is an artist with few peers or precedents — a wildly innovative singer-songwriter-producer and music video pioneer whose work has cast a long shadow over the past quarter century. Almost immediately from their arrival in the mid-1990s, she and longtime collaborator Timbaland reshaped the sound of hip-hop.
Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame will be unveiled at 11:30 a.m. PT on Nov. 8 at 6212 Hollywood Blvd.I’ve had this in me since I was little, little. My mother was a singer, she used to be in a group and would sing locally around Virginia. We lived at the end of this road — my father was in the military — and I used to stand at the end of it, singing into a hairbrush. I would sing about anything: animals, insects, and when cars would come past and honk their horns I would sing louder.
Were there any female role models you had as a songwriter-producer? It’s hard to think of many before you, even Valerie Simpson worked with her husband [Nickolas Ashford] at Motown. I always credit my mother as being the top mentor, but also being around Puffy, because he actually was the first to put me on a record — which was Gina Thompson. And let’s give it up for Sylvia [Rhone] — strong woman! Also, [longtime manager and “Love and Hip-Hop” creator] Mona Scott and [the late] Chris Lightly — rest in peace — coming in and being my managers and advising.