Missy Elliott is now a star among literal stars, or at least her music is. NASA beamed the rapper's 1997 debut solo single “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to Venus using the Deep Space Network last Friday, July 12. The agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California sent the transmission 158 million miles from Earth to Venus—Elliot's favorite planet—at the speed of light, with the radio frequency signal taking about 14 minutes to reach its destination. Elliott is now only the second artist to receive this honor, after The Beatles.
“YOOO this is crazy! We just went #OutOfThisWorld with NASA and sent the FIRST hip hop song into space via the Deep Space Network,” wrote Missy Elliott on X. “My song 'The Rain' has officially been transmitted to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment. The sky's not the limit, it's only the beginning 👽👽”
Brittany Brown, Director of the Digital and Technology Division at NASA's Office of Communications, is responsible for pitching the idea to Missy Elliott's team. “Both space exploration and Missy Elliott's art are about pushing boundaries,” he said. “Missy has a history of infusing spacey storytelling and futuristic visuals into her music videos, so the opportunity to collaborate on something out of this world is really fitting.”
Missy Elliott is currently in the middle of her first headlining tour, taking her across North America with Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland. Much like her thrilling combo performance to celebrate her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last fall, the tour sees Elliott break down long-running hits and deep tracks to celebrate her storied musical career.
Read about “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” at No. 5 on Pitchfork's “250 Greatest Songs of the 1990s” list.
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