Missy Elliott Becomes First Hip Hop Artist Broadcasted into Space [Listen]

The stars above and on Earth aligned as an inspirational message and lyrics from the song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” by hip-hop artist Missy Elliott were beamed to Venus via NASA’s DSN (Deep Space Network). The agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California sent the transmission at 10:05 a.m. PDT on Friday, July 12

NASA has made Missy Elliott’s 1997 single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" an out-of-this-world hit by broadcasting it into space. The track traveled 254 million kilometers at light speed to Venus, the artist’s favorite planet, and was transmitted by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on July 12, reaching the planet in just 14 minutes.

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This historic event was made possible by the Deep Space Station 13 (DSS-13) radio dish antenna, coincidentally nicknamed Venus. Missy Elliott expressed her excitement on Twitter, saying, “The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.”

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… pic.twitter.com/g6HofNQSt1

— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) July 15, 2024

In an interview with NASA, Elliott shared her disbelief and humility in having her song become the first hip hop track transmitted to space, stating, “I am so humbled to have the opportunity to share my art and my message with the universe!”

This marks NASA's second time transmitting a song into outer space, following The Beatles' "Across the Universe" to the North Star in 2008.

Missy Elliott continues to make history, having been the first female rap artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, the first female hip hop artist in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019, and honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021.

Listen to Missy Elliott’s ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ below.