Missy Elliott Makes History As “The Rain” Becomes First Rap Song To Be Transmitted Into Space
Missy Elliott is truly “Out Of This World” as she’s now made history as the first person to have their rap song transmitted into space.
The Hip-Hop icon was tapped by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on July 12 to beam the lyrics to her 1997 hit, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” from the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to Venus — her favorite planet.
In a statement via NASA, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said: “I still can’t believe I’m going out of this world with NASA through the Deep Space Network when ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ becomes the first ever Hip-Hop song to transmit to space! I chose Venus because it symbolizes strength, beauty, and empowerment and I am so humbled to have the opportunity to share my art and my message with the universe!”
On Instagram, Elliott added: “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.”
Brittany Brown, a director at NASA and also the visionary behind the idea also stated: “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.”
Remaining on brand, the trendsetter is also currently touring the country on her first-ever headlining Out Of This World Tour with Busta Rhymes, Timbaland, and Ciara.
“This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone ‘firsts,’” she stated in a press release. “Being the FIRST female Hip-Hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and now going out on my FIRST headline tour — fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right. I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family!”
Aside from “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” being beamed to infinity and beyond, the only other song to have been sent to space is “Across the Universe” by the Beatles.
Revisit “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” below.