Missy Elliott’s ‘The Rain’: NASA beams 1st hip-hop song to Venus in 14 mins

The universe is vast. But for one iconic artist, the stars just got a little closer. For the first time, NASA sent hip-hop music into outer space.

NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) sent the lyrics from Missy Elliott’s hit song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” on a cosmic journey to Venus.

California’s Jet Propulsion Lab initiated the transmission on July 12 at 10:05 AM PDT.

“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!,” said Elliott in the NASA release.

Transmitted via radio signal

This 1997 chart-topping hit (“The Rain” peaked at #4 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart) began Missy Elliott’s solo career following her stint with an R&B group.

Elliott, also known as Misdemeanor, has always pushed boundaries. Her music videos are known for their space-age themes and out-of-this-world visuals.

“Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries,” said Brittany Brown, director of the Digital and Technology Division, Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

“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 added.

Traveling at the speed of light, the song raced 158 million miles (254 million kilometers) from Earth, arriving at Venus in just 14 minutes via radio signals.

The historic radio signal transmission blasted off from a 34-meter (112-foot) wide radio antenna (Deep Space Station 13) nicknamed “Venus.” DSS 13 is located at NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California.

Elliot’s favorite planet

Interestingly, Venus was picked specifically since it is Elliot’s favorite planet.

Elliot said: “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!”

Venus is often called as E arth’s evil twin. The planet is shrouded in a thick, scorching atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds. With an average temperature hot enough to melt lead (867°F), it is not a welcoming environment.

As per NASA’s release , the space agency is sending two new missions to Venus, and the DSN will be there to help. NASA’s DAVINCI mission targeting Venus’ atmosphere is set to lift off sometime after 2029, followed by its companion mission, VERITAS, in 2031 or later.

The DSN is a network of powerful radio antennas that act as Earth’s messengers, sending commands and receiving data from spacecraft exploring the Moon and beyond.

Music has been a part of NASA’s cosmic messages for decades. Back in 1965, astronauts enjoyed a parody of “Hello, Dolly!” while in orbit around Earth.

Meanwhile, the Voyager missions carry golden records, a mixtape of Earth’s sounds, as they go beyond the solar system. Who knows, maybe some alien civilization will one day find these songs and get a taste of Earth’s music.