"Ptown is always with me, no matter where I go." 

And she's 2giving back. 

"I feel like as artists we celebrated a lot. So instead of it being about me I wanted it to be about the people here, my hometown." 

The rapper 3announced she is 4donating $50,000 to Portsmouth Redevelopment Housing Authority, the money to help families who 5meetcertain 6criteria pay rent. 

"This will allow them to 7remain in their homes. This will allow them to 8start fresh with a clean slate." 

9Threat of eviction, Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover says, is real to too many people. 

"And there were times in our lives that eviction could have been 10looming."

That's why he said the donation will make a difference for the city's 11residents. 

"It's a big deal, it's huge. It keeps families together, and it gives people, once again, hope." 

Missy Elliott said she understands the importance of that hope.

"Especially for me who have and who've been 12in a situation like that, my mother is a single mother, that's what made it important. Because I feel like 13I can relate to being in a place where you just don't know where you're going next. And so, this organization 14made the most sense to me." 

The artist, and her mother always glad to give back. 

"The people are very caring here in Portsmouth. They are really good people. And so we feel like that we got a little when we left. And my daughter goes to different places all over the world, she 15grabbed all of the DNA from beautiful people here. And we won't forget it."