Missy Elliott to make history with Berklee College of Music honorary doctorate

Missy Elliott will receive an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee College of Music, becoming the first female hip-hop artist to do so.

Billboard reported that in addition to the five-time Grammy winning rapper and producer, Justin Timberlake and conductor Alex Lacamoire will receive honorary degrees at the college's commencement ceremony May 11.

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According to a Tuesday news release from the college  Berklee's president, Roger H. Brown, will present the degrees.

“As is Berklee’s tradition, on commencement eve, Friday, May 10, students will pay tribute to the honorees by performing music associated with their careers,” the release said. “The concert and ceremony, both at Agganis Arena, are not open to the public.”

Elliott took to Twitter in response to the news, writing, "I am soooooo HUMBLED."

Lacamoire, who graduated from Berklee in 1995, also tweeted about the honor.

“Being honored in this way by my alma mater means the world to me, you guys,” he wrote Tuesday. “I’m over the moon with joy and I’m psyched to be grouped with these legends! See y’all in May.”

Among the legends Lacamoire, Elliott and Timberklake will be grouped with are:

Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, B.B. King, Smokey Robinson, Loretta Lynn, Annie Lennox, Carole King, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, George Clinton, Rita Moreno, Lionel Richie, Julio Iglesias, Mavis Staples, George Clinton, Rosanne Cash, Nile Rodgers and Esperanza Spalding.

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