NASA has just taken hip-hop to new heights – quite literally. On July 12, 2024, the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory successfully transmitted Missy Elliott’s 1997 hit “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to Venus, marking the first time a hip-hop song has been beamed into deep space.
This cosmic achievement was made possible through NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), a global array of giant radio antennas designed for interplanetary communication. The musical message traveled an astounding 158 million miles from Earth to Venus at the speed of light, completing its journey in just 14 minutes.
Missy Elliott took to Twitter to express her excitement: “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”.
The choice of Venus as the destination for this musical transmission is no coincidence. Elliott specifically selected the planet for its symbolic representation of strength, beauty, and empowerment.
While sending hip-hop to Venus might seem like a quirky PR stunt, it actually serves as a test of NASA’s Deep Space Network capabilities. The DSN plays a crucial role in communicating with spacecraft across the solar system, from Mars rovers to asteroid-sampling missions.
This musical transmission also paves the way for NASA’s upcoming Venus missions. Two projects, DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) and VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy), are set to launch in 2029 and 2031 respectively. These missions aim to unravel the mysteries of our nearest planetary neighbor, potentially shedding light on its volcanic activity and complex atmosphere.
Missy Elliott now joins an elite group of artists whose music has transcended Earth’s boundaries. In 2008, The Beatles became the first to have their music beamed into deep space, making Elliott’s transmission a historic moment for hip-hop.
“The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” isn’t just any song – it’s the track that launched Missy Elliott into superstardom. Released as part of her debut album “Supa Dupa Fly,” the song and its innovative music video, directed by Hype Williams, left an indelible mark on the music industry. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, selling over 129,000 copies in its first week – the highest debut for a female rapper at that time.
As we continue to push the boundaries of space exploration, it’s clear that music will play a role in bridging the gap between Earth and the cosmos. Who knows? Maybe someday, alien civilizations will be nodding their heads (or equivalent appendages) to the beats of Missy Elliott. Until then, we can marvel at the fact that hip-hop has officially gone interplanetary, proving once again that music truly is a universal language.
Source: CNN