“The Rain” by Missy Elliott is the first rap song to be played in space

July 16, 2024

Missy Elliott is truly “out of this world” because she made history as the first person to have her rap song transmitted into space.

The hip-hop icon was commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on July 12 to transmit the lyrics of her 1997 hit “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” from the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to Venus – her favorite planet.

In a statement about NASA, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member said: “I still can’t believe I’m leaving this world with NASA via the Deep Space Network when ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ becomes the first hip-hop song ever to be transmitted into space! I chose Venus because she symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment, and I’m so touched by the opportunity to share my art and message with the universe!”

On Instagram, Elliott added: “YOOO this is crazy! We just went #OutOfThisWorld with @nasa and sent the FIRST hip hop song into space via the Deep Space Network. My song ‘The Rain’ has officially been transmitted to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment. The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.”

Brittany Brown, director at NASA and the visionary behind the idea, explained: “Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art are about pushing boundaries. Missy has often incorporated space-centric storytelling and futuristic imagery into her music videos, so the opportunity to collaborate on something extraordinary is really fitting.”

The trendsetter remains true to her brand and is currently touring the country on her first-ever Out Of This World Tour as a headliner with Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and Ciara.

“This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestones,” she explained in a press release. “I am the FIRST female hip hop artist inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and am now embarking on my FIRST headlining tour – fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right. I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big and I had to do it with family!”

Aside from “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” being sent to infinity and beyond, the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” is the only other song to be sent into space.

Watch “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” again below.