Missy Elliott Makes NASA History With First Hip-Hop Song Ever Transmitted To Space

Missy Elliott’s lyrics traveled all the way to space!

According to a news release, lyrics from Elliott’s song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” were transmitted about 158 million miles away to reach Venus through NASA’s DSN (Deep Space Network). NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California transmitted the lyrics at 10:05 a.m. PDT on Friday, July 12. 

“Transmitted at the speed of light, the radio frequency signal took nearly 14 minutes to reach the planet,” the news release reads. “The transmission was made by the 34-meter (112-foot) wide Deep Space Station 13 (DSS-13) radio dish antenna, located at the DSN’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, near Barstow in California. Coincidentally, the DSS-13 also is nicknamed Venus.”

The rapper also acknowledged the significance of Venus, as it’s her favorite planet.

“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,” Elliot expressed in the news release.

Elliot’s presence in space is an ode to her futuristic approach to music. Brittany Brown, NASA’s director of digital communications, was the one who pitched the opportunity to Elliot to take a foray into space.

“Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries,” said Brown in the news release. “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.”

To date, NASA has only done this for one other song, which was The Beatles’ “Across the Universe.” Elliot still makes history in the process, as “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” is the first Hip-Hop song to be transmitted to space.

“YOOO this is crazy! We just went #OutOfThisWorld with @NASA and sent the FIRST hip hop song into space through the Deep Space Network,” she wrote on X. “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.”