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In a stellar moment for music and space exploration, NASA has transmitted Missy Elliott’s iconic 1997 hit “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to Venus, marking the first time a hip-hop song has been beamed into deep space.
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The historic transmission took place on Friday, July 12, from NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Using the agency’s Deep Space Network, the song traveled an astronomical 158 million miles from Earth to Venus at the speed of light, taking approximately 14 minutes to reach its destination.
Elliott, clearly over the moon with this otherworldly honor, shared her excitement on social media: “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 not the limit, it’s just the beginning 👽👽”
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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
This cosmic milestone follows the Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” which became the first song NASA beamed into deep space in 2008.
Brittany Brown, Digital and Technology Division Director at NASA’s Office of Communications, who pitched the idea to Elliott’s team, noted the synergy between space exploration and the artist’s work: “Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries. 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.”
Produced by Timbaland, Missy Elliott’s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” from her debut album Supa Dupa Fly marked her emergence as a major player in hip-hop and R&B.
It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 129,000 copies sold in the first week released, becoming the highest debut for a female rapper at the time, and topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The track’s innovative production by Timbaland and its unique music video directed by Hype Williams left a lasting impact on the music industry, establishing Elliott as a creative force and setting the stage for her successful career.
Mick Jagger certainly felt “2000 Light Years From Home” this week, when he stopped by NASA‘s headquarters.
The Rolling Stones frontman stopped by the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, before the iconic rock band kicks off their Hackney Diamonds Tour in the city on Sunday (April 28). “Thanks @nasa for being so welcoming to us and great to be shown around by astronauts Josh Cassada, Bob Hines and Jessica Meir,” Jagger captioned a series of photos from his visit that he posted on Instagram.
In the snaps, the 80-year-old rocker is seen smiling in front of the mission control center, which features a sign welcoming him on the screen inside. He also is seen trying on a VR headset to explore the moon virtually, experiencing a spacecraft simulator, and posing alongside the astronauts.
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See his post here.
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Mick Jagger at NASA
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The Stones’ Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood will hit 16 cities on the AARP-sponsored tour, beginning with an April 28 show at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The swing will include a stop at Jazz Fest in New Orleans on May 2, as well as stadium shows in Las Vegas, Seattle, Orlando, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Denver, Chicago, Vancouver, and Los Angeles, wrapping up on July 17 with a gig at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
The band unveiled their 26th studio album, Hackney Diamonds, marking the first new Rolling Stones album of original music since the release of 2005’s A Bigger Bang, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album also is the first since the death of band’s drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away at age 80 in 2021.
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