5 Reasons Why We Still Love Aaliyah
AALIYAH!!! *drops*
Swoop bang game PROPER!
On August 25, 2001, I was heading into my senior year of high school. I was on the phone talking to my best friend at the time. Roasting, ranting… doing what I do now. Except with no audience. Somehow, we talked unto the wee hours of the morning. Right before we were about to hang up, breaking news comes on MTV. It said the small plane carrying Aaliyah and her crew back from the Bahamas had crashed.
LAWDDD!!! I bust out a *WALL SLIDE*! I didn’t even have a name for it then but that’s what it was. I was sooo shocked because she was super young. She had so much ahead of her. The fact that 9 years after her passing, we still acknowledge her at this level means something. So I give you:
5 Reasons Why We Still Love Aaliyah
#AllTommyHilfigerEverything
5. She made dressing like a boy cute. I, too, wanted to rock Tommy Hilfiger boxers that showed over my super baggy jeans. I think Aaliyah may have actually kicked off my LOVE of Tommy stuff. That’s a post for another day. But in high school, I ODed on Tommy Hilfiger merchandise. I thought Aaliyah was the coolest! And since she rocked it, I did too. And her baggy jackets with nothing but a sports bra under? COOLEST. CHICK. EVER. She made Tomboy the new Black. And since I was already a tomboy, she was my fashion icon. *girl crush swoon*
4. She made the swoop bang the black “Rachel.” You know how Jennifer Aniston made the “Rachel” from Friends haircut popular for white women? Well Aaliyah did that to the swoop bang with Black folks. She made sure her hair was gingerly placed over her right eye like so. Shoutout to everyone who thought she had a lazy eye. She was just saying she only needed ONE eye to look at y’all with. You can be mad if you want to be. (-__-)
And I’d like to add that her hair was ALWAYS on point, whether she had weave, tracks or whatnot. She never offended my sensibilities with her hairhat. It. STAYED. ON. POINT. Take notes, folks. Take copious notes.
3. She was adorabo. I mean, her nickname was “babygirl.” And it did give her some innocence. Even after we found out about the marriage to one Pied Piper of Pee, Robert Kelly, we went “Well that girl ain’t know nothing.” And she didn’t. Nowadays, artists are hypersexual. Aaliyah thrust her pelvis at you and you didn’t see her love pocket. You just saw a dance move that involved hips. Now we live in the era of onesies. But Aaliyah was beautiful without much implication of slutbucketness. She was a pretty good medium.
2. She could dance. And sing. WELL. *looks at Ciara* (-__-). I’m just saying. Babygirl was a well-rounded performer. She could dance her butt off. It was like all her parts moved exclusively from each other but together (if that makes sense). She could make her waist move with nothing else. Chick could DANCE. But she could also sing. Her voice was soft and she could carry a note in a shot glass. Unlike some of today’s artists who have the voice for muting *looks at Rihanna*. The fact that I’m impressed with the ability to sing AND dance just lets you know how low my expectations have gotten. But Aaliyah had that complete package.
1. Her music was great and is still worth listening to. On top of all of that, Aaliyah’s music was classic in many ways. A lot of her songs still make me dance and sing (albeit slightly off key). Her songs comes on in my iPod and odds are, I won’t skip them. Well-written and produced songs (shoutout to Timbaland) like hers are to be appreciated. Plus, some of her songs take me back to old memories. Like…
I think my FAVORITE Aaliyah song is “Are you that somebody?” I used to get SO excited when it come on The Box (remember that?). And it also reminds me of freshman or sophomore year of high school. It was homecoming and we were on the bus headed to the football game. Well, halfway there, me and my Ace Kiarri started singing it and doing the dance. Before long, the whole bus joined in for the ratchetness. We got to the stadium and even did the routines in the bleachers. YESSS! Good times.
My 5 favorite Aaliyah songs
* Are you that somebody?
* We Need a Resolution
* One In a Million
* 4 Page Letter
* Rock the Boat
What are yours?
Aaliyah died when she was 22. I can’t imagine the plans she had for herself. I always wonder how far she would have gone had her time not been cut short. How big would she be? Where would she fit into today’s music scene? Which artists would probably be known wayyy less because she slayed ’em with her existence? It makes me stroke my chin. Would Aaliyah had worn onesies in every video? Would her lacefront make puppies cry? THESE are important questions. I won’t ever get an answer but I shall ponder them anyway. What do y’all think?
RIP Aaliyah Haughton!
P.S. I was watching the “Miss You” video tribute that various artists did for Aaliyah and I may or may not have gotten misty-eyed from it. #ThugTears
Get these blogposts directly in your inbox! Sign up for my weekly LuvvLetter below:
It is time to write that book. Come into The Book Academy and learn how to go from IDEA to INK.
Related Posts
62 Comments
The One I Gave My Heart To
Back In One Piece
At Your Best
Rock The Boat
4 Page Letter
One in a Million
Back and Forth
I think Aaliyah would have stayed the same. She never really went with the crowd. Even in 2001, Bey and them were looking like grown women, but she still had her girlie tomboyish look. Her and Dame would have been married with kids. She is so missed, a breath of fresh air. I remember they showed her video after she died and I just cried.
I forgot she was dating Dame Dash when she passed! Totally forgot. Wow. She was definitely a breath of fresh air though. And the “Rock the Boat” vid. She looked GORGEOUS!
This makes me want to listen to Aaliyah alllll day now. I think I’ll set my Pandora station to her and see what comes up. Thanks!
And didn’t that Veronica Lake chick rock the side bang cover your eye thing, too? Way back in the 20s or something? I’ll have to look that up. She, too, was sexy hot sssssmokin’ with that.
I’m pulling my hair out of the barrette now to pull that off. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Ooooo an “Aaliyah” Pandora station is perfect for the day. And I need to see a pic of ur swoop bang, MochaMomma. lol Make it happen for the peoples.
@Mocha-yes and if I remember correctly in an interview Aaliyah mentioned that’s where the idea for her to do it came from-I think Veronica Lake was introduced to her by her grandmother.
I remember that day so clearly! She died on my birthday and if I had known what a wall slide was back then, I would have done plenty of them that day. I just couldnt believe someone so beautiful and so talented could be taken from this life. The power of God is real. *RIP Babygirl*
My favorite Aaliyah song is Four Page Letter. It reminds me of my high school boyfriend but dont tell my husband that lol
First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! WOO HOOOOOOOOO!!
But yeah *wall slides* aplenty. Chile… LOL @ 4 page letter. Didn’t everyone write one back then?
lol THank you lady!
Aaliyah was THE. BEST. PERIOD. Are You That Somebody is also my favorite Aaliyah song. When I was in high school, there was actually a song made up in my band to the tune of this called “Dirty Drawers” (Funny story, but I’ll only explain if you ask)
My drumline tuned our drums to match the bass line for a half-time show, and the band did most of the dance from the video during a dance break. Neither my band nor my high school were predominantly black, so it was a sight to see, a band full of mostly white kids doing a hip-hop dance.
Yes. Please explain the “Dirty Drawers” story. I must hear it.
I was in my late 20’s when she passed away and I remember that night very well…I was at a friend’s house putting one up in the air, and when the breaking news came on, I thought I was tripping…Sadly, I wasn’t……I ♥’d her like a kid sister and she was fresh to deaf (yes, I still say that)….If she were alive today, she would be snatching wigs and Grammies!!!!
Favorite songs: One in a Million & Four Page Letter….
She’s SURELY be snatching wigs off all these talentless fools out in these parts. *pours out a lil licka*
I remember my friend calling me screaming that Aaliyah died..and all I said was “don’t call here with foolishness”…how wrong I was 🙁
I feel like every girl learned the choreo to “are you that somebody”. I swore up and down I would work with Fatima one day.
Oh FYI Luvvie Aaliyah died @ 22, not 25.
Yeah for some reason my slow self thougth she was 25. I made the edit. That’s even worse 🙁
Mayne, I used to stan for Aaliyah in her heyday. I learned all of her choreography, admired the fluidity in her dance moves (didn’t she make that ish look effortless!!), rocked Tommy Hilfiger errthang, and yes did the wrap with the side-swoop bang. I swear fo’ lawd I thought I was her.
Fave Baby Girl Songs:
Are You That Somebody
One in a Million
We Need a Resolution
Back & Forth (L-I-Y-A-H!)
If Your Girl Only Knew
YESSSS!! you were a true stan. aawww babygirl
I loved all of her fast songs. Like you, she was my role model because of her tomboy dress. She made being a tomboy or dressing like one less of a masculine thing. I loved her for that.
There are so many songs of hers that I loved. I was mostly into the fast joints. But ironically, in her death, the song that I remember her by is:
At Your Best (you are loved)
Yesssss!! Oddly enough, “Rock the Boat” is really her pinnacle song for me. And for it to be the last vid she recorded. Chile…
I remember the day after she passed was a “church school” Sunday and some of the room knew but most of the room didn’t know she had passed. Jesus himself could have walked into that class and we wouldn’t have known because we were all reminiscing about her. Talent, beauty, graciousness, she had it all. She knew how to be sensual and sexy with her dress and dance without being raunchy. Too many of today’s “artists” need to sit down and learn something from her.
Oh, P.S. That tribute video did me in–**allergy tears** all in my morning tea!!!
don’t get me started on 2day’s artists. Our standards are all low b/c few of them have real talent.
I was only 10 when Aaliyah died, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sooo upset! I absolutely love her music. She’s a true artist unlike some of these women now. It seems like if they look good, talent doesn’t really matter but Aaliyah had all of it.
My favorite Aaliyah songs are: Are You That Somebody (I used to know the whole routine BEFORE there was Youtube. Do you know how long I had to watch BET & MTV to see that video enought times to learn that dance??), Back & Forth, and More Than a Woman.
Rest In Peace Aaliyah <3
Who didn’t know the WHOLE routine to “Are you that somebody?” in fact, let me go relearn it by studying the vidjo.
Luvvie, is there a vid of u doing the choreo from “Are You That Somebody” – i kindsa need a good strong, from the toes up laugh.
Lol. The Choreo to AYTS, TA & MTAW were always on repeat for me. haha!
I have very fond memories of learning the “Are you that somebody” dance at camp! I had taped it from the home TV. The VERY next day I had them roll out the big ol’ tube TV on the cart — all of the girls spent the rest of the day trying to *get IT*.
One in a Million and What If are my two favorite Aaliyah songs.
Dang has it been 9 years? For realsies? RIP Aaliyah
P.S. If Aaliyah were still here, Ciara would have never been able to be out here swinging her lace front and rocking fitteds. Obvi…
Ciara is Aaliyah Diet, minus the massive amount of talent and charisma. Ciara can dance. That is all.
I too, remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news. She definitely would have slayed some of the artists who have come about since her passing. She was a classic and still is. RIP Aaliyah, you are missed.
She woulda murked these current artists. MURKED I SAY!
Kind of an aside, but can you believe how quickly Vh1 cranks out “Behind the Music” specials. I didn’t watch Fantasia’s last night, but it made me think of Aaliyah’s. She died August 25, 2001. In the special, one of her friends said she found out on the news, and it was the worst thing she had ever seen, i.e., it was filmed, edited and aired before 9/11. Dang, Vh1, you quick
Oh, babygirl….she was the first celeb death that I actually shed a tear over…I was stunned…I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed her as a performer and as a person until she wasn’t here with us anymore…
She seemed like the popular girl in school who EVERYBODY liked, including the teachers, but was super nice and humble and would stop to talk to you at the lockers and stuff…
(that was one big arsed run on sentence!)
My favorite song is More than a Woman.
It was the beginning of my senior year of college. I was half conscious (I sleep with the radio on) and the only black-ish station in Ithaca broke the news. I was stunned. I was saddened. I spent the whole day listening to EVERY song she ever sang or was featured on.
She was the cool nice chick to hang with. She was the girl every guy wanted to date. She was my homegirl in my head. She was just THAT cool. But mostly, she was HUMBLE. And she had her insecurities. And she hid from them without hiding… like most of us try to do.
I can’t pick a fave. I really love all her stuff.
I still miss her. And all the young things out here nowadays can’t hold a candle to what she was.
Why does it seem like Babygirl’s death touched everyone personally, like we KNEW her?
I was on the phone with my BF and caught the scroll out of the corner of my eye. I was in disbelief the entire day. I STILL cant watch her BTM, when her brother starts to cry… *wall slide with tears*
My favorite songs:
If Your Girl Only Knew
4 Page Letter
Hot Like Fire (the remix)
We Need a Resolution
More Than a Woman
Rock the Boat (my first girl crush, I always thought she was beautiful)
OMG, Luvvie, go to aaliyah.com.
*crying*
I love Aaliyah. I was coming home from church and my mom called and told me.
I can’t believe it has been 9 years since she’s gone. Thinking that she is my age when she died is just so sad.
My favorite songs have to be “Are you that somebody”, “Rock the boat”, “If your girl only knew” and “Final warning”.
If Aaliyah were alive today I truly believe she would have gone the JLo route and gone into making movies while also doing music. She was really getting noticed in Hollywood, due to her part in the Matrix films but when she died the part went to Jada Pinkett-Smith. All in all, I still honor her music and I still watch Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned on dvd.
When she died I was in a serious state of denial and disbelief. Imagine had Twitter existed back then; that “fail-whale” would’ve been sitting fatter than it normally does. I heard about the crash, didn’t believe it; waited until news stations officially confirmed and was heartbroken beyond belief. I mean, I think MTV had recently aired the ‘diary’ or whatever of Aaliyah, following her while she was on tour in Europe. I remember a part of her interview where she said [sic] that not many people get to do what they truly love and that she thanks God each and every chance she gets. That stuck with me. And I think in that special they showcased her makeup/hairstylist who was funny as hayul! He died on the flight, too. I was a wreck, a mess and she was probably the first celeb I really was ‘affected’ by and gave a damb for. She was on the cusp of something beautiful and magical and exciting with her film career. I rue the danggone day every time I see that video “Rock the Boat”. Actually, I usually turn the channel ‘coz it’s just too hard to watch (though it was a great vid and a great song). Great write-up, Luvvie. I enjoy your blog and your tweets 😉
Her hair stylist was my friend’s brother. That sense of humor runs in the family.
Are You That Somebody
One In A Million
More Than A Woman
Rock The Boat (This is my favorite)
Back & Forth
I’m the same age as Aaliyah and this hit hard. It reminded me of my own mortality. I miss you Aaliyah and your promise.
1.Try Again
2.One in a Million
3. More than a Woman
4. We Need a Resolution
5.Back in One Piece
I think So much would be different if she were still here. She and Dame would still be together. Dame and Jay would still be together. Bey and Jay would be their couple friends. DC still would have broken up, cuz, well, you know. Rhi Rhi, CiCi, and Keri Hilson, not so much.
Luvvie, one of my reasons why I love her was the sexiness of her being so damn much like a mystery. She was quiet and in the shadows, like a beautiful painting that you sit back and observe. The essence about her made her soooooo attractive to me. I remember crushing on her as a little boy.
Lol OMG! This tickles my soul because “Are you that somebody” so reminds me of my sophomore year in high school and how I tried to do the cute pony’s she’s got in the front of her hair and thought I was so so cu-yute when I rock two ponytails in the front of my head. Let me just it came nowhere near being as fly as Aaliyah. But she did create a mean swoop game for all us ladies to follow, and boy did I think I was one sexy thang when I would bust up in the place with my swoop and baggie jeans with the tight tee. lol. Ahh the days…I can’t even mention all my favorite Aaliyah songs but off the top its gotta be: At Your Best, Four Page Letter, If Your Girl Only Knew, Are You That Somebody, and Loose Rap.
nice post. great post. I agree with all your points about your music. Her stuff (music, dancing, and style) was so original and forward.
I think I am going with:
If your girl only knew
Back and forth
Miss You
Are you that somebody
More than a woman
I could go on with a couple of honorable mentions to. Lol.
The entire 1st album “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number”.
Its a hip-hop/soul classic back to front. The week that Aaliyah passed i re-plaayed that cd so many times my wife made me put it away. Last week it still sounded good unlike so many lps from the 90’s.
My faves:
1. I Care 4 U
2. 4 Page Letter
3. A Girl Like You (w/Treach)
4. We Need A Resolution
5. Come Over (w/Tank)
I approve this list!
I know I’m late but Aaliyah was a great performer and a nice person. I went to H.s. with her and although we weren’t hanging buddies she was so down to earth. My favorite vids are:
Rock The Boat
Age Ain’t Nuthin but a Number
More Than A Woman
Back In One Peace
Are you that somebody
Aaliyah was so darling to me we lived in the same city Detroit. How could something so bad happen to her? Did satan do it? Or did it just happen. Love her so much she was apart of me. Rock the Boat, More than a woman
[…] 5 Reasons why we still Love Aaliyah […]
I think that emoticon in #4 should be: (/_-)
lol
This was a great post but she died 10 years ago.
Sorry. I didn’t realize this was a “repost”. I saw it on Facebook and thought it was from this year. Still a great post.
This brought a tear, Luvvie! *bucks up chess* I’m aight…
I loved her style so much. It was so funny, right before she came out I’d picked her name as a name for daughter because the man I was with at the time was named Ali…I’d never heard the name before that.
She was classy and respectful and I don’t think I’ve heard one bad thing about her that I couldn’t wave off with a side eye (cuz that dude had to be hating cuz he ain’t make it like Babygirl did outta Detroit, lol)
My fave songs are…
~I Care 4 U
~Rock The Boat
~If You’re Girl Only Knew
~It’s Whatever
~More Than a Woman
I detest having to choose only 5, but because it’s YOU…I’ll oblige. LOL
Lovely post. I was in 8th grade when Aaliyah died. I’ll never forget. Love her. Here are my five favorite aaliyah songs. (I ONLY PICK 5?) haha
These are the best imho. little less known. BUT HERE GOES
1. Never No More
2. I Refuse
3. Journey to the Past
4. I am Music
5. Don’t know what to tell ya
[…] RIP to Aaliyah. 10 years gone but her music still lives on! This time last year, I wrote a “5 Reasons Why We Still Love Aaliyah” post. So getchu […]
Love this article, Luvvie!
I’ve been an Aaliyah fan since the beginning and it’s strange how it happened:
I had just left the ultrasound clinic, found out that I was having a girl on 6/29/94 and I turned on the t.v. to watch “The Box”. Back And Forth was just coming on the tv and I really loved it. As the name kept flashing in pink, I grabbed a pen to write it down and decided that I’d name my daughter after her! Before my Aaliyah was even born, I gave out plenty of side-eyes that year, when folks tried to brand her a hoe for illegally getting hitched to Arruh. You woulda thought I was defending my baby sister, I pulled out two chairs and gave two heffas some seats! My Aaliyah was born that December and you can imagine how many folks questioned why I named her that. I simply told them “Because I wanted my child to have a unique name with meaning!”
Ironically, I got really sick at work 8/25/01 ,that night, and didn’t find out until the next morning. Business lines and other phones at my job were all ringing off the hook for me, including my cellphone. My sister in IL (r.i.p., as of last yr) called me, my sister in town called me, as well as other family that had my work #’s…they all knew that I was an Uber-Fan, but I was still in denial. I even snapped at folks and told them “until I see it in print, I’m not believing it, so squash it!” My girl wasn’t gone, I was trying to get on MTV’s Fanatic! I wanted her to meet my Lil Aaliyah , who was 6 years old at the time! Fast forward until about 7 that Sunday night and when I saw it on Cnn.com, I cried so hard, I couldn’t breathe!!! She had to be the utmost kindred spirit because too many ppl were affected by her untimely passing. Too many.
I know we all have our favorite celebs, but Aaliyah felt like family! Eleven years later and counting…she still does!
My top 5, if I must:
“The One I Gave My Heart To”-
“More Than A Woman”
“All I Need”
“Don’t Know What To Tell Ya” (Handcuff Mix)
“Loose Rap”
My favorite Aaliyah songs..,. I cant pick just five. They’re all my favorites.
If i had to choose it be outta: one in a million, i dont wanna, more than a woman, choosey lover, if your girl only knew, back n forth, we need a resolution, are you that somebody, rock the boat.
Plus the songs she was feutured in. One more chance remix, up jumps the boogie, live and die for hiphop, final warning, take you home, best friends, sticky chicken.
But I grew up idolizing her from her talent to her personailty. I used to envy my cousin because they looked identical lol. When she died i was in 3rd grade. All I could do was scream and cry. She was so original and natural. Never judged a book by its cover, she was so giving and kind. Nowadays theres nothing but fakes and untalented people. Cassie has build her image around Aaliyah. She tries so hard to be the next Aaliyah and that wont ever happen. Rihanna tries to cop her style including how her first video was a bootlegged wal mart version of Rock The Boat. See the newer musicians try too much to be like legends such as Aaliyah. But they not realizing Aaliyah never followed trends, she set trends. She wasnt store baught, she wasall natural, and she had real talent. She left the world with no enemies! Very rare that you will run across originality like that.
Im 14 years old and I’m in love with Aaliyah and I know most of her songs, but my 5 top favorite songs are..
-rock the boat
-Try Again
-More Than A Woman
-Those were the Days
-Read Between the Lines
Sigh, I remember Aaliyah dying so well. I remember it was like, days before or days after the VMAs. See what you gotta unnastand is this.,..
My Bday is Aug 30th…or the ‘corridor of death’ as my mom calls it. Why? Cuz bad ish always wanna go down around my bday.
Katrina happened on the 29th of Aug 2005.
Princess Diana died the night of my 21st bday in 1997.
Mother Theresa died like a week after Princess Diana that same year.
The hurricanes that rocked Florida in summer 2004 happened..you guessed it, in and around Aug 30. I didnt feel that bad tho, cuz it hit all the counties that had the shady vote counting that got Bush elected…judge me.
So of course, I always remember Babygirl dying cuz it was 5 days before my bday, and my bday is always right around the time of the VMAs so I was like ‘damn…why some bad shyt always gotta go down????” Then of course, 9/11 happened like 3 weeks later and thats when shyt got really real.
Anywhoo, I had the One in a Million album and the Aaliyah album. I said it then and I say it now…the Aaliyah album was the best RnB album released that year, and was so ahead of its time in terms of sound and production that even 12-13 years later, it still sounds good. We can only imagine what music tip she’d be on right now had she lived. Honestly, play the Aaliyah album and tell me it couldnt go toe to toe with whats hot in the streets right now.
But I can tell you one thing…wouldnt be no Rhianna, no Ciara, and even Beyonce wouldnt be the undisputed queen of RnB had Aaliyah lived. Trust and believe.
And yeah, I agree with you with Aaliyah being able to be sexy without being slutty. Wasnt no twerking, wasnt no azz out on red carpets, wasnt no dancing in snakeskin get ups. Wasnt no rolling on stage half butt nekkid. Aaliyah always said her style was “street but sweet”, and I think her natural personality was to be low-key and play things close to the vest, not to leave everything out for all and sundry to see. She was sultry, not sexual, she left something to the imagination and we loved her for it, and we for damn sure miss it today. She was all about that Veronika Lake steeze….keep an air of mystery and leave something to the imagination.
And for what its worth, iowwnt think Aaliyah ever had wigs or tracks, even in her childhood photos she always had long hair so…
As for favorite tracks, pretty
I can be
Those were the days
Rock the boat
More than a woman
Its whatever
What if
Extra Smooth
We need a resolution
One in a million( when I first heard that beat with the Portishead steaze to it I was like “Oh shyt!”)
Heartbroken( man, when one in a million dropped I was just coming out of a relationship and this song was my damn anthem!)
If your girl only knew
The one I gave my heart to( we all knew she was talkin’ boutchu, Robert)
Back in one piece( with that HOT bassline sampled from Parliament!)
If at first you dont succeed
Are you that Somebody
And of course, the song that started it all:
Back and Forth.
But what I wanna know is..what song did they unearth for that ‘duet’ she had with chris brown???
Oh and one mo’ thing…for me Aaliyah dying hit extra hard because it was like, we all came up together. Back n Forth dropped in 94. I was a senior in HS( 17) and Aaliyah was 14 or 15 as the crow flies.
So it was like, we was kids and came up together. After the kerfuffle and scandal with R kelly , she kinda went away for a minute and then she low-key came out with One in a Million, and you could tell by some of the songs on that album she had gone thru some relationship shyt..and as I said, at the time that album dropped I was coming out of some shyt so it was like, we were going thru the same things together. And then after One in a Million, she stayed killing folks. I mean, she wasnt even putting out albums but stayed having hot tracks in the streets, and then the grammy nod for Mulan. So, anyway, it was like she was fam to me because we were of a similar age and she was just out there killing, but in a classy way. Aside from the Kelly kerfuffle, didnt have her business in the streets, wasnt out acting a fool. No coke habit, no rehab, no boolshyt.
And for the most part, Aaliyah was *ours*, as in the black community. While the world was wondering if britney spears was a virgin, Aaliyah stayed reppin for us, the right way. Thats why the MSM was all like ‘why they having this horse and carriage funeral for this child? Why is the entire city of detroit shut down?”. Dont think they knew about her…so whats up?
I knew of her prior, but I officially became an Aaliyah fan in 1996 with her OIAM album and I immediately was stopped dead in my track. She literally changed the game of r&b. Yes we always give credit to Brandy & Monica respectively bur Aaliyah was in a league of her own and was innovative and made music like no other. My top 5 five songs are….
No one knows how to love me quite like you do
Hot like Fire
I Care 4 U
I gotcha Back
What if
1. Young Nation
(a highly underrated song from the Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number album)
2. One in a Million
3. More Than a Woman
4. Choosey Lover
5. Hot Like Fire (Album version)
Actually “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” should replace number 4.