Missy Elliott’s “The Rain” is the first rap song to be sent into space

Missy Elliott expressed her amazement in a statement via NASA: “I still can’t believe I’m leaving this world with NASA via the Deep Space Network when ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ is 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 humbled to have the opportunity to share my art and message with the universe!”

Elliott also shared her excitement on Instagram, saying, “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.”

The vision behind the broadcast of Missy Elliott’s “The Rain”

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

Elliott’s career is full of “firsts.” She is the first female hip hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She is also headlining her first Out Of This World Tour with Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and Ciara. “This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many groundbreaking ‘firsts,'” Elliott explained in a press release. “I am the FIRST female hip hop artist to be 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, it would be on a grand scale and with family!”

“The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” follows the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” and is one of the few songs that NASA sent into space.