Missy Elliott’s classic 1997 single “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” has been transmitted to Venus, making it the first hip-hop song to be sent into space. The transmission occurred on Friday, July 12, from NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
Using the agency’s Deep Space Network, the music covered an incredible distance of 158 million miles at the speed of light to reach Venus, taking almost 14 minutes to arrive there, as per Billboard.
The legendary artist shared her excitement on social media with the caption, “YOOO this is crazy! We just went #OutOfThisWorld with NASA and sent the FIRST hip hop song into space through the Deep Space Network. My song ‘The Rain’ has officially been transmitted all the way to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty, and empowerment. The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.”
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Digital and Technology Division Director at NASA’s Office of Communications Brittany Brown presented Elliott’s team with the idea and pointed out the similarities between space exploration and the artist’s work. “Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries. Missy has a track record of infusing space-centric storytelling and futuristic visuals in her music videos, so the opportunity to collaborate on something out of this world is truly fitting.”
Elliott’s breakthrough album Supa Dupa Fly, which featured the Timbaland-produced song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” identified her as a significant figure in the hip-hop and R&B scenes.
It became the biggest debut by a female rapper at the time, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 after 129,000 copies were sold in its first week of release. It also topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Elliott became recognized as a creative force and the foundation for her successful career was laid by the track’s avant-garde Timbaland production and distinctive music video, which was directed by Hype Williams.
Elliott’s song is the second song ever transmitted into deep space after the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” in 2008.
