Missy Elliott’s music is continuing to make history. NASA transmitted the enigmatic hip-hop figure’s iconic 1997 hit, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” to Venus last week, according to The New York Times.
The song traveled 158 million miles via the Deep Space Network from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to Venus, Elliott’s favorite planet. It was transmitted at the speed of light and took approximately 14 minutes to reach the terrestrial plant.
“Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries,” Brittany Brown, director of the Digital and Technology Division, Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters, said in a statement. “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 is responsible for pitching the NASA collaboration to Elliott’s team. In 2008, NASA sent The Beatles’ “Across the Universe” into Deep Space, the only other song to be transmitted to date.
Elliott celebrated the milestone on Twitter, expressing her excitement about breaking new ground for hip-hop and the significance of Venus, symbolizing strength, beauty, and empowerment. NASA also shared their enthusiasm on social media, highlighting the song’s journey as part of their ongoing exploration missions to Venus.
“The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” was produced by Elliott’s friend and longtime collaborator hip hop superproducer Timbaland. It appears on her debut album Supa Dupa Fly. The song debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 129,000 copies sold in its first week, becoming at the time the highest debut for a female rapper.
Elliott’s eclectic style was captured in a unique music video directed by Hype Williams, that has been a source of creative reference for many artists today.
The Grammy-winning artist also became the first woman rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Elliott is currently on her first-ever headlining tour, Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience, featuring Ciara and Busta Rhymes, and Timbaland.
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