Buzz Aldrin climbs behind the mic for a joint jam with Snoop Dogg

One small step for man, one giant leap for pop culture.

In a recent interview with Deborah Solomon of The New York Times, astronaut Buzz Aldrin revealed to the whole wide world that he had just recorded a music video with the rapper Snoop Dogg. When Solomon asked Aldrin if he'd be singing, he politely corrected her. "It’s not singing," Aldrin said, "it’s rapping."

Well, now we have the proof, and oh what a glorious rap it is.

The video, titled "Rocket Experience," arrives with a solid gold pedigree. It was produced and written by Snoop Dogg and rapper pal Talib Kweli. It's being distributed by Funny or Die, the popular comedy website that Will Ferrell helped found. And MTV has been promoting the video heavily on its website. By early this afternoon, the clip, which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing, had gone viral, to the tune of tens of thousands of views.

'We came in peace'

So what kind of stuff does MC Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. get into?

Here's a sample line: "We came in peace for all mankind / Imagine a place above the sky / Riding orbits in 90 minutes time / All your need is to come with me / I'll be your guide." Insert a thumping base line, a soaring pop hook, and a handful of familiar NASA imagery, and you get the general idea.

"I was shocked when Buzz hit me on Twitter," Talib Kweli explains in a "making of" video posted on funnyordie.com. "But, you know, he wanted to get more of an underground feel, so he had to bring me in."

No, but seriously folks

Of course, as others have pointed out, the video is more than a stunt. "Rocket Experience" is available for a download, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the non-profit ShareSpace foundation. Plus, there's the underlying message of Aldrin's new jam: Space is downright cool.

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