Coachella Didn't Dance, But Missy Still Got Her Freak On

— A Salute to Black Women Who Lead

Missy Elliott: The Living Legend. The Visionary. The Icon. 

As a proud Missy fangirl (I chose to go to college in Virginia because it was her birthplace), I was hype when I heard she was finally hitting the Coachella stage for the first time.  She ultimately did what we (Millennials, Gen X, and real music lovers) expected her to do—deliver a mesmerizing, high energy set.  Because when has she ever missed?

But…the crowd? Lukewarm. Unmoved. Out of touch. As if they didn’t realize they were in the presence of greatness. Like a cultural moment falling flat against a wall of indifference.

Sadly, it felt all too familiar.

A Black woman in leadership already knows what it’s like to show up brilliant, prepared, evolved… and still be met with silence or blank stares.

Missy wasn’t the problem at Coachella.  The crowd chose to diminish her brilliance. 

The Mark Keeps Moving

People love to call Missy Elliott “futuristic” or say she was “ahead of her time.” On the surface, it sounds like praise. But to me, it feels like another form of delay. Another way of saying, “We’ll celebrate you… later.”

You show up futuristic; they want present-day trendy.

You bring vision; they ask for data.

You come prepared and polished; they ask for more energy.

Missy’s Coachella moment reminds us:

You can do everything right and still be misunderstood.

You can be a legend and still be under-appreciated.

You can get your freak on and…they still might not dance.

That doesn’t mean you stop. It just means you’re performing for the wrong crowd.

Reinvention Without Compromise

Missy has always been a masterclass in reinvention. At Coachella, she mashed up classics like ‘Get Ur Freak On’ with newer sounds, dropped in Chicago house staples like ‘Perculator’ and even featured a tap dancer between songs.  She crosses cultural norms, blends genres, and honors the current moment without ever losing herself.

Missy is iconic by being culturally fluent and emotionally intelligent.

Like many other Black women in leadership, she reads the room, spots the shift and adapts with grace and intention.  The tempo may change, but we’ll always find the beat; sometimes, we even create our own with a remix.

Not every crowd will see you.  But the ones who know? Know.

Missy’s real crowd was at home, dancing in their living rooms unbothered about the soreness they’d feel in the morning.  They were the ones that took to Tik Tok to call out Gen Z for sleeping on greatness. 

So to every woman navigating leadership, wellness, and reinvention…

‘Work It’. 

You have the 'Drip Demeanor'.

Don’t let them ‘Gossip Folks’ dim your shine.