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Denzel Curry Stakes Claim As the ‘First Rapper Played in Space’: ‘Even Aliens F**k With My S**t!’

Denzel Curry celebrates his collaboration with Glass Animals playing in space as part of the Artemis II crew’s wake-up song.

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There are plenty of accolades to be had in hip-hop. But what rap song could you imagine playing in space? Now, we have video proof of the kind of rappers they’re playing amongst all the stars. NASA shared on social media that its astronauts are preparing to return to Earth. As their wake-up song, they’re playing “Tokyo Drifting” by Denzel Curry and Glass Animals. Curry reacts how you would imagine any artist would, learning that their songs made it past Earth. “Even Aliens F**k with my S**t! First Rapper Played in SPACE N***A!” he exclaimed on X. “Tokyo Drifting” comes from the Glass Animals album of the same name in 2019.

Denzel Curry isn’t making a totally outlandish claim either. In the history of broadcast music, will.i.am is technically the first rapper to have music in space. Back in 2012, the Black Eyed Peas artist premiered his song “Reach for The Stars” from Mars. It marks the first time a song has ever been played from another planet, commemorating the landing of the Curiosity rover. However, the record is far more electronic in tone, contrasting with Denzel’s lyrical prowess.

Denzel Curry and The Many Artists Played in Space

Most recently, on September 13, 2024, violinist and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis performed a solo of “Rey’s Theme” from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In doing so, she raised money for her music education nonprofit El Sistema USA.

“Music has been a defining force in my life, thanks to the unwavering support of both my parents,” Gillis said in a statement. “My mother, a music teacher, championed my classical training on the violin, which has helped shape me into the engineer and astronaut I am today. The discipline, work ethic, and creativity fostered through music set me on the path that led to this extraordinary adventure into space. I’ve chosen to support El Sistema USA because they believe every child deserves access to the transformative power of music education, regardless of circumstance. If my performance moved you, I encourage you to make a donation to El Sistema USA, an organization that continues to inspire me every day.”

Additionally, European astronaut Thomas Pesquet similarly premiered Coldplay’s song “Higher Power” in 2021 via an “extraterrestrial transmission.” “The song is about trying to find the astronaut in all of us. The person that can do amazing things,” Lead singer Chris Martin said at the time.

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