About Portsmouth

• Missy Elliott, a Grammy-winning rapper, hails from Portsmouth.
• The First Continental Navy shipyard was founded here in 1767.
• Its strategic location on the Elizabeth River spurred naval development.
• Portsmouth hosts the oldest operating Naval Hospital in the U.S.
• The Great Fire of 1861 destroyed much of downtown Portsmouth.
• Named in 1752 for Portsmouth, England, birthplace of founder William Crawford.
• Home to approximately 97,000 residents, fewer than nearby Norfolk.
• Elevation averages 16 feet, making it susceptible to flooding.
• Shipbuilding and the naval industry are vital to the local economy.
• A city with a blend of maritime history and Southern charm.
• The Norfolk Tides, a Triple-A baseball team, play nearby.
• I.C. Norcom High School won the boys' basketball state championship in 2015.

Artists From Portsmouth

Whack Rappers by

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Alan Hudson and the Halfmoons Deborah Coleman Forest Flynn Link Wray Missy Elliott Robbie Bradshaw and the Counterclaims Ruth Brown Swamp Dogg Tommy Newsom Arlington, VA Beaufort, NC Boones Mill, VA Chesapeake, VA Goldsboro, NC Greenville, NC Hampton, VA Jacksonville, NC Kenansville, NC Morehead City, NC