R.I.P. AALIYAH - 1979 - 2001
Your 90's-ologist misses Aaliyah. Great contemporary R&B singer, Brooklyn native and true child of the 90's, Aaliyah would have turned 30 years old yesterday. Aaliyah died in a plane crash on August 25, 2001. Her plane malfunctioned and went down shortly after attempting to leave the Bahamas (where she had just shot the video for her wonderful 2001 single "Rock The Boat") for New York. She is buried at Ferncliff Cemetery located in Hartsdale, NY (the town where I went to high school, incidentally).
She was famous for many things, including being secretly married to mentor R. Kelly when she was only 15 years old, but above all she was an innovative artist who reflected the times she lived in by being open-minded and interested in other types of music outside of her own genre, including metal (she was a fan of bands like Korn), incorporating those styles into her own music (with the help of famed R&B/Hip-Hop/rock producer Timbaland and songwriter Missy Elliot). I really enjoyed this creative aspect of her sophisticated and modern songs. BabyGirl was an original, adventurous spirit who continues to influence scores of young pop and R&B artists today (I'm talking to you, Rihanna!).
Though she had only three albums to her credit upon her death, "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number (1994), "One In A Million (1996) and "Aaliyah" (2001), it feels as if Aaliyah had countless songs that struck emotional gold and stick with you even now. She was beautiful, inside and out, and it's a shame more pop stars don't follow suit. Here are videos for songs off of each of her albums:
AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER (1994)
Aaliyah - Back and Forth
No matter what you may think of R. Kelly and his neverending embarrassment of riches, he is responsible for nurturing Aaliyah's talent in the early years, and was lead songwriter and producer of her debut record.
ONE IN A MILLION (1996) (My personal fave!)
Aaliyah - One In A Million
Aaliyah - If Your Girl Only Knew
Aaliyah - 4 Page Letter
AALIYAH (2001)
Aaliyah - Rock The Boat
Aaliyah - More Than a Woman
Aaliyah - We Need A Resolution
Aaliyah - Try Again
This is a track from the 1998 "Dr. Dolittle" soundtrack:
Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody?
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