On Tuesday (June 20), Missy Elliott appeared in the July/August issue of ESSENCE as their latest cover story. Within the feature, the legendary artist spoke on her career, helping others in need, and creating some of the most groundbreaking music videos in the game. She also opened up about dealing with Graves’ disease and battling mental health issues.

“I think that a lot of things were brushed up under the rug for me growing up, and probably also for a lot of people,” the Virginia native said. “I had so much time to just think of childhood stuff and all kinds of stuff… But that’s what makes me human.”

She continued, “Now, I’m fine with being like, ‘Hey, I got anxiety’ or ‘I went through depression.’ Even the biggest artist, or just the regular everyday working person, we all go through s**t. We all do. And it’s okay to say, ‘Hey, I’m not okay today.’ Probably, we would keep a lot of people around if we were that open, because we would be able to uplift each other. We’d know that I’m not going to look at you crazy if you say, ‘Hey, I’m having a rough day.’ Maybe you’re thinking things that you shouldn’t think, or whatever the case may be.”

Elliott also revealed that there was an unnamed close friend who played a big part in her recovery. “I had a peer of mine say, ‘Hey, look, I’ve been through the same thing,'” she explained. “And he was just like, ‘Next time I see you, I’m going to put a mirror in front of your face, so you can remember who you are and all that you’ve done.'”

As previously reported by REVOLT, Elliott will soon be the first and only female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later this year. She’ll join the likes of Chaka Khan, DJ Kool Herc, and Rage Against the Machine as part of the 2023 class.