Aaliyah’s mystique was transcendental even before she tragically passed ten years ago today, so it’s not surprising that the impression she left and music she made continues to cause a rippling impact on music culture. For fans, her music was the backdrop to their lives, scoring everything from fun-filled rooftop dance parties to the moments when boots were knocked. Her peers in the music industry held her in the highest of regards, and those close to her have, for years, commented on her spirit’s ability to penetrate and inspire.
Having never met R&B’s trail-blazing beauty, Young Money’s Drake tweeted to Aaliyah just last night, nodding at his belief that she is, like an angel, actively guiding him through his career. But Drake is certainly not alone in sending messages out into the ether to celebrate the late singer; in an era where grieving is often done in a public forum, we’re lucky to be privy to a layer of digital mourning that, before social media, we may not have experienced. We’ll be adding to this post throughout the day, so take a look at the tweets and iconic photos below from the likes of close collaborators like Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, and more. And please, by all means, feel free to share your memories and tweets of Aaliyah with us in the comments as well.
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Tags: Music, R.I.P., Twitter, La La, Drake, Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Timbaland, Mary J. Blige, Lil' Kim, Ciara
Ten years ago today, the life of pioneering R&B singer (and budding movie star) Aaliyah was cut tragically short when the Cessna 402B carrying her and eight others, including the pilot, crashed 200 feet beyond the runway in the Bahamas. Her talent is such that she is not an artist we look back on in our memories, but one whose music and influence have remained very much a part of our lives in the decade following her untimely passing. Even so, such a milestone calls for a more focused remembrance. Here at VH1 HQ, we’ve already revisited The Fader‘s reposted 2008 cover story tribute (and are rocking its attendant mixes) and for our money the best of today’s tributes comes courtesy Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, remembering Aaliyah at Life + Times:
We’d already been through the years of Janet [Jackson] and of SWV, who brought elements of hip-hop culture to R&B, but Aaliyah was the first to fuse R&B cool fully to hip-hop swagger, just in time for rap to take over the world. She transformed Tommy baggies and boxers into a look so feminine it was almost preternatural, and when she sang about desire, it was so knowing you knew she was one-upping her subject.
For more, watch the highlight reel of interview segments that MTV News compiled from her 2001 episode of Diary, and check out who in Aaliyah’s circle of celebrity friends is taking to Twitter today to mourn her loss. We also welcome your thoughts and memories about her in the comments.
Rest in peace, Aaliyah. You are still very much missed.
[Image: Getty Images]
