PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Get ready to “Work It,” “Get Your Freak On,” — and even “1, 2 Step” with a special guest — Portsmouth native Missy Elliott is about to embark on her first major headlining tour.
And she’s bringing her friends Ciara, Busta Rhymes and fellow Hampton Roads native Timbaland along for the ride.
“This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone ‘firsts.’ Being the FIRST female Hip Hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and now going out on my FIRST headline tour. Fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family! So get ready to be taken OUT OF THIS WORLD with me, Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland! We can’t wait to share this experience with the fans!”
Out of This World—The Missy Elliott Experience starts on July 4 in Vancouver, Canada, and includes a stop at the Hampton Coliseum on Friday, August 2.
Presale starts at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 11, and tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m.
There are also stops in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore.
The announcement comes just months after Elliott became the first female rapper to ever be inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame.
The four-time Grammy winner, now 52, also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021, with Ciara there in support. She was also was the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2019).
This year also happens to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of “1, 2 Step.” The No. 1 hit from Ciara and Missy went triple platinum in the U.S.
“Listen, I didn’t realize I never had my own tour,” Elliott said in an in-depth look on the tour by the Associated Press. “The last real tour that I went on — like, consistent days — was with Beyoncé and Alicia (Keys) [in 2004].”
Elliott, who grew up in Portsmouth, got a street named in her honor and a key to the city in 2022. Last fall, she came home and donated $50,000 to the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority for families facing eviction.
“I wanted to give back and that be the celebration of Missy Elliott Day just to show I love everyone here. I love my city,” she told 10 On Your Side.
