tour "Out of This World - The Missy Elliott Experience" for the first time with Cici and Busta Rhymes this summer.
"Every day I wake, I'm blessed to be here and in good health," she said. “I’m feeling so much better now... Every now and then you get a little ache in the leg or the knee, but outside of that, I feel good."
Missy Elliott's tour is set to begin July 4 in Vancouver. Check out the full schedule now.