Missy Elliot has made history! Her hit “The Rain(Super Duper Fly)” became the first hip-hop song sent to deep space.
RELATED STORIES: The Black Music Collective Honors Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott, Sylvia Rhone, and Lil Wayne During Grammy Week
NASA’s Deep Space Network released a press release stating that the song’s lyrics were transmitted from the Goldstone Complex to Venus, approximately 158 million miles away. Brittany Brown, director of the Digital and Technology Division, Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington, originally pitched the idea to Missy Elliot’s team. “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 explained.
The transmission took about 14 minutes to reach Venus, and the artist explained that she picked Venus because it was her favorite planet. “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!” Elliot exclaimed.
RELATED STORIES: NASA Astronaut Dr. Jessica Watkins Becomes First Black Woman To Have Extended Stay In Outer Space
The first song to be transmitted into space was “Across The Universe” by the Beatles, which was transmitted to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the group’s recording of the song in 2008. It was transmitted towards the North Star, Polaris, which is 431 light years away from Earth.
Fans also reacted to the news of Missy Elliot making history with NASA, including iconic moments from “The Rain” music video.