Who ever thought that hip-hop would take it this far?
Twenty-seven years ago, on July 15th, 1997, Missy Elliott released her debut studio album, “Supa Dupa Fly.” Produced solely by friend and longtime collaborator Timbaland, the album went on to produce several hits, including “Sock It 2 Me,” “Hit Em’ Wit da Hee,” and its smash title track, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).” The album catapulted Elliott to superstardom and set her apart as a leader in hip-hop’s vanguard. Now, almost three decades later, Missy Elliott has made history as the first hip-hop artist to have a song sent to outer space.
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On July 12th, NASA beamed a hip-hop song to space for the first time ever. Working with Elliott, they sent the lyrics from “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” along with an inspirational message from the platinum recording artist 158 million miles into deep space. Traveling at the speed of light, the message took about 14 minutes to reach Venus, the sixth largest planet, a nod to Elliott’s six studio albums. Elliott, currently on her “Out Of This World” tour, expressed deep gratitude for the honor, saying this was only the beginning for her.
“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,” wrote Elliott.
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Hopefully, the aliens will get this transmission and come in peace!
Cover photo: Missy Elliott Makes History as the First Hip Hop Artist to Have a Song Sent to Space/Photo Credit: Missy Elliott/Derek Blanks