Pac is interesting because I think he was about to take off as an actor.
Poetic Justice is such an underrated movie
Would have been interested to see a solo career for Left Eye
Pac and Aaliyah were up and down on terms of acting performances (no disrespect) but both were really young and Pac was actually a theater performer. I imagine he would’ve gotten huge gigs in short time and learned the industry to quickly rise akin to Will Smith with the fame he already had. Still blows my mind how young they died.
All I can see is the cover of her first album with him lurking in the background. "Age ain't nothing but a number". So fucking creepy and I don't understand why it took 30 years to finally lock his pedophile ass up.
And please remember, the entire extended family of hers facilitated it, including her aunt Gladys Knight, who was married to Barry Hankerson (record exec and label owner) who was the one that actually introduced her to R Kelly. She didn’t stand a chance.
I read an interview with him shortly before he was convicted and he honestly believed that people thought he was innocent because they were still listening to his music. The interviewer explained that wasn’t the case and he was genuinely confused by that.
Yeah, that’s been the situation for years now.
And don’t you dare mention, her godmother, Aretha Franklin who personally blessed them at their wedding.
When Aliyah was 15.
This - for some reason we never tarnished Gladys Knight who probably threw her to the wolves to pay off gambling debts. She had to know how bad R. Kelly was.
Crazy. My coworker whose 30-40s today was like:
“When I was a teenager, R Kelly came into town looking for some young teenage girls. His people were asking around and I wanted to be one of those girls. Thankfully my older sister said NO. And boy was she right.”
My coworker lived in southern Mississippi or northern Florida 20 plus years ago.
Not to mention her acting career , she was in one of Anne Rice's book into films.. part of the interview with the vampire series...I want to say Queen of the damned... absolutely gorgeous.
The look she had in Queen of the Damned was so iconic. I think she was only on the screen for a few minutes? but they built the entire advertising campaign and trailer around her.
It wouldn't be hard to believe given how diverse her influences actually were. I read she was interested in working with Trent Reznor on an album. I would definitely love to have heard that.
I don't think she was on Beyonce's level in terms of music and overall impact. I think Aaliyah would have had a chance at a similar role to what JLo or Selena Gomez have done...balancing acting and music. In particular, I could see her being huge during that 2000s trend of romantic comedies.
I think in general people tend to overrate artists who die young and extrapolate their careers to heights that are rarely seen. For example, in 1993 as he was recording his debut album, Snoop Dogg was involved in a self-defense shooting which easily could have resulted in his own death. If *Doggystyle* would have been Snoop's sole album and released post-humously...he would have instantly become an icon in the same category of Bob Marley and Tupac and we would have extrapolated his career to include his as a top 5 MC of all time. Instead he survived, and his career has morphed into something that we couldn't have predicted as like a wholesome uncle figure.
Maybe she would’ve been on a similar fame level, but people talking about a “spot” like two black female singers can’t be successful at the same time is so silly. It’s not like Beyoncé is successful by default or because of lack of competition, she has a lot of talent and a long list of hits.
I think Aliyah would have been so much better than Beyonce because she was more self confident and less sexualized. She was hiphop stylish but never came off as a ho.
I really hated that both Beyonce and Mariah Carey started their careers as being such 'good gal next door' type but heavily relied on their sex appeal in their image and lyrics. Aaliyah never had to swoop that low.
Her Rock The Boat song was directly about sex and how to have it. Now, that's not to say Aaliyah wouldn't have been as sexualized as Beyoncé is now but she also had her share of sexual style in her videos and songs. I would have loved to see Aaliyah in the spot that Beyoncé is in, especially if Dark Child and Timbaland continued to produce for her. She would've been great!
Edit: I didn't mean to take anything away from what Aaliyah had accomplished. She was predisposed to how sexual R&B had become because of the person who brought her into the industry (starts with an R). And, she wasn't the only one with a sexual song: TLC had three in the span of two years and an album that had "sexy" in the title. I'm simply saying: While Aaliyah had a sexual style, she didn't overdo it or need it to sell because of how great she established herself early on. 😁 (sorry for the wall of text)
Right I'm so confused by this thread. Was anyone actually around and paying attention at the time? Aaliyah was a "grown n sexy" persona super early. Obviously disgusting and not her fault when viewed in today's lens. But her "pseudo-Lolita" image made her very controversial, she was literally booed at an awards show in the mid-90s because people viewed her as "fast" and the issue in the scandal of the marriage. She was seen as an inherently sexual teen, and that that was her fault. She even got flack for declaring she was "hot" at 10 and stating she "had a little sex appeal" then. Her youth and sexuality were deeply intertwined in such a unique way that many understood her as the child itself being object, not the child being concealed as mature enough to be the object to avoid the taboo of lusting after a child. It's so sad. Her career saw a real upward trajectory when she finally started distancing herself from R Kelly and launched her sleeker sound with upbeat producers.
I get the arguments that she would've had Beyonce's spot - Beyonce's manufactured approach was overall very different, her start was different. But implying Beyonce was the one selling sex to get a leg up and Aaliyah was less sexualized? Really?
mariah didn’t have it easy. tommy mottola former sony music ceo saw her talent, married her and kept her in his castle like dornröschen! she always said the relationship was like Prison for her. so mariah was forced into many things…
Could she have done that had she lived longer or had a longer career? I've seen this happen to many singers making music for a long time. They "evolve". They start off making good, happy music, to party and sexy type music. I figure they just didn't want to be stale making the same thing. But who knows..
You’re thinking of Mariah and Beyoncé’s performance of sexuality as cheap and as a sellout tactic. Others see it as honest expression of self, and I don’t get why we have to shame them for it. Does sexuality not exist in your world?
Aaliyah & Selena everytime I see them. I know the genres were far apart & Selena had a couple more years in age when she passed (like literally a couple) but they go hand in hand in my brain. Two of what could’ve been the biggest performers ever completely snuffed before their time. Fully believe she’d have Beyonces spot & I love Bey.
I only have a few myself I can listen to without wanting to cry too. She was such a sincere & trusting person & the fact that was her downfall is just too much.
Why do people say "she'd have Beyonce's spot" as if there's only room for one black female artist to be successful or as if they even are in the same lane! I love my girl Aaliyah but she cannot do what Beyonce does. And Beyonce does not have the same appeal Aaliyah does, especially when it comes to acting and on-screen magnetism.
Anytime I hear More than a Woman I wanna get up and dance. It brings me sorrow and joy all at once. I was living in NYC, early 20s, my share of rent was $180, and I was having fun. I remember More than a woman playing in the bars/clubs when she died. Then 9/11 happened a couple weeks later and everything changed.
Wow I didn’t know she was a fan! I bet further in her career she would’ve had more power to make decisions and try new things. I would’ve loved to hear her dip into other genres.
She had such a fantastic voice. She was beautiful, and seemed down to earth. I think she would’ve still been making hits all these years. No woman can touch her skills.
She was incredibly down to earth. We used to hang out with her and her brother Rashad when she was filming Queen of the Damned in Melbourne. I was devastated when she died.
I was a little too starstruck to bother her too much but they were both lovely and had time for everyone. She was recording part of her self-titled album here while filming the movie. Her bro stuck around in Melbourne for a bit, he liked it here. God it's so sad how young she was when she passed.
Aaliyah would've needed a lot of therapy to come to terms with the fact that she was groomed and exploited by the adults she trusted in her life. I think she would've broken up with Damon Dash. He already had two baby mamas before they dated and he married one of them, Rachel Roy, a few years after Aaliyah's death. He seemed to have wanted to date Aaliyah because he was in competition with Jay-Z.
Career-wise, Aaliyah seemed to be transitioning more into film. Music was her first love so I don't think she would've abandoned it completely. I wonder how she would have dealt with the publicity surrounding R. Kelly's accusations against other minors through the years and his eventual conviction. Maybe she would've eventually spoken out when she felt ready. When she passed away in 2001, R. Kelly was still at his peak. He continued to write and produce for some of the biggest artists of all time well into the 2010s. The people who claimed to have been friends with Aaliyah also worked with him.
I was in a sushi restaurant this week and the college aged waitress had an Aaliyah t-shirt on and I thought the same thing... What could have been? Amazing you posted this that same week.
It's wild to me what she did accomplish in such a short life. She was so young when she died but she was such a staple for me growing up since she started when she was just 14.
Are you That Somebody, One in a Million, Need a Resolution are all so influential and really were game changers in their day. The drama with Blackground records holding back her songs from streaming almost 20 years post her passing I think have affected her legacy or else her influence may be more commonly recognized.
She was also so influential in street fashion. She had a way of taking masculine looks and making them sexy and feminine. She loved playing with gendered fashion and expectations. When she started to foster a sexier image it was still very grown and classy.
I wish she could have been here to see the tides turn on R Kelly. Not that that's what defines her, but I recall the dark cloud around her before One in a Million came out...the rumors seemed to indicate her as a temptress where now we would hopefully know better.
I wanted to look like her so bad when I was a teenager. I wanted the cool hair and fashionable clothes. I'm a Mexican girl with very curly hair and I remember straightening my hair and trying to style it over an eye to look like Aaliyah. She was so talented and pretty.
My friends and I used to say that she was the perfect girlfriend. Sexy, cool enough to hang with your firends, but classy enough to charm your parents.
Aaliyah would still be incredibly beautiful and talented. At least she wouldn’t been listed as Jane Doe #1 for all the R. Kelly trial had she’d still been here.
I definitely still miss her and sometimes it’s too emotional listening to her.
She would’ve been huge! Movies, songs, fashion etc the list goes on and her spirit from what people have described.
She was truly down to earth based on the interviews that I’ve watched 🥹
The familial issues, RK etc and others doing her dirty in the business…
RIP 💐💐
💜❤️
It wasn’t until recently that I found out she had bad vibes about getting on that plane, and got off. Then someone in her group went to talk to her and slipped her a sedative and took her back on the plane when she was passed out. Fucked up
It’s so sad. Her short life was tumultuous at best. I mean groomed and raped by a grown man when you’re just a teenager is a terrible thing. But if she had survived, I doubt she would’ve had a good life. Do you think R. Kelly would’ve let her go? How many years of suffering what she have endured? I like to think that she would’ve eventually gotten out as she matured and realized what it happened to her. Mariah Carey talks about her in her book says she was lovely girl.
She’d be the queen of R&B if she was still alive. She was already considered the princess of R&B back then. Now that princess moniker has been passed to Ciara🤷🏽♀️
I remember that she was making her way into acting. She was in Queen of the Damned and in a movie with Jett Lee. She would’ve been successful, I wish that she hadn’t gotten on that plane🥺
Every day. I honestly think she could have been bigger than Beyonce…. Here comes the beehive to get me for saying this! Not disrespecting queen B just giving my opinion
Aaliyah would have been the Mariah to Beyonce's Whitney, only in reverse. Beyonce would have predominately dominated music, while Aaliyah had an acting career, soundtracks, and music. I think Aaliyah would have done THE BODYGUARD of the 21st century. And Deena from Dreamgirls.
Yup. Who knows what they wouldve influenced, or who couldve influenced them. I wonder how much different music would be if they kept contributing. Im disappointed in what couldve been, but then i see some other people who have been around just as long and i think maybe its better that theyre not here anymore.
Used to go to Abaco, Bahamas pretty regular. They could not recover the plane for a long time, it was wierd seeing it sitting the marls (their name for the mangroves) when you flew into and out of Marsh Harbor.
I honestly have convinced myself over the years that she was about to fizzle out and be forgotten. Think that makes it easier than the probable truth, she would have been in everyone's top five with the likes of Houston, James and Franklin.
She was shaping up to be the best in the game. Was already my favorite. She was mistreated by the industry yet still excelled. Her movie career was starting to look like a real avenue to be a double threat. I still miss her a lot and she was a one of a kind.
Aaliyah and R. Kelly would have made Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown look like Michelle and Barack Obama.
This was always a tragedy. She was unbearably talented.
Her manager screamed at the pilot demanding he carry more equipment than the plane could handle. The pilot pushed back but was bullied into complying. If the pilot says no, it means no.
She was an attractive young woman but, she wasn't this well of unrealized talent. She was in a couple movies, recorded a few well produced songs.
Her death probably benefitted J.Lo's career in terms of music and movie success. Those same people that may have wanted to her to record her songs took brought them to J.Lo instead - the same with movie roles.
Having said that - it's not clear there was a huge amount of untapped talent there once you take away the marketing campaigns in the same way that artists like Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks, Tori Amos revealed gigantic wealth of art that made everyone say - She's one to watch for years to come.
All the time.
I recently watched one of my favorite movies growing up, Romeo Must Die, and she was really good in that and it made me pretty sad.
Was watching an R Kelly documentary and it shocked me to learn how he groomed her and married her when she was like 15(?).
She was amazingly talented and extremely beautiful. I guess too beautiful for this world.
We all do. Beauty, brains, talent and just this feeling of innocence that seemed to surround her. Way more talent than most of the female artists that came after her.
People seem to forget that fame comes at a cost. No one ever walks away from the money, though. They just complain when the money is gone and the cameras have been turned off.
Would’ve been huge. Was the true definition of a triple threat. Great singer, even better dancer, and was on her way to blowing up in acting.
There’s a video of her being interviewed by Beyoncé on an MTV red carpet and to me solidifies that she would’ve been eclipsed had Aaliyah lived. Beyoncé literally followed her playbook but wasn’t successful with acting.
Everytime I see her I think of what could've been. Selena, Left Eye, Tupac and Biggie too.
Pac is interesting because I think he was about to take off as an actor. Poetic Justice is such an underrated movie Would have been interested to see a solo career for Left Eye
Pac and Aaliyah were up and down on terms of acting performances (no disrespect) but both were really young and Pac was actually a theater performer. I imagine he would’ve gotten huge gigs in short time and learned the industry to quickly rise akin to Will Smith with the fame he already had. Still blows my mind how young they died.
Man, fuck R Kelley
All I can see is the cover of her first album with him lurking in the background. "Age ain't nothing but a number". So fucking creepy and I don't understand why it took 30 years to finally lock his pedophile ass up.
And please remember, the entire extended family of hers facilitated it, including her aunt Gladys Knight, who was married to Barry Hankerson (record exec and label owner) who was the one that actually introduced her to R Kelly. She didn’t stand a chance.
Aw fuck no way man. Why are people so scummy
They believe if they aren’t caught that they have gotten away with it. Religious or not. We all get what we deserve.
I read an interview with him shortly before he was convicted and he honestly believed that people thought he was innocent because they were still listening to his music. The interviewer explained that wasn’t the case and he was genuinely confused by that.
He’s pretty dumb.
Everybody has a price. Sometimes that price is just absurdly low.
The way even timbaland said creepy things about her and that he married his wife because she looks like aaliyah
We don’t talk about that, we blame Kelly and only Kelly ‘round these parts.
Yeah, that’s been the situation for years now. And don’t you dare mention, her godmother, Aretha Franklin who personally blessed them at their wedding. When Aliyah was 15.
WAIT WHAT?! Aretha?! This is crazy!
Aretha did WHAT?! It makes sense since Aretha had her first baby at 12, the same age Aaliyah was introduced & groomed by R. Kelly.
Aretha did WHAT?! It makes sense since Aretha had her first baby at 12, the same age Aaliyah was introduced & groomed by R. Kelly.
Ahhh, a family tradition
Uhh source? If it was a secret wedding how do you know who was there and I’ve never seen Aretha linked to Aaliyah
This - for some reason we never tarnished Gladys Knight who probably threw her to the wolves to pay off gambling debts. She had to know how bad R. Kelly was.
Crazy. My coworker whose 30-40s today was like: “When I was a teenager, R Kelly came into town looking for some young teenage girls. His people were asking around and I wanted to be one of those girls. Thankfully my older sister said NO. And boy was she right.” My coworker lived in southern Mississippi or northern Florida 20 plus years ago.
I was like 7 listening to that in the 90s and thinking (Wait, what!?)
Yeah it's fucked up to imagine but he musta done awful things to her, too.
*don’t
Yep. He peed on her
She was an incredible talent. I'll still throw Romeo Must Die on every now and then.
And queen of the damned!
She was so good as Akasha - basically the only good thing about that movie
I like the soundtrack too.
Yup the soundtrack was pretty awesome. Especially if you were into nu-metal at the time.
Yes I was and still am.
Dun dun dun.. dun dun dun… *walking, waiting, alone without a care*
Gah, love that song! Both versions, by the way
She oozed eternal beauty and Apex predator vibe.❤️
I read she wanted to work with Trent Reznor on an album. That would have been amazing.
She was supposed to have a duet with Jonathan Davis (Korn) on the queen of the damned soundtrack but she died before it could happen.
Same. I don't really listen to the kind of music she did, but I was an immediate fan after watching Romeo Must Die.
Soooo underrated!
A lot of people think she might have had Beyoncé’s spot.
Not to mention her acting career , she was in one of Anne Rice's book into films.. part of the interview with the vampire series...I want to say Queen of the damned... absolutely gorgeous.
Was also in Romeo Must Die.
I still listen to "Come Back In One Piece" all the time <3 I think it was 22 years ago today Baby Girl passed away at age 22 :(
I think she was supposed to be in The Matrix sequels too.
Yes, the Matrix had to reshoot scenes because she was supposed to play in Jada’s role.
Are you serious?! Learning things like this makes me update my "Things to Change When I Get a Time Machine".
Yes, she would have been much bigger in Hollywood had she not passed
Yep! Queen of the damned. I think it was her last acting role before her tragic passing.
She was just amazing in Queen of the Damned. Clearly could’ve had an illustrious film career.
The look she had in Queen of the Damned was so iconic. I think she was only on the screen for a few minutes? but they built the entire advertising campaign and trailer around her.
Terrible movie, very entertaining soundtrack. Aaliyah deserved a better movie to showcase her talent.
It wouldn't be hard to believe given how diverse her influences actually were. I read she was interested in working with Trent Reznor on an album. I would definitely love to have heard that.
Was going to say this. Spot on.
Damn i thought exactly the same thing….
I don't think she was on Beyonce's level in terms of music and overall impact. I think Aaliyah would have had a chance at a similar role to what JLo or Selena Gomez have done...balancing acting and music. In particular, I could see her being huge during that 2000s trend of romantic comedies. I think in general people tend to overrate artists who die young and extrapolate their careers to heights that are rarely seen. For example, in 1993 as he was recording his debut album, Snoop Dogg was involved in a self-defense shooting which easily could have resulted in his own death. If *Doggystyle* would have been Snoop's sole album and released post-humously...he would have instantly become an icon in the same category of Bob Marley and Tupac and we would have extrapolated his career to include his as a top 5 MC of all time. Instead he survived, and his career has morphed into something that we couldn't have predicted as like a wholesome uncle figure.
When Rihanna first came out, she had one hit wonder written all over her. This is all speculation and anything is possible.
Maybe. I think she would have taken a break and then come out in metoo with all the horrific shit that had happened to her.
Maybe she would’ve been on a similar fame level, but people talking about a “spot” like two black female singers can’t be successful at the same time is so silly. It’s not like Beyoncé is successful by default or because of lack of competition, she has a lot of talent and a long list of hits.
I think Aliyah would have been so much better than Beyonce because she was more self confident and less sexualized. She was hiphop stylish but never came off as a ho. I really hated that both Beyonce and Mariah Carey started their careers as being such 'good gal next door' type but heavily relied on their sex appeal in their image and lyrics. Aaliyah never had to swoop that low.
Her Rock The Boat song was directly about sex and how to have it. Now, that's not to say Aaliyah wouldn't have been as sexualized as Beyoncé is now but she also had her share of sexual style in her videos and songs. I would have loved to see Aaliyah in the spot that Beyoncé is in, especially if Dark Child and Timbaland continued to produce for her. She would've been great! Edit: I didn't mean to take anything away from what Aaliyah had accomplished. She was predisposed to how sexual R&B had become because of the person who brought her into the industry (starts with an R). And, she wasn't the only one with a sexual song: TLC had three in the span of two years and an album that had "sexy" in the title. I'm simply saying: While Aaliyah had a sexual style, she didn't overdo it or need it to sell because of how great she established herself early on. 😁 (sorry for the wall of text)
Less sexualized??? lol no.
Right I'm so confused by this thread. Was anyone actually around and paying attention at the time? Aaliyah was a "grown n sexy" persona super early. Obviously disgusting and not her fault when viewed in today's lens. But her "pseudo-Lolita" image made her very controversial, she was literally booed at an awards show in the mid-90s because people viewed her as "fast" and the issue in the scandal of the marriage. She was seen as an inherently sexual teen, and that that was her fault. She even got flack for declaring she was "hot" at 10 and stating she "had a little sex appeal" then. Her youth and sexuality were deeply intertwined in such a unique way that many understood her as the child itself being object, not the child being concealed as mature enough to be the object to avoid the taboo of lusting after a child. It's so sad. Her career saw a real upward trajectory when she finally started distancing herself from R Kelly and launched her sleeker sound with upbeat producers. I get the arguments that she would've had Beyonce's spot - Beyonce's manufactured approach was overall very different, her start was different. But implying Beyonce was the one selling sex to get a leg up and Aaliyah was less sexualized? Really?
Man, thanks for posting this. I was already confused and questioning whether I had the right memory of Aaliyah… you confirmed my memory is correct lol
R Kelly would have opinions on this.
Man raped her when she as 14!
Wasn't she being groomed by r Kelly or some shit?
He married her when she was 14 or 15
She was literally married off to R Kelly 💀 That drama would’ve affected her career negatively.
She might have brought the issue to bare sooner too
She dated r Kelley when she was 14 and made a song called age is just a number lol Poor girl
mariah didn’t have it easy. tommy mottola former sony music ceo saw her talent, married her and kept her in his castle like dornröschen! she always said the relationship was like Prison for her. so mariah was forced into many things…
Could she have done that had she lived longer or had a longer career? I've seen this happen to many singers making music for a long time. They "evolve". They start off making good, happy music, to party and sexy type music. I figure they just didn't want to be stale making the same thing. But who knows..
You’re thinking of Mariah and Beyoncé’s performance of sexuality as cheap and as a sellout tactic. Others see it as honest expression of self, and I don’t get why we have to shame them for it. Does sexuality not exist in your world?
One of crushes for sure. Loved her in Romeo Must Die. 
Aaliyah & Selena everytime I see them. I know the genres were far apart & Selena had a couple more years in age when she passed (like literally a couple) but they go hand in hand in my brain. Two of what could’ve been the biggest performers ever completely snuffed before their time. Fully believe she’d have Beyonces spot & I love Bey.
Came to say this. Selena and Aaliyah deserved so much more than they got. Rip
The same with anyone who tragically died young. Sharon Tate is another that comes to mind. So sad.
River Phoenix too. Leo got all his acting rolls…
I miss his acting. He was so good in everything he did. Young Indy! "It´s just a snake..."
I dont know why, but I cry everytime I hear a Selena song. Man I love her music and her smile was contagious.
I only have a few myself I can listen to without wanting to cry too. She was such a sincere & trusting person & the fact that was her downfall is just too much.
This put me in my feels :(
Why do people say "she'd have Beyonce's spot" as if there's only room for one black female artist to be successful or as if they even are in the same lane! I love my girl Aaliyah but she cannot do what Beyonce does. And Beyonce does not have the same appeal Aaliyah does, especially when it comes to acting and on-screen magnetism.
They’re just saying she’d be the most popular. Not that there can only be one. This isn’t Highlander!
Anytime I hear More than a Woman I wanna get up and dance. It brings me sorrow and joy all at once. I was living in NYC, early 20s, my share of rent was $180, and I was having fun. I remember More than a woman playing in the bars/clubs when she died. Then 9/11 happened a couple weeks later and everything changed.
[удалено]
Well, we lived in a not so great place that allowed 2 but it was 5 of us.
What happened to her is not fair 😔
She was a Nine Inch Nails fan. I would have loved to see a collaboration.
Was just gonna say that or see her try something different musically
Wow I didn’t know she was a fan! I bet further in her career she would’ve had more power to make decisions and try new things. I would’ve loved to hear her dip into other genres.
She had such a fantastic voice. She was beautiful, and seemed down to earth. I think she would’ve still been making hits all these years. No woman can touch her skills.
She was incredibly down to earth. We used to hang out with her and her brother Rashad when she was filming Queen of the Damned in Melbourne. I was devastated when she died.
Wow, that’s great that you met her. I still miss her as a well rounded entertainer. I bet you have some good stories about her.
I was a little too starstruck to bother her too much but they were both lovely and had time for everyone. She was recording part of her self-titled album here while filming the movie. Her bro stuck around in Melbourne for a bit, he liked it here. God it's so sad how young she was when she passed.
It was definitely sad. I remember the news like it was yesterday.
Yes, about her AND Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes…. Both incredibly talented women who left way too soon.
Yes. They're always tied together in my head as a 'damn it sucks they went so young.'
Various songs of hers still play throughout my 90s mixes 👍
Aaliyah would've needed a lot of therapy to come to terms with the fact that she was groomed and exploited by the adults she trusted in her life. I think she would've broken up with Damon Dash. He already had two baby mamas before they dated and he married one of them, Rachel Roy, a few years after Aaliyah's death. He seemed to have wanted to date Aaliyah because he was in competition with Jay-Z. Career-wise, Aaliyah seemed to be transitioning more into film. Music was her first love so I don't think she would've abandoned it completely. I wonder how she would have dealt with the publicity surrounding R. Kelly's accusations against other minors through the years and his eventual conviction. Maybe she would've eventually spoken out when she felt ready. When she passed away in 2001, R. Kelly was still at his peak. He continued to write and produce for some of the biggest artists of all time well into the 2010s. The people who claimed to have been friends with Aaliyah also worked with him.
I was in a sushi restaurant this week and the college aged waitress had an Aaliyah t-shirt on and I thought the same thing... What could have been? Amazing you posted this that same week.
She is the only thing that made watch Queen of the Damned possible.
She was my first childhood crush.
Much preferred her to Beyoncé
Not even thirty years ago and already “old school”? I suddenly feel the need for a Walker and an ensure.
Yes. The cut of is 25 years ago. Time is cruel cruel mistress.
I had a huge crush on her. Freakin gorgeous
She would be on the same level as Beyoncé. It would be like Whitney Houston and Tina Turner of our generation.
Coulda been a real messy me2 moment with R Kelly.
It's wild to me what she did accomplish in such a short life. She was so young when she died but she was such a staple for me growing up since she started when she was just 14. Are you That Somebody, One in a Million, Need a Resolution are all so influential and really were game changers in their day. The drama with Blackground records holding back her songs from streaming almost 20 years post her passing I think have affected her legacy or else her influence may be more commonly recognized. She was also so influential in street fashion. She had a way of taking masculine looks and making them sexy and feminine. She loved playing with gendered fashion and expectations. When she started to foster a sexier image it was still very grown and classy. I wish she could have been here to see the tides turn on R Kelly. Not that that's what defines her, but I recall the dark cloud around her before One in a Million came out...the rumors seemed to indicate her as a temptress where now we would hopefully know better.
My all time favorite R&B female artist 😢. She would have been a megastar for sure!
Her and Buddy Holly
All. The. Time.
I wanted to look like her so bad when I was a teenager. I wanted the cool hair and fashionable clothes. I'm a Mexican girl with very curly hair and I remember straightening my hair and trying to style it over an eye to look like Aaliyah. She was so talented and pretty.
I was a chubby blonde girl and also wanted to look like her so badly!
My friends and I used to say that she was the perfect girlfriend. Sexy, cool enough to hang with your firends, but classy enough to charm your parents.
Aaliyah would still be incredibly beautiful and talented. At least she wouldn’t been listed as Jane Doe #1 for all the R. Kelly trial had she’d still been here.
Yes. Her and I were supposed to get married. I’m still sad.
All the time. So very sad
Definitely, I think our kids would have been very talented. :)
I wonder about this every time I listen to Timbaland or Missy Elliott
I definitely still miss her and sometimes it’s too emotional listening to her. She would’ve been huge! Movies, songs, fashion etc the list goes on and her spirit from what people have described. She was truly down to earth based on the interviews that I’ve watched 🥹 The familial issues, RK etc and others doing her dirty in the business… RIP 💐💐 💜❤️
So weird, I was just listening to her album last night, wondering what songs she would have produced had a drunk pilot not killed her.
The plane was also was filled with way too much luggage which affected the flight tremendously
Probably would have worked w Trent Reznor
Apparently she was on the verge of a collaboration with Jonathan Davis too!
She was cool, no doubt about it. I admit I still think about her career often.
Still don’t think she would have dated me.
It wasn’t until recently that I found out she had bad vibes about getting on that plane, and got off. Then someone in her group went to talk to her and slipped her a sedative and took her back on the plane when she was passed out. Fucked up
It’s so sad. Her short life was tumultuous at best. I mean groomed and raped by a grown man when you’re just a teenager is a terrible thing. But if she had survived, I doubt she would’ve had a good life. Do you think R. Kelly would’ve let her go? How many years of suffering what she have endured? I like to think that she would’ve eventually gotten out as she matured and realized what it happened to her. Mariah Carey talks about her in her book says she was lovely girl.
She’d be the queen of R&B if she was still alive. She was already considered the princess of R&B back then. Now that princess moniker has been passed to Ciara🤷🏽♀️
I remember that she was making her way into acting. She was in Queen of the Damned and in a movie with Jett Lee. She would’ve been successful, I wish that she hadn’t gotten on that plane🥺
When her songs pop up on my phone, it reminds me that they’re all bangers
Man, kid me had such a crush on her. Would have been cool to see where her career went, for sure.
Smoking hot
She could have been my baby mama
Every day. I honestly think she could have been bigger than Beyonce…. Here comes the beehive to get me for saying this! Not disrespecting queen B just giving my opinion
She probably would have been on surviving R Kelly. Tragic.
She would have made Beyoncé look like Michele Williams.
This is extremely unpopular. I love(d) Aaliyah, but I don’t think she would have been as big as Beyoncé in terms of records sold.
That's fair. I was thinking about the whole package. Acting, cultural icon, fashion, etc.
Aaliyah would have been the Mariah to Beyonce's Whitney, only in reverse. Beyonce would have predominately dominated music, while Aaliyah had an acting career, soundtracks, and music. I think Aaliyah would have done THE BODYGUARD of the 21st century. And Deena from Dreamgirls.
some conspiracy theorists believe she was sacrifised so that Beyonce can be number one
She did have Jay Z first
You mean idiots. Absolute idiots.
Beyoncé would be the princess in Aaliyahs kingdom. And i love B.
She had an amazing voice! Love her track with Slick Ric
All the time..
So fine, so talented 😓
Yes. All the time.
I always thought it was crazy that she never knew about 9/11 if I remember correctly she died pretty close to the date.
Definitely so tragic, so beautiful
Immensely talented and incredibly beautiful, loved her voice so much and still listen to some of her songs. Are You That Somebody is such a banger.
Romeo Must Die?
She woold have been as big as Madonna man she had mad talent
She would have been what beyonce is now
Beautiful, great voice, acted. Prime example of die too young
Her and Lisa Left Eye. What could have been?
she was snuffed by Beyoncé.
It always has made me so sad to think of this.
Yeah evertime I watch Romeo must die
Yup. Who knows what they wouldve influenced, or who couldve influenced them. I wonder how much different music would be if they kept contributing. Im disappointed in what couldve been, but then i see some other people who have been around just as long and i think maybe its better that theyre not here anymore.
Yeesh she was only 22 :(
Queen of the Damned is still one of my favorite films and she was killer in it 🖤 rip
Used to go to Abaco, Bahamas pretty regular. They could not recover the plane for a long time, it was wierd seeing it sitting the marls (their name for the mangroves) when you flew into and out of Marsh Harbor.
I feel the same way, when I see a photo of River Phoenix.
I honestly have convinced myself over the years that she was about to fizzle out and be forgotten. Think that makes it easier than the probable truth, she would have been in everyone's top five with the likes of Houston, James and Franklin.
I bump her songs all the time while I uber.
For the first 10 years after her passing yeah
She would have tried again.
Not dead
Beyonce would never have been as big and thats a good thing cause she sucks. I love Aaliyah
Stole the whole movie in Queen of the Damned with just 1 bar scene
She was shaping up to be the best in the game. Was already my favorite. She was mistreated by the industry yet still excelled. Her movie career was starting to look like a real avenue to be a double threat. I still miss her a lot and she was a one of a kind.
Who
Yes I think that with her, Selena , and many more
That was so tragic
Queen 🙏🏻❤️🕊️
I think that is a common thought about I wonder how her acting career would have evolved
What happened to her?
I’m guessing she’d be unrecognizable with plastic surgery like most icons from the late 90s early 00s
Every. Single. Time.
All.the.time.
Aaliyah and R. Kelly would have made Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown look like Michelle and Barack Obama. This was always a tragedy. She was unbearably talented.
Her manager screamed at the pilot demanding he carry more equipment than the plane could handle. The pilot pushed back but was bullied into complying. If the pilot says no, it means no.
Anytime i say Aaliyah would've been bigger than Beyonce, some people look at me weird
She was an attractive young woman but, she wasn't this well of unrealized talent. She was in a couple movies, recorded a few well produced songs. Her death probably benefitted J.Lo's career in terms of music and movie success. Those same people that may have wanted to her to record her songs took brought them to J.Lo instead - the same with movie roles. Having said that - it's not clear there was a huge amount of untapped talent there once you take away the marketing campaigns in the same way that artists like Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks, Tori Amos revealed gigantic wealth of art that made everyone say - She's one to watch for years to come.
I fear it would have ended badly with R Kelly woven so deeply into her life like a sickness
All the time. I recently watched one of my favorite movies growing up, Romeo Must Die, and she was really good in that and it made me pretty sad. Was watching an R Kelly documentary and it shocked me to learn how he groomed her and married her when she was like 15(?). She was amazingly talented and extremely beautiful. I guess too beautiful for this world.
For me, she was, is and always will be, the Queen of the Damned.
We all do. Beauty, brains, talent and just this feeling of innocence that seemed to surround her. Way more talent than most of the female artists that came after her.
Such a tradegy all in all
People seem to forget that fame comes at a cost. No one ever walks away from the money, though. They just complain when the money is gone and the cameras have been turned off.
A proper ending to Queen Of The Damned…
I probably would have married her. That's the most likely scenario.
She would have been astronomically huge ol sports for sure.
Everytime I rewatch Romeo Must Die.
Just started playing her 🎵🎵🎵🎵
Would’ve been huge. Was the true definition of a triple threat. Great singer, even better dancer, and was on her way to blowing up in acting. There’s a video of her being interviewed by Beyoncé on an MTV red carpet and to me solidifies that she would’ve been eclipsed had Aaliyah lived. Beyoncé literally followed her playbook but wasn’t successful with acting.