Remembering Aaliyah

[ANVEEROY 61,141]

Aaliyah was just 15 years old when her debut single, “Back & Forth,” topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in July 1994. The Detroit-reared singer had her eye on stardom early, appearing on the televised talent competition Star Search in 1989. Her ascent was swift: By 21, Aaliyah had become an international star with a handful of No. 1 hits, modeled for Tommy Hilfiger, and embarked on a movie career. Her music and personal style were edgy and effortless. They reflected a future that Aaliyah wouldn’t get to experience.

She died, along with eight others, in August 2001 when the plane carrying them crashed just after taking off from the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas. She was 22. You’ll often see the phrase “frozen in time” mentioned in connection with Aaliyah. But the singer, whose influence pushed forward long after her death, is no ghost of decades past. She remains a strong point of reference both musically and stylistically.

Aaliyah would have been 40 in January. Pondering who and what she would be today is a coping mechanism her fans still resort to, allowing her, like other stars who died young, to live on as a symbol of eternal youth. “She’ll be young forever, but that’s not a consolation prize for a life,” says Lee. The symbolism of her youth can’t be separated from its exploitation. In the years since her death, the true nature of Aaliyah’s enormously consequential relationship with Kelly has only sharpened and grown more disturbing to the public.

The singer, who hailed from a protective family, was 12 when she was introduced to R. Kelly by her uncle and former manager, Barry Hankerson, who also managed Kelly at the time. Aaliyah soon became Kelly’s protégé, submitting to his vision while he wrote songs for her about young women longing for older lovers. Four years after they met, an infamous Vibe cover story revealed that the two had secretly wed in 1994, with a marriage license that incorrectly stated that she was 18. In this year’s Lifetime documentary series Surviving R. Kelly, Demetrius Smith, Kelly’s former tour manager and personal assistant, claims he obtained false documents ahead of the wedding because Aaliyah was underage.

Although Aaliyah may be R. Kelly’s most high-profile victim, their connection is just a small part of her story. The absence of her music on today’s standard channels for consumption risks diminishing her legacy moving forward. A 2016 Complex piece explored the precarious status of her discography, revealing that it’s tied up in the legal turmoil Blackground Records has experienced since her death. Artists and producers including Timbaland, Toni Braxton, and JoJo have filed lawsuits against the label, which no longer has a presence on the internet. The best of Aaliyah’s catalog, still woven into so much of today’s music, is in danger of being lost to time and technological advancements. “As well-regarded and beloved as she is, it should be tenfold more,” DeRogatis said.

The silence was broken following the airing of Surviving R. Kelly, which included interviews with several people on tour with Aaliyah and Kelly who said they witnessed sexual acts between the two. But Aaliyah’s mother has denied this happened. “It’s confirmed in the settlement. It’s confirmed in the annulment,” says DeRogatis. “It obviously happened. It’s a tragedy that it happened, you don’t want to relive a tragedy, but on the other hand, you can’t deny that it happened.” In a 2013 interview with the Village Voice, DeRogatis recalled Aaliyah’s mother explaining the aftermath of her dealings with Kelly. “I had Aaliyah’s mother cry on my shoulder and say her daughter’s life was ruined, Aaliyah’s life was never the same after that,” he said.

More: https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/8/28/20825657/aaliyah-r-kelly-wax-museum-death?fbclid=IwAR3FdAI7pb8yNN_bI7iFpHCuGru7ho_F9rFqKatUIZBrosWbP8lxvSf2dk4

[FentyGa 14,340]

her story is so sad, but she lives on in the R&B and pop music of today💗

[ANVEEROY 61,141]

1 minute ago, FentyGa said:

her story is so sad, but she lives on in the R&B and pop music of today💗

True! She was so huge back then!  

[DonatellaPop 3,482]

15?!? ugh the power in this powerful woman, god bless her soul, gone too soon.

[geopang 4,831]

She was the queen when I was a kid. Her music is 10x better than anything on the radio today. 

[RAMROD 108,882]

Buy her CDs, y'all

Especially since you can't find her songs on streaming or digital stores

[ANVEEROY 61,141]

 

[ANVEEROY 61,141]

I want to do a Aaliyah best of Megarate to promote her discography. Anybody interested? 

[DonatellaPop 3,482]

1 minute ago, Anveeroy said:

I want to do a Aaliyah best of Megarate to promote her discography. Anybody interested? 

yes! 

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

She was America’s sweetheart, the streetwise girl from next door with the coolmint voice and love for Slipknot and tomboy fashion. I cried for days when she died. 

[Nightwing 518]

I wish her discography would be remastered and made available for sale.

It's sad how her legacy is being swept under the rug because of her discography not being available.

[Craven Moorecox 2,806]

11 hours ago, Anveeroy said:

I want to do a Aaliyah best of Megarate to promote her discography. Anybody interested? 

And no I haven’t voted in the queen megarate, but I will vote on this one

[Sassy McSass 814]

I love her songs for the Anastasia soundtrack. She had a bright future ahead of her...