Washington, D.C. -
Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah have each added a prestigious honor to their names after receiving a National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden.
On Monday (October 21), President Biden presented the 2022 and 2023 recipients of the National Medal of Arts at a private ceremony at the White House, with the female rap pioneers being honored alongside the likes of Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg and Eva Longoria.
The National Medal of Arts is “the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government,” according to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
“It is awarded by the president of the United States 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.”
Missy celebrated the achievement on X (formerly Twitter) by posting numerous photos and videos from the event, including clips of her and Latifah hanging out together at the White House.
“I am HUMBLY GRATEFUL! Crying Tears of JOY! Thinking of the days I wasn’t so strong but through FAITH & PRAYER I kept going..I’m SO THANKFUL @POTUS,” she wrote. “[And] CONGRATULATIONS to the other amazing ppl who was blessed with this honor.”
In a second tweet, the “Lose Control” hitmaker added: “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 #NationalMedalsofArts @FLOTUS The entire committee.”
