Quotes from Missy Elliott

I believe that tracks speak to me. Some tracks make me write certain music or make me feel sad or inspire me to write a sad love song. Each track has its feeling to me.

I want to dip my foot in some acting. And most definitely want to mentor upcoming artists and give them the wisdom that was given to me.

I remember, in school, writing Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson and asking them to come get me out of class. I would imagine them running down the hall and asking my teacher, 'Ms. Daniels, can we get Missy out of class? We're here to see Missy.'

I don't just throw out microwave records.

When I'm in the studio, I like to be in there by myself because if I'm in the mike room, and I look out and see people talking, or they're not nodding their head or rocking to the music, it makes me feel like it don't sound good, or I'll be scared to really open up vocally because I might mess up, and they might be in there laughing.

When you are creating to the magnitude that I try to create, your brain is like a computer, and you need to refresh.

He was like, 'I want to get in the studio with you.' Who turns down Pharrell?

If I wanted to do 'The Missing Files of Missy Elliott,' I have probably six albums just sitting there.

I know how domestic violence can affect a family, and I want to do everything I can to stop it from happening to others. The most important thing we can do is teach kids that they can break the cycle.

I think it's being innovative and very creative to stay away from flat-out sampling somebody else's record. To me, that doesn't show too much of your creative side unless you take a little piece and add it, almost like spice on a chicken.

What I love about Kanye is that he doesn't fit the mould either. He does what he feels.

Rule number one in negotiating anything with Missy is never try and run me over. Never push me, because I am a very strong woman. I'm nice, but I'm very strong. When it gets down gritty, I can get grittier. Never, ever underestimate me.

I still don't want no broke dude! I'm open to offers, but he's got to be stable. I see a lot of friends who feel they have to be with a man, but they always pick the wrong one. Are there any right ones?

The fun part of being an entertainer is that you call up Six Flags, and you say, 'I'm coming,' and you get to get on all the rides before everyone. I hate standing in line.

I remember having mice in the house and my father taking some newspaper and beating me because mice was running on me while I was asleep.

I got caught up in doing records for other artists. I just stayed behind the scenes, and time just kinda passed.

When I first started in the business, I spent so much! Staying in a Trump Hotel for two years, spending eight Gs a month just living.

Now everybody's sampling.

Everybody is doing the same old thing.

I'm not a person that's walkin' down the street looking mean all day.

I want people to feel the heat while they walk down the street and they're just kickin' it.

My mother helped me to be who I am: to have strength and not to let people run all over me and yet to be humble; to realise that all of this that I have today could be gone.

Especially when the expectations become so high of you, you always remember the last record that might have been really successful, and you're trying to outdo that or trying to make something that does not sound like the last record.

I most definitely want kids, but I'll probably adopt kids.