Missy Elliott surprised her fans and the media when she appeared at the launching of Alexander Wang's H&M Collection in New York City on Thursday, US Weekly reported.
With a slimmer figure wearing a baseball cap with the words "You can't workout with us" and a baggy sweatshirt, Elliott performed at the said event almost five months after she was last seen in public.
Known for her rap song "Work It," the 43-year-old rapper took a break from her music career and committed herself to a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise since she was diagnosed with the autoimmune illness called Graves' disease in 2008, according to E! Online.
The recording artist has spoken extensively about her battle with Graves' disease, which affects the thyroid and motor skills. One of the symptoms of the disease includes weight loss. She reportedly lost 70 pounds.
With her hands on her hips and a wide grin on her face, she took a selfie and uploaded it on her Twitter page after her performance.
"Just got off stage thanks @ALEXANDERWANGNY and @hmusa for having me perform I enjoyed," she captioned the photo.
The Grammy-winning rapper underwent radiation treatments and medication while taking her time off from the music scene.
"You live with it for the rest of your life," she told People Magazine in 2011. "I feel great. Under my doctor's supervision, I've been off medication for about a year and I'm completely managing the condition through diet and exercise."
Prior to her recent performance in NYC, Elliott toured with Eve and Lil' Kim in "Return of the Queen Tour" in 2012 and performed "Get Ur Freak On," "Lose Control" and "Niliria" on KCON in 2013.
On the small screen, she appeared in several shows including "Punk'd," "MADtv," "My Super Sweet 16" and "America's Best Dance Crew," where she was featured as a guest judge.
Elliott also appeared as herself in "Honey," "Fade To Black" and "Just For Kicks."