Missy Elliott, the legendary hip-hop artiste, recently opened up about the deep influence her late pet had on her decision to embark on her upcoming tour, Out of This World – The Missy Elliott Experience.
The 52-year-old icon revealed that she had postponed her tour plans multiple times, most recently to care for her beloved dog, Hoodie, who passed away in November.
“I stayed home a lot because I didn’t want to go out on the road, and something happened,” Elliott told PEOPLE.
“He was 17 and lived a long, happy life.” She fondly described her senior dog as so pretty and noted how long he lived.
After Hoodie’s death, Elliott found the motivation to tour again with the help of her friend Ciara.
“So I said, ‘Okay, now I can leave the house without having to worry about anything,'” she recalled thinking after Hoodie’s passing.
“So Ciara and my dog played a big influence in me making the decision to go out.”
Elliott won’t be touring alone; she will be accompanied by her dog, Miss Fendi Dior.
“She’s six years old,” the Grammy-winning artiste said.
“[She’s] got her clothes ready to go out on the road with us. [It’ll] be fun, fun.”
“I know people sometimes be like, ‘Why y’all dressing those dogs?’… But she likes clothes. She really [does] like clothes. She [sees] me pulling out the outfit [and] she’s running. She knows what that means,” Elliott said about her stylish new pup.
Elliott’s dogs have always had a sense of style, which she frequently showcases on social media.
Related: Missy Elliott celebrates lesbian rapper Da Brat on getting pregnant at 49
