Missy Elliott was inspired to make new music by P. Diddy.

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott

The 'Get Ur Freak On' hitmaker - whose last studio album was 2005's 'The Cookbook' - wouldn't be working on a fresh album if it wasn't for the 'I'll Be Missing You' hitmaker asking her to work with him.

Asked if P. Diddy - real name Sean Combs - encouraged her back into music, she said: "Yes. I wanted to have a label and just have artists and do writing and producing.

I happened to be in the studio one day with Faith Evans and I was working with her and he came over and said, 'Yo money, you still rap? I got this record I want you to hop on. I was so nervous."

Elliott, 44, was being interviewed by Pharrell Williams for Apple's Beats 1 Radio and during the Q&A she praised him for his in-depth musical knowledge.

The rapper - who worked with Pharrell on her 2015 singe 'WTF (Where They From)' - said: "He's a studier of music. I believe that if you want to be great, you have to be a student of music and he is that. He's a teacher now but he's always studied and has a sincere love for hip-hop culture."

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