Timbaland vs. Missy Elliott: Which Hip-Hop Icon Has a Higher Net Worth?
Timbaland and Missy Elliott have been looming figures in hip-hop for over two decades. The two rose through the ranks of the music industry as a producing and songwriting team, and eventually became accomplished artists in their own right. With millions of records sold and several Grammy Awards between them, Elliott and Timbaland are hip-hop royalty with their own sizable empires.
Timbaland and Missy Elliott have been friends since childhood
Timbaland and Missy Elliott have known each other since before they even got their start in music. Timbaland grew up in Norfolk, Virginia while Elliott was born and raised in neighboring Portsmouth.
Timbaland first started DJing at a young age. While attending high school, he joined the production group S.B.I. (short for “Surrounded By Idiots”) which also featured his cousin and producer for The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams. He was also high school friends with brothers Terrence and Gene Thornton, who would become known as Pusha T and Malice of the rap group Clipse, respectively.
Eventually, local rapper Missy Elliott heard his material and began to work with him. She recruited him to produce for her new R&B group Sista and he later co-wrote and produced their 1994 album 4 All the Sistas Around da World. The two became a successful production and songwriting duo, and Timbaland helped launch Elliott’s career with her 1996 debut album Supa Dupa Fly.
Timbaland’s net worth
Timbaland’s first full credit production work was in 1996 on Ginuwine’s debut album Ginuwine…the Bachelor. That same year, he and Elliott collaborated on Aaliyahs double-platinum second album One in a Million. He achieved some success as a rapper and continued to produce for other artists in the late ’90s.
In 2002, Timbaland produced the hit single “Cry Me a River” for Justin Timberlake and went on to produce most of his subsequent albums such as FutureSex/LoveSounds and The 20/20 Experience. This included their respective hit singles including “SexyBack” and “Suit & Tie.” Timbaland’s imprint label, Mosley Music Group featured artists such as Nelly Furtado, whose 2006 album Loose was a commercial and critical success thanks to Timbaland’s production work on hit singles such as “Promiscuous” and “Say It Right.”
In more recent years, Timbaland has taken his talents to the silver screen. When FOX launched the hit series Empire starring Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, Timbaland was brought on to write and produce the original music on the show.
Timbaland has done it all over the past two decades, and his net worth is reflective of his hard work: WealthyGorilla estimates him to be worth $85 million in 2021.
Missy Elliott’s net worth
Missy Elliott’s artistic contributions can never be understated. As a genre-pushing female rapper, Elliott has continued to represent the gamechangers and free thinkers in hip-hop since her debut in the 1990s.
Elliott released hit after hit in the late ’90s and early ’00s including “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It,” and “One Minute Man.” In addition to her infectious songs, Elliott has been known for her inventive music videos that constantly push the envelope and the perception of what rap videos are supposed to look like it.
Elliott has earned four Grammy Awards throughout her career and sold over 30 million records. In 2019, she was the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame; that same year, she also the MTV VMAs Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her impact on the music video landscape.
Missy Elliott has contributed invaluable work to pop culture over the years and made it obvious that she’ll remain a high standard to top for women in hip-hop. WealthyGorilla estimates her net worth to be $50 million in 2021.
