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NASA beams Missy Elliott song to Venus
Missy Elliott lyrics blasted off into space as NASA transmitted her song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” 158 million miles from Earth to Venus, the space agency said Monday.
It took nearly 14 minutes for the hip-hop track to reach its destination. The Missy Elliott song is the second song ever transmitted into deep space, following up on the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” in 2008.
“My song ‘The Rain’ has officially been transmitted all the way to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment,” Missy Elliott said in a social media post. “The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.”
There actually is rain on Venus, though because temperatures reach 860 degrees Fahrenheit, the drops, which fall from clouds made of sulfuric acid, evaporate “back into a never ending toxic cloud,” according to NASA.
Rolling Stone ranked “The Rain” one of its “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2021. The 1997 song debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 129,000 copies sold in the first week of release.
The singer is in the middle of her “Out of This World” tour. Venus is her favorite planet, according to NASA.
“Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries,” said Brittany Brown, director of the Digital and Technology Division of NASA’s Office of Communications. “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.”
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California sent transmission into space at 10:05 a.m. PDT on Friday, according to NASA. They used the space agency’s Deep Space Network, which has an array of giant radio antennas, to beam the song toward Venus. The song was transmitted at the speed of light.
While the Beatles and Missy Elliott songs are the only ones that have been transmitted into deep space, music has been launched into outer space before. “The Sounds of Earth,” also known as the “Golden Record,” was sent into space on Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft in 1977 as part of a message “intended to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials,” according to NASA. The phonograph record was a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk with music from Bach, Chuck Berry, Mozart, Beethoven and more.
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Rich Homie Quan, the Atlanta rapper who gained mainstream fame through the trap singles “Type of Way” and “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” has died. He was 33.
Quan, whose legal name is Dequantes Devontay Lamar, died at an Atlanta hospital, the Fulton County Medical Examiner confirmed to The Associated Press. The medical examiner was informed of his death Thursday, said Jimmy Sadler, senior medical examiner investigator. The cause of death was not immediately available, with an autopsy scheduled for Friday.
Quan was one of the biggest names in hip-hop in the mid-2010s. He released a slew of mixtapes before he broke through in 2013 with the infectious “Type of Way.” The song became such a success that several other rappers jumped on the remix, including Jeezy and Meek Mill. He maintained his momentum, appearing on a YG track with Jeezy and releasing the London on da Track-produced song “Lifestyle” through his Rich Gang rap collective that included Young Thug and Birdman.
Quan followed up with “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” a song produced by DJ Spinz and Nitti Beatz. It became his highest charting solo single at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He also featured on Lil Dicky’s viral “$ave Dat Money.”
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In 2018, Quan debuted his first and only studio album “Rich as in Spirit,” which mostly went without any features — except for “Think About It,” a single with Rick Ross.
Quavo, Lil Boosie and Playboi Carti are some of the music artists who paid tribute to Quan on social media.
“Rest in Peace my brother Rich Homie Quan,” said singer Jacquees, who also called him a “legend” on X. “I love you for Life.”
Quan spoke with The Associated Press in 2022 about returning to music after an abrupt hiatus. At the time, the rapper said he was going through litigation with independent label T.I.G. (Think It’s a Game Record), but was prepared to make a comeback.
During that time, Quan ended up in a feud with his old collaborator Young Thug – who along with rapper Gunna – were among a group indicted on charges of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO Act and also accused of participation in a criminal street gang.
Quan said there was no beef between him Young Thug and was open to having a conversation with him if the opportunity presented itself. He said he hated to see Young Thug locked up, adding that rappers were being targeted by law enforcement.
“I wouldn’t say unfairly targeted because at the same time, some of these rappers are putting guns in videos and, you know, it’s like social media – it goes back to the social media thing,” he said.
“I think we showing too much, I think they’re showing too much, you know what I mean. Like that’s the difference in my music, I’ma tell a story but I ain’t going to tell you how I did it,” he added. “It’s still Black art, but we’re definitely being targeted. So that’s why I’m mindful of what I say in my music.”