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.
- Lil’ Kim‘s new mixtape proclaims her G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). To that I say: baaaah! [
- Mary J. Blige‘s Growing Pains album art surfaces. Why the long face, Mary? Show me that smile again… [
- Mariah Carey takes it all off for the cover of Interview, and looks as proud to be naked as a 4-year-old would. Next time, show us what you did in the potty, Mimi. [
– Jessica Simpson‘s Working Girl remake Blonde Ambition will reportedly go straight-to-DVD. They should change the title to This Ain’t Working, Girl. [
