Missy Elliott makes history as first female artist to have a song sent to Venus

“YOOO this is crazy! We just went #OutOfThisWorld with NASA and sent the FIRST hip hop song into space through the Deep Space Network,” Missy Elliott announced. “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”.

NASA'S Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California sent the transmission 158 million miles from Earth to Venus at the speed of light, with the radio frequency signal taking roughly 14 minutes to reach its destination. Following The Beatles, Missy Elliott is now the second artist to ever have the honour of having a song sent into deep space.

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

Brittany Brown, the Digital and Technology Division Director at NASA’s Office of Communications, is responsible for pitching the idea to Missy Elliott’s team. “Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries,” she said. “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.”