Last Friday, NASA used their Deep Space Network to make Missy Elliott the first hip hop artist to have their music sent into space.

Launched as a transmission from a NASA’s laboratory in California, Elliott’s 1997 debut single ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ was sent towards Venus at the speed of light.

The song travelled the 252.07 million kilometres to Venus (Elliott’s favourite planet) in roughly 14 minutes.

Taking to social media, Elliott said “My song ‘The Rain’ has been sent to 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”, she added.

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

‘The Rain’ is the fourth song to be transmitted into space. The most recent was in 2008, when ‘Across the Universe’ by The Beatles was transmitted in the direction of the star Polaris.

Produced by Timbaland, ‘The Rain’ was Elliott’s first solo release, after a spell writing for Bad Boy Records, and as a member of R&B Girl group Sista.

Elliott has since won four Grammy awards, as well as being the first female rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.