Missy Elliott has done it again. This time, she’s made history by having the first-ever rap song beamed into space.
On July 12, the Virginia-born rapper teamed up with NASA to send her iconic track ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ to Venus. Yes, you read that right—158 million miles away! Brittany Brown, a NASA director who dreamed up the collaboration, gushed about the fitting partnership. ‘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,’ Brown said.
Missy herself was ecstatic. ‘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!’ she exclaimed. Missy explained her choice of Venus as it symbolizes strength, beauty, and empowerment. She echoed these sentiments on Instagram, sharing, ‘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.’
Besides this cosmic milestone, Missy Elliott is also busy with other groundbreaking ventures. She recently embarked on her ‘Out of This World Tour’ featuring Busta Rhymes, Timbaland, and Ciara. Despite her legendary status, it’s her first headlining tour, proving it’s never too late to hit new career highs. ‘This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone ‘firsts,’’ Missy stated, reflecting on her achievements that also include being the first female Hip Hop artist inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She added, ‘Fans have been asking me to tour forever, but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family!’
The only other song known to have been beamed into space is ‘Across the Universe’ by The Beatles. Now, Missy Elliott proudly joins this exclusive space playlist.
Missy Elliott continues to redefine boundaries and elevate her artistry to new heights—quite literally. With her iconic track now part of the cosmos, she has solidified her place not only in music history but in the stars as well.
