Hip-hop has officially been transmitted into deep space. Earlier this week, the popular 1997 song, “The Rain” (Supa Dupa Fly), by rapper Missy Elliot was transmitted from the DSN’s Goldstone complex to Venus, about 158 million miles (254 million kilometers) away.
The lyrics from Elliott’s hip-hop song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” were beamed to the second planet from the Sun via NASA’s Deep Space Network in a transmission sent by the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California at 10:05 a.m. PDT on Friday, July 12.
So why is NASA broadcasting hip-hop into space? In recent years, the space agency has integrated pop culture and space exploration to attract the masses and make space digestible and reachable for everyone. Space exploration, in other words, is not just for astronauts and people who enjoy nerding out over planets and distant star systems; it’s for all of us. Branching out and reaching a larger audience showcases the diversity of our planet, which parallels the diversity of the universe and the many cosmic mysteries it holds.
“I still can’t believe I’m going out of this world with NASA through the Deep Space Network when ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ becomes the first ever hip-hop song to transmit to space!” Elliott said. “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!”
“Super Dupa Fly” went super dupa far, traveling 158 million miles (254 million kilometers) from Earth to Venus. The transmission was made by the 34-meter (112-foot) wide Deep Space Station 13 (DSS-13) radio dish antenna, located at the DSN’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California. Coincidentally, DSS-13 is also nicknamed Venus.
“Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries,” said Brittany Brown, director of the Digital and Technology Division, Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington, who initially pitched ideas to Missy’s team to collaborate with the agency. “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.”
The Deep Space Network (DSN) has an assortment of giant radio antennas that are used to track spacecraft, send commands, and receive scientific data from the Moon and beyond.
The DSN has transmitted only one other song into space, The Beatles “Across the Universe” in 2008. The recent transmission of Elliott’s song marks another groundbreaking moment, this time for for hip-hop culture.
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on The Debrief’s YouTube Channel. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton and at chrissynewton.com.
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