Rapper and producer Missy Elliott has opened up about her ongoing battle with Grave’s disease.
Missy Elliott made her name as a producer, with her stripped down approach pushing hip hop forward. Refusing to restrict herself to one style, Elliott even went behind the mic for cuts such as ‘Get Ur Freak On’.
A vastly influential figure in hip hop, her absence has been startling. Missy Elliott has not released a new album in six years and fans have been left wondering why the hip hop icon has retreated from the game.
Now the reasons have become clear. Missy Elliott has been diagnosed with Graces’ disease, which affects the autoimmune system and thyroid gland. Speaking to People Magazine, the rapper opened up about the way this has affected her.
Diagnosed with the condition some three years ago, Missy Elliott realised that she had a problem when she almost lost control while driving. “I was trying to put my foot on the brake, but my leg was jumping,” she said. “I couldn’t keep the brake down and almost crashed.”
The condition worsened, with Missy Elliott suffering from hair loss and traumatic mood wings. At one point, the rapper was unable to complete even the most mundane, ordinary of tasks. “I couldn’t write because my nervous system was so bad – I couldn’t even use a pen,” she said.
However continued medical treatment and time spent at the time has allowed the rapper to battle back. “I’m 30 pounds lighter because I’ve been exercising,” she said. “My thyroid is functioning, so I haven’t had to take medication in about nine months. (But) you live with it for the rest of your life.”
Returning to the studio last winter, Missy Elliott guested on the Timbaland track ‘Take Ur Clothes Off’ this January. Working on a new album, the rapper is using the working title of ‘Block Party’.
There is no release date for Missy Elliott’s new album.