Misplaced Pages

#442557

116-540: Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( / ɑː ˈ l iː ə / ah- LEE -ə ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), known as Aaliyah , was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. She has been credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B , pop , and hip hop , earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop". Born in Brooklyn and raised in Detroit, she first gained recognition at

232-523: A Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, where in first grade she was cast in the stage play Annie which inspired her to become an entertainer. Aaliyah's mother was a vocalist, and her uncle Hankerson was an entertainment lawyer who had been married to Gladys Knight . As a child, Aaliyah traveled with Knight and worked with an agent in New York City to audition for commercials and television programs, including Family Matters . After failing to land

348-596: A Whitney Houston –produced remake of the 1976 film Sparkle . Houston recalled Aaliyah being "so enthusiastic" about the film; the project was shelved after she died. Before her death Aaliyah filmed some scenes for the sequels of The Matrix as the character Zee . A portion of her role in The Matrix Reloaded was filmed; these unused scenes were included in the tribute section of the Matrix Ultimate Collection series. Aaliyah had

464-629: A "firm, frosty 'no ' " to both questions. Vibe magazine said Aaliyah changed the subject anytime "you bring up the marriage with her". A spokeswoman for Aaliyah said in 2000 that when "R. Kelly comes up, she doesn't even speak his name, and nobody's allowed to ask about it at all." Kelly later said that Aaliyah had opportunities to address their relationship after they separated professionally but chose not to. In 2019, Damon Dash revealed to Hip Hop Motivation that Aaliyah did not even speak of her relationship with Kelly in private; he tried multiple times to discuss it with her, but she would only say that Kelly

580-487: A "first" for her, she also had been acting since she was young and had wanted to begin acting "at some point in my career", but "wanted it to be the right time and the right vehicle" and felt Romeo Must Die "was it". Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times argued that Aaliyah having to focus on her film career may have caused her to not give the album "the attention it merited." During the recording stages for

696-449: A "model of understatement". According to Lorez, "She's beautiful, but hardly in a high-gloss, supermodel way—more like a really good-looking girl next door. And rather than bling-blinging her ice in a ghetto-fabulous manner befitting her Trumped-up surroundings, she blings on the down-low: A subtle bracelet here, a winking pendant there, offset by her simple black jeans and matching sweater. Trés cool". Former TRL host Carson Daly said that she

812-464: A Boy "(2006). Rico Love co-wrote Usher's " Throwback " (2005), Keri Hilson's " Energy "(2008), Pleasure P 's " Boyfriend #2 "(2008). The-Dream wrote Rihanna 's " Umbrella "(2007), J. Holiday 's " Bed " and Usher's " Moving Mountains " and " Trading Places "(2008). Ne-Yo wrote Mario's " Let Me Love You ", Rihanna's " Take a Bow " and " Unfaithful ", Beyoncé's " Irreplaceable "(2006) and “ Me & U ”(2006) by Cassie. According to Billboard ,

928-494: A Million Vibe magazine, music critic Dream Hampton said that Aaliyah's "deliciously feline" voice has the same "pop appeal" as Janet Jackson 's. According to Rolling Stone "the most remarkable thing about Aaliyah's voice, besides its flexibility and crisp range, was its almost preternatural poise — she always seemed to be holding her power in reserve, to know every side of the scenarios she described". While, Siân Pattenden from Mixmag stated that, "She doesn't try to toss

1044-432: A Million . Elliott recalled Timbaland and herself being nervous to work with Aaliyah, since Aaliyah had already released her successful debut album while Elliott and Timbaland were just starting out. Elliott also feared she would be a diva, but reflected that Aaliyah "came in and was so warming; she made us immediately feel like family." The album yielded the lead single " If Your Girl Only Knew ", which peaked at number 11 on

1160-508: A Number received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Some writers noted that Aaliyah's "silky vocals" and "sultry voice" blended with Kelly's new jack swing helped define R&B in the 1990s. Her sound was also compared to that of female quartet En Vogue . Christopher John Farley of Time magazine called the album a "beautifully restrained work", noting that Aaliyah's "girlish, breathy vocals rode calmly on R. Kelly's rough beats". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic felt that

1276-411: A Number ", " If Your Girl Only Knew ", " 4 Page Letter " and " Hot Like Fire ". When production started on the " 4 Page Letter " video, Haughton completed the video synopsis within two hours, fitting it in between his studies at Hofstra University. The video was directed by Daniel Pearl . In 2000, Haughton wrote and directed The Mim Rose . It starred Aaliyah as Melissa. In February 2002, Queen of

SECTION 10

#1732780277443

1392-637: A Playa" appeared on the B-side of the " 4 Page Letter " single, a track Haughton wrote and recorded with Aaliyah. It was produced by Timbaland . In 2004, Haughton was featured on "Fork In The Road" (with 1200 Techniques ), which peaked at number 55 on Australian Charts. Haughton appeared at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards to pay tribute to his sister, alongside Aaliyah's role model Janet Jackson and her close friends/coworkers Ginuwine , Missy Elliott , and Timbaland . The awards were presented just 12 days after Aaliyah's death, on September 6, and originally she

1508-544: A certain type of video by female artists, "Then when one of hers comes on it's something special, something different to look at. That's what she was about." Christopher John Farley from Time stated that Aaliyah's "videos, for the most part, are about mood, not about storylines... Her videos are usually lushly shot and infused with sexual tension, though not in overt and obvious ways". Alisha Acquaye from Teen Vogue felt that, "There's much to gather while watching an Aaliyah music video" in fact, she thinks that watching them

1624-586: A collaboration between both acts, which became the longest-running No. 1 hit in Hot 100 history. Carey also released a remix of her 1995 single " Fantasy ", with Ol' Dirty Bastard as a feature, a collaboration format that was unheard of at this point. Carey, Boyz II Men and TLC released albums in 1994 and 1995— Daydream . In the late 1990s, neo soul , which added 1970s soul influences to the hip hop soul blend, arose, led by artists such as Erykah Badu , Lauryn Hill and Maxwell . Hill and Missy Elliott further blurred

1740-477: A couple of relationships with Jermaine Dupri and Puffy, it was hard for us to get producers on the album." Hankerson also expressed confusion over why "they were upset" with Aaliyah given her age at the time. Aaliyah was known to avoid answering questions about Kelly after the professional split. During an interview with Christopher John Farley, she was asked whether she was still in contact with him and would ever work with him again. Farley said Aaliyah responded with

1856-460: A crazy track." Although she frequently sang in a softer tone, there were moments when she utilized other facets of her voice. "Never Givin' Up" (1996) and "The One I Gave My Heart To" (1997) are a few stand-out vocal highlights. Daryl Simmons the producer of "The One I Gave My Heart To", recalled Aaliyah doing opera vocal warm-up exercises in preparation for the songs recording. While commenting on her doing opera vocal warm ups Simmons mentioned, "It

1972-525: A deal between the record label and Empire Distribution . However, Aaliyah's estate, run in part by Haughton, issued a statement preempting Blackground 2.0's announcement, denouncing an "unscrupulous endeavor to release Aaliyah's music without any transparency or full accounting to the estate". One In A Million was reissued on August 20, 2021 and re-entered the UK Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40 at number eight and reached

2088-483: A distribution deal with Jive Records , he signed Aaliyah to his Blackground Records label at the age of 12. Hankerson later introduced her to recording artist and producer R. Kelly , who became Aaliyah's mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her first album, recorded when she was 14. Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number , was released under her mononym "Aaliyah", by Jive and Blackground Records on May 24, 1994; it debuted at number 24 on

2204-847: A lot more when I was younger. [Now] I'm happy with all aspects of myself." She often wore baggy clothes and sunglasses, stating that she wanted to be herself. Aaliyah also wore black clothing, starting a trend for similar fashion among women in United States and Japan. In 1998, she hired a personal trainer to keep in shape, and exercised five days a week and ate diet foods. As her career progressed, "she went through so many fashion revamps". For example, When she changed her hairstyle, Aaliyah took her mother's advice and covered her left eye, much like Veronica Lake . The look has become known as her signature and been referred to as fusion of "unnerving emotional honesty" and "a sense of mystique". In regards to her fashion choices, writer Jeff Lorez described her as

2320-531: A pet alligator, which Aaliyah felt was too much, remarking, "that was something I wasn't going to stroke." Aaliyah attended Detroit schools and believed she was well-liked, but she was teased for her short stature. By age 15, however, she came to love her height. Her mother told her to be happy she was small and complimented her. Although some children disliked Aaliyah, she determined, "You always have to deal with people who are jealous, but there were so few it didn't even matter. The majority of kids supported me, which

2436-416: A rap music sensibility." Ripani wrote that "the success of "Control" led to the incorporation of stylistic traits of rap over the next few years, and Janet Jackson was to continue to be one of the leaders in that development." That same year, Teddy Riley began producing R&B recordings that included hip hop influences. This combination of R&B style and hip hop rhythms was termed " new jack swing " and

SECTION 20

#1732780277443

2552-565: A role on the show she continued her acting through the Gesu Players. In 1989 at age ten she appeared on Star Search , where she performed " My Funny Valentine ". Aaliyah chose to begin auditioning. Her mother made the decision to drop her surname. She auditioned for several record labels and at age 11 appeared in concerts alongside Knight. During her childhood, she had several pet animals including ducks, snakes and iguanas. Her cousin Jomo had

2668-422: A spell with ones and zeroes", and writes that her songs comprised "simple vocal riffs, repeated and refracted to echo the manipulated loops that create digital rhythm", as Timbaland's "computer-programmed beats fitted perfectly with her cool, breathy voice to create a new kind of electronic music." She released "musically risky singles into a notoriously fickle pop market", without being "concerned about conforming to

2784-625: A tube top. Hilfiger's brother, Andy , called it "a whole new look" that was "classy but sexy". The single " We Need a Resolution " was argued to have transformed "the once tomboy into a sexy grown woman". Aaliyah's family played a major role in the course of her career. Beginning in 1995, Aaliyah's father Michael Haughton served as her personal manager, and her mother assisted him. Aaliyah's brother Rashad Haughton and her cousin Jomo Hankerson were with her when she worked. After her father became ill, her brother Rashad became her manager. Aaliyah

2900-745: A twin-engine Cessna 402 light aircraft at the Marsh Harbour Airport in Abaco Islands , the Bahamas, to travel to Opa-Locka Airport in Florida after they completed filming the video for " Rock the Boat ". They had a flight scheduled the next day, but with filming finishing early, Aaliyah and her entourage were eager to return to the US and decided to leave immediately. The designated airplane

3016-489: A very beautiful thing. I am totally cool with that. Definitely. I see myself as sexy. If you are comfortable with it, it can be very classy and it can be very appealing." Aaliyah also felt though her image was "risque and sexy", it was important to remain respectable because she wanted to make songs that everyone could relate to without it being vulgar. When she participated in fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger 's All America Tour Tommy Jean ads, she wore boxer shorts, baggy jeans and

3132-449: A very professional manner. She was well-spoken. She was beautiful, but she didn't use her beauty to sell her music. She used her talent. Many young hip-hop fans greatly admire her." She was also seen by others as a sex symbol and did not have a problem with being considered one. "I know that people think I'm sexy and I am looked at as that, and it is cool with me," she stated. "It's wonderful to have sex appeal. If you embrace it, it can be

3248-475: A visual that, "pushed the boundaries when it came to dance breaks in music videos". Williams declared, "Until that time, dance breaks were usually reserved for boybands like *NSync and the Backstreet Boys, but Aaliyah claimed it for R&B stars too". Aaliyah focused on her public image while protecting her private life. She felt that it was "important ... to differentiate yourself from the rest of

3364-637: A wide range of genres such as R&B , pop , hip hop , funk , soul , and dance-pop . Altogether, Aaliyah's music can be described as alternative R&B , progressive soul , and neo soul , according to Time 's Farley. Discussing her lyrical content in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), Keith Harris said "When it came to sexual availability, she was between En Vogue maliciously taunting 'You're never gonna get it' and Tweet blankly cooing 'Oops, there goes my shirt.'" Lyrically, "Her first two albums carefully toed

3480-449: Is African-American and his father’s parents were from Jamaica . He and his younger sister Aaliyah (1979-2001) were born 17 months apart. When he was seven years old, the family moved to Detroit . He and Aaliyah attended a Catholic school, Gesu Elementary. Haughton graduated from Aquinas High School in 1995 and Hofstra University in 2000. Haughton appeared in a number of Aaliyah's music videos, including " Age Ain't Nothing but

3596-564: Is "actually an understatement". Acquaye further explained, "There's a state of hypnosis you submit to as she envelops you through sight and sound, tugging at your heartstrings. Between a sequence of sensual, strong movements, infectious instrumentals, and intuitive lyrics that spark emotions of desire, sex, and empowerment, you are enraptured in Aaliyah's physical presence". Most of Aaliyah's videos included dance routines. While discussing her video choreography Billboard mentioned that she "coined

Aaliyah - Misplaced Pages Continue

3712-479: Is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop , soul , funk , hip hop , and electronic music . The genre features a distinctive record production style and a smooth, lush style of vocal arrangement. Electronic influences and the use of hip hop or dance -inspired beats are typical, although the roughness and grit inherent in hip hop may be reduced and smoothed out. Contemporary R&B vocalists often use melisma , and since

3828-515: Is far more diverse and incorporates more sonic elements than before, as it expands its appeal and commercial viability. Trap music 's influence maintained a strong presence on the music charts with R&B singer Beyoncé 's songs " Drunk in Love ", " Flawless " and " 7/11 ", Bryson Tiller 's debut studio album, Trapsoul and Mary J. Blige 's " Thick of It ". Latin R&;B is gaining ground since

3944-608: Is heartwarming." On August 21, 2019, the Madame Tussauds Las Vegas revealed a wax figure of Aaliyah. The lifesize figure was modelled on Aaliyah's iconic " Try Again " outfit and makeup. It was unveiled by Haughton to an invited audience. In August 2021, it was reported that the One in a Million album and Aaliyah's other recorded work with Blackground (since rebranded as Blackground Records 2.0) would be re-released on physical, digital, and streaming services in

4060-750: Is the feminine form of the Arabic " Ali ", meaning "highest, most exalted one, the best." Aaliyah was fond of her name, calling it "beautiful" and saying she was "very proud of it" and strove to live up to her name every day. When she was five years old, her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she was raised along with her older brother, Rashad . In Detroit, her father began working in the warehouse business, one of his brother-in-law Barry Hankerson 's widening interests. Her mother stayed home and raised her and her brother. Her mother enrolled her in voice lessons at an early age. Eventually, she started performing at weddings, church choir, and charity events. Aaliyah attended

4176-562: The Billboard 200 chart, selling 38,000 copies in its first week. It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and it was certified two times Platinum by the RIAA . To date the album has sold over 3 million copies in the US. In Canada, the album was certified gold by Music Canada for 50,000 copies in shipments. In 2014, Vibe magazine estimated that the album had sold six million copies globally. Upon its release, Age Ain't Nothing But

4292-424: The Billboard 200 . The album spawned the singles " We Need a Resolution ", " Rock the Boat " and " More Than a Woman ". On August 25, 2001, at the age of 22, Aaliyah was killed in an airplane accident in the Bahamas along with eight other people on board, when the overloaded aircraft she was traveling in crashed shortly after takeoff. The pilot was later found to have traces of cocaine and alcohol in his body and

4408-550: The Billboard Hot 100 . Promotional posters for Aaliyah that had been put up in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles became makeshift memorials for grieving fans. In February 2002, the album was certified double Platinum by the RIAA . " More than a Woman " and " I Care 4 U " were released as posthumous singles and peaked within the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. "More than a Woman" reached number one on

4524-601: The "Billboard" 200 . His debut single " Run It! " peaked atop on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and the US Radio Songs . During this time also came the emergence of R&B songwriters . Bryan-Michael Cox co-wrote Usher's " Burn " and " Confessions Part II "(2005), Mariah Carey's " Shake It Off " and " Don't Forget About Us " (2006), and Chris Brown's " Say Goodbye "(2006). Keri Hilson would co-write songs Mary J. Blige 's " Take Me as I Am " (2006), Omarion's " Ice Box " (2006), and Ciara's " Like

4640-577: The Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Hot R&;B/Hip-Hop Songs for two weeks. It also generated the singles " Hot Like Fire " and " 4 Page Letter ". One in a Million peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 , and was certified double platinum by the RIAA on June 16, 1997, denoting shipments of two million copies. The album went on to sell 3 million copies in the US and over eight million copies worldwide. The year after her album

4756-420: The Billboard Hot 100 were African-American recording artists and accounted for 80% of the number-one R&B hits that year. Along with Usher's streak of singles, Top 40 radio and both pop and R&B charts were topped by Outkast 's " Hey Ya! ", Snoop Dogg 's " Drop It Like It's Hot ", Terror Squad 's " Lean Back " and Ciara 's " Goodies ". Chris Molanphy of " The Village Voice " later remarked that "by

Aaliyah - Misplaced Pages Continue

4872-534: The NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist on Aaliyah's behalf. On August 24, 2017, MAC Cosmetics announced that an Aaliyah collection would be made available in the summer of 2018. The Aaliyah for Mac collection was released on June 20 online and June 21 in stores. Along with the MAC collection, MAC and i-D Magazine partnered up to release a short film titled "A-Z of Aaliyah" which coincided with

4988-409: The vocal range of a soprano , and with the release of her debut album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number , writer Dimitri Ehrlich of Entertainment Weekly compared her style and sound to R&B group En Vogue . Ehrlich also expressed that Aaliyah's "silky vocals are more agile than those of self-proclaimed queen of hip-hop soul Mary J. Blige ." In her review for Aaliyah's second studio album One in

5104-608: The Cessna was supposed to arrive at 4:30 pm. EDT, but did not arrive until 6:15 pm. Another charter pilot, Lewis Key, said he overheard passengers arguing with their pilot, Luis Morales, before takeoff, adding that Morales warned them that there was too much weight for a "safe flight". Key added: "He tried to convince them the plane was overloaded, but they insisted they had chartered the plane and they had to be in Miami Saturday night." Key indicated that Morales gave in to

5220-835: The Children's Benefit Concert, a charity concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York. She also became the spokesperson for the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation . During her campaign with Tommy Hilfiger, the company sold over 2,400 pairs of the red, white and blue baggy jeans she wore in their advertisements. In December 1997, she performed the Christmas carol " What Child Is This? " at the annual Christmas in Washington television special. She also contributed to

5336-595: The Damned , a film which starred Aaliyah as Queen Akasha, was released. The film debuted at number one and was dedicated to Aaliyah. Before its release, Haughton was called in to re-dub several of his sister's lines during the post-production ADR process. In 2004, Haughton appeared in the film Proud , playing the role of Hank Fields. In 2006, Haughton released the short film Chrysalis which he wrote and directed. Additionally, Haughton wrote and directed Love Like Aliens in 2011 and Muga Shozoku in 2015. "Death of

5452-427: The Damned . She played the role of an ancient vampire , Queen Akasha, which she described as a "manipulative, crazy, sexual being". Filming both Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned delayed the release of the album. Aaliyah had not intended for her albums to have such a gap between them. "I wanted to take a break after One in a Million to just relax, think about how I wanted to approach the next album. Then, when I

5568-736: The Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&;B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for three weeks. Two more singles charted: a cover of the Isley Brothers ' " At Your Best (You Are Love) " peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 , and the album's title track, " Age Ain't Nothing but a Number ", peaked at number 75. Additionally, she released " The Thing I Like " as part of the soundtrack to the 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame . In 1996, Aaliyah left Jive Records and signed with Atlantic Records . She worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott , who contributed to her second studio album, One in

5684-530: The Man: Looking from the Inside Out , Demetrius Smith Sr., Kelly's former tour manager, revealed that Kelly married Aaliyah after she told him that she was pregnant. In the 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly , Smith described how he helped Aaliyah forge the necessary documents to show she was 18 to marry Kelly. Smith also said he was "not proud" of his role in facilitating their marriage. Additionally,

5800-473: The UK singles chart making Aaliyah the first female deceased artist to reach number one on the UK singles chart. "More than a Woman" was replaced by George Harrison 's " My Sweet Lord " which is the only time in the UK singles chart's history when a dead artist has replaced another dead artist at number one. Aaliyah was signed to appear in several future films, including a romantic film titled Some Kind of Blue , and

5916-420: The US and over 20   million copies worldwide. Confessions had four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number one singles—" Yeah! ", " Burn ", " Confessions Part II " and " My Boo ". It won three Grammy Awards in 2005, including Best Contemporary R&B Album , Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "My Boo" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Yeah!" In 2004, all 12 songs that topped

SECTION 50

#1732780277443

6032-585: The United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records . Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million (1996), which sold three million copies in the United States and more than eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah made her acting debut in

6148-438: The age of 10, when she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight . At the age of 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson 's Blackground Records . Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly , who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (1994). The album sold three million copies in

6264-403: The album had its "share of filler", but described the singles as "slyly seductive". He also wrote that the songs on the album were "frequently better" than that of Kelly's second studio album, 12 Play . The single "At Your Best (You Are Love)" was criticized by Billboard for being out of place on the album and for its length. Aaliyah's debut single, " Back & Forth ", peaked at number 5 on

6380-420: The album, " We Need a Resolution ", peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 . The week after Aaliyah's death, her third album rose from number 19 to number 1 on the Billboard 200 . " Rock the Boat " was released as a posthumous single. The music video premiered on BET 's Access Granted , and it became the most viewed and highest rated episode in the history of the show. The song peaked at number 14 on

6496-541: The album, Aaliyah's publicist disclosed that the album's release date was most likely in October 2000. Eventually, she finished recording the album in March 2001; after a year of recording tracks that began in March of the previous year. Aaliyah was released five years after One in a Million on July 17, 2001, and it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 , selling 187,000 copies in its first week. The first single from

6612-593: The allegation that they had secretly married without her parents' knowledge. Vibe magazine later revealed a marriage certificate that listed the couple married on August 31, 1994, in Sheraton Gateway Suites in Rosemont, Illinois . Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time , was listed as 18 on the certificate; R. Kelly was 27. The marriage was annulled by her parents in February 1995, but the pair denied

6728-400: The allegations, saying that neither was married and that the certificate was a forgery. Jamie Foster Brown in the 1994 issue of Sister 2 Sister wrote that "R. Kelly told me that he and Aaliyah got together, and it was just magic." Brown also reported hearing about a sexual relationship between them. "I've been hearing about Robert and Aaliyah for a while—that she was pregnant. Or that she

6844-415: The box office. Aaliyah purposely stayed away from reviews of the film to "make it easier on" herself, but she heard "that people were able to get into me, which is what I wanted." In contrast, some critics felt there was no chemistry between her and Jet Li, as well as viewing the film as too simplistic. This was echoed by Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times , who wrote that while Aaliyah was "a natural" and

6960-425: The caber with vocal athleticism. There's no shouting, screeching, wailing or jazz-style noodling. Everything is underplayed: Ms Haughton's range is displayed by the slightest high-octave backing and tiniest harmonies". Aaliyah herself said her vocal styling consisted of her singing softly while utilizing her falsetto. She further explained saying, "My signature style is breathy, tone-y, airy. It's simple but I can ride

7076-477: The contemporary sound it contained. Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone felt that Aaliyah was displaying stronger technique, giving her best vocal performances. As an artist, Aaliyah said she was inspired by a number of performers. These include Michael Jackson , Stevie Wonder , Sade , Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails , Korn , Donnie Hathaway , Johnny Mathis , Janet Jackson , Whitney Houston , and Barbra Streisand . Aaliyah said that Michael Jackson's Thriller

SECTION 60

#1732780277443

7192-761: The documentary Surviving R. Kelly aired in January 2019, pressure from the public using the Mute R. Kelly hashtag escalated and RCA Records dropped Kelly from the label. In February 2019, Kelly was indicted on ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. In July 2019, he was arrested on federal charges of sex crimes, human trafficking , child pornography, racketeering , and obstruction of justice . When his trial began in August 2021, Kelly faced 22 federal criminal charges that involved allegedly abusing 11 girls and women between 1994 and 2018. Aaliyah's illegal marriage to Kelly

7308-472: The documentary revealed that Jovante Cunningham, a former backup dancer, claimed to have witnessed Kelly having sex with Aaliyah on his tour bus. Aaliyah admitted in court documents that she had lied about her age . In May 1997, she filed suit in Cook County seeking to have all records of the marriage expunged because she was not old enough under state law to get married without her parents' consent . It

7424-479: The early 2000s, urban music "was" pop music." Between 2005 and 2009 Raymond, Knowles and Keys released albums— B'Day , Here I Stand , I Am... Sasha Fierce and The Element of Freedom . Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi (2005) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and earned ten Grammy Award nominations. The second single " We Belong Together " topped the Hot 100 charts for 14 weeks, and

7540-488: The early 2000s, which featured massive crossover success on the Billboard charts by R&B and hip hop artists. In 2001, Alicia Keys released " Fallin' " as her debut single, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 , Mainstream Top 40 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. It won three Grammy Awards in 2002, including Song of the Year , Best R&B Song , and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance . It

7656-472: The end of the disco era in the late 1970s, when Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones added more electronic elements to the sound of the time, creating a smoother dancefloor-friendly style. The first result was Off the Wall (1979), which—according to Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic —"was a visionary album, that found a way to break disco wide open into a new world where the beat was undeniable, but not

7772-564: The film Romeo Must Die , alongside Jet Li . She contributed to the film's soundtrack, which was supported by her single " Try Again ". The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely through airplay , becoming the first in the chart's history to do so. After completing the film, Aaliyah subsequently filmed her starring role in Queen of the Damned (which was released posthumously), and in July 2001, released her eponymous third album , which topped

7888-418: The film was conceived as a spotlight for both her and Li, "they have so little chemistry together you'd think they're putting out a fire instead of shooting off sparks. In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film's soundtrack , for which she contributed four songs. " Try Again " was released as a single from the soundtrack; the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 , making Aaliyah

8004-438: The final say but I was trained as a singer, actress and dancer, the interpreter, bringing other people's words to life. I need the songs to reflect me in one way or another". After her R. Kelly–produced debut album, Aaliyah worked with Timbaland and Missy Elliott, whose productions were more electronic . The duo "mixed choppy, nervous rhythms over loops of computer-generated backing tracks, and incorporating harmonies which – within

8120-566: The first artist to top the chart based solely on airplay ; this led the song to be released in a 12-inch vinyl and 7-inch single. The music video won the Best Female Video and Best Video from a Film awards at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards . It also earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. The soundtrack went on to sell 1.5 million copies in the United States. After completing Romeo Must Die , Aaliyah began to work on her second film, Queen of

8236-419: The genre's limited horizons – seemed daring". They also created, the "Freeze-and-stop style of singing on top of bass-heavy instrumentals" which became Aaliyah's signature style. Aaliyah's songs have been said to have "crisp production" and " staccato arrangements" that "extend genre boundaries" while containing "old-school" soul music . Kelefah Sanneh of The New York Times called her "a digital diva who wove

8352-833: The genre. The use of effects such as Auto-Tune and new computerized synths have given R&B a more futuristic feel while still attempting to incorporate many of the genre's common themes such as love and relationships. According to Christgau in 2017, "almost all R&B goes for voice-plus-sound rather than voice-plus-song, with the sound ranging from precision track-and-hook to idiosyncratic atmospherics." Early 2010s artists Usher and Chris Brown began embracing new electronic influences while still keeping R&B's original feel. Usher's " OMG " and " DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love ", and Chris Brown's " Yeah 3x " are all EDM-oriented. Singers Miguel , John Legend and Jeremih are popular in mainstream hip hop for many collaborations with rappers such as Wale , Rick Ross and J. Cole . Today's R&B

8468-434: The industry, you know, I don't want kids to think, 'I can just sing and forget about school.' I think it's very important to have an education, and even more important to have something to fall back on." She considered a future career teaching music, music history or drama if she did not make a living as a recording artist because, as she reasoned, "when you pick a career it has to be something you love". After Hankerson signed

8584-477: The launch. Haughton dealt with the media promotion: "We wanted to create a line where the minimalism is there. You can re-create those archive looks from videos and film, but at the same time, mix, match, experiment, and imagine what Aaliyah’s style would look and feel like in 2018 and the future [...] My sister’s fans are so lovely and respectful [...] if they see something that is not approved by [the family], they attack it. They are very protective of my sister, which

8700-548: The line between R&B and hip hop by recording both styles. Beginning in 1995, the Grammy Awards enacted the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album , with II by Boyz II Men becoming the first recipient. The award was later received by TLC for CrazySexyCool in 1996, Tony Rich for Words in 1997, Erykah Badu for Baduizm in 1998 and Lauryn Hill for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999. In 1994

8816-523: The line between adolescence and adulthood, displaying a woman exploring the terrain of love, trust, and lust; one who exuded a playful innocence while hinting at a more sultry side." Aaliyah did not usually write her own lyrics. The only time she had a hand in writing is on the song "Death of a Playa" from the "Hot Like Fire" single (1997). She co-wrote that song with her brother Rashad Haughton, and "it reflects Aaliyah's dark perspective on romance". Of her role in crafting her music, Aaliyah said, "I like to have

8932-540: The mid-1980s, R&B rhythms have been combined with elements of hip hop culture and music, pop culture and pop music. According to Geoffrey Himes speaking in 1989, the progressive soul movement of the early 1970s "expanded the musical and lyrical boundaries of [R&B] in ways that haven't been equaled since". This movement was led by soul singer-songwriter/producers such as Curtis Mayfield , Marvin Gaye , and Stevie Wonder . Norman Whitfield 's productions at Motown ,

9048-444: The most commercially successful R&B acts of the decade were Usher , Alicia Keys , Beyoncé , Mariah Carey , Rihanna , Chris Brown , Ne-Yo and Akon . Continuing from the 1990s and 2000s, R&B, like many other genres, drew influences from the technical innovations of the time and began to incorporate more electronic and machine-made sounds and instruments, this evolving style called Electro-R&B slowly began dominating

9164-539: The pack". USA Today said, "Her slinky vocal style and eye-popping videos made her a crossover star, while her persistent protection of her privacy added an air of intrigue about her". According to Aaliyah, "I put a lot of pressure on myself to be true to myself and not let anything else influence me to do what someone else is doing. Being a little edgy and sexy is me. My image isn't a put-on. I'm happy to put over that dark edge in my videos, because it's always been there. I used to wear my sunglasses or have my hair over one eye

9280-410: The passengers and that he had trouble starting one of the engines. According to findings from an inquest conducted by the coroner's office in the Bahamas, Aaliyah had "severe burns and a blow to the head" in addition to severe shock and a weak heart. The coroner theorized that she went into such a state of shock that even if she had survived the crash, her recovery would have been nearly impossible given

9396-471: The primary focus" and "was part of a colorful tapestry of lush ballads and strings, smooth soul and pop, soft rock, and alluring funk". Richard J. Ripani wrote that Janet Jackson 's Control (1986) was "important to the development of R&B for several reasons", as she and her producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis , "crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and

9512-481: The question. There's always gonna be that question of why." Her friend Kidada Jones said in the last year of Aaliyah's life, her parents had given her more freedom and she had spoken about wanting a family. Aaliyah reportedly developed an intimate relationship with Kelly during the recording of her debut album. She told Vibe magazine in 1994 that she and Kelly would "go watch a movie" and "go eat" when she got tired and would then "come back and work". She described

9628-452: The record label of Gaye, were also pioneering for setting the soul vocals and simple hooks of earlier rhythm and blues records against strong backbeats , vocal harmonies, and orchestral sounds, all of which thickened the texture of the music. Gaye's own music on albums such as What's Going On (1971) incorporated jazz influences that led the genre into a looser musical direction. The nearest precursor to contemporary R&B came at

9744-491: The relationship between her and Kelly as "rather close." In December 1994, Aaliyah told the Chicago Sun-Times that whenever she was asked about being married to Kelly, she urged them not to believe "all that mess" and that she and Kelly were "close" and "people took it the wrong way". With the release of Age Ain't Nothing but a Number , rumors circulated about a relationship between Aaliyah and R. Kelly, including

9860-538: The remix of her song " Miss You ", released in 2003. In August 2021, Dash told Entertainment Tonight 's Kevin Frazier, "I was reflecting [that] there hasn't been one day since she's passed, not one in the 20 years, that I haven't either heard her name, heard her record, or seen a picture of her ... Every single day she's present in my life and I feel lucky for that." On August 25, 2001, at 6:50 p.m. ( EDT ), Aaliyah and some employees of her record company boarded

9976-515: The severity of her injuries. The bodies were taken to the morgue at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau , where they were kept for relatives to help identify them. Some of them were badly burned. As the subsequent investigation determined, the aircraft was overloaded by 700 pounds (320 kg) when it attempted to take off, and was carrying one more passenger than it was certified for. The National Transportation Safety Board reported, "The airplane

10092-780: The singer Aaliyah drop her debut album and in 1996 she released her second album called "One In A Million" with different sounds and produced by Missy Elliot and Timbaland, unknown at that moment. At the end of 1999, Billboard magazine ranked Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson as the first and second most successful artists of the 1990s. Simultaneously, in the second half of the 1990s, The Neptunes and Timbaland set influential precedence on contemporary R&B and hip hop music. Writing in 2003, music critic Robert Christgau describes modern R&B as being "about texture, mood, feel—vocal and instrumental and rhythmic, articulated as they're smooshed together". Following periods of fluctuating success, urban music attained commercial dominance during

10208-453: The smooth choreography and tomboyish style that would inspire [R&B]'s future generations for years to come". Vibe praised several videos saying, "Looking back on her videos like "Try Again" and "Are You That Somebody," Aaliyah's talent in all of those techniques of dancing are apparent, as she's able to hit every syncopated word and beat with ease as if she's moving on air". Kyann-Sian Williams from NME named "Are You That Somebody?" as

10324-535: The soundtrack album for the animated film Anastasia , performing a cover version of " Journey to the Past " that earned songwriters Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song . Aaliyah performed the song at the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony , becoming the youngest singer to perform at the event. Also in 1998, she released the song " Are You That Somebody? " which

10440-468: The stereotypes of the marketplace". Her songs "gracefully walk a line between commerciality and experimentation". Reviewing her album, British publication NME felt that Aaliyah's "radical" third album was "intended to consolidate her position as U.S. R&B's most experimental artist". As her albums progressed, writers felt that Aaliyah matured, calling her progress a "near-flawless declaration of strength and independence". ABC News noted that her music

10556-466: The tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and the 27th most successful in history. Her accolades include three American Music Awards and two MTV VMAs , along with five Grammy Award nominations. Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York City , the younger child of Diane and Michael "Miguel" Haughton, a warehouse worker. She was of African-American, Jamaican and Native American descent. Her name

10672-520: The very beginning, she opted "for an edgier, more mature sound", and her songs were often uptempo and at the same time often dark, revolving around "matters of the heart". She "easily straddled the hip-hop and pop worlds, never projecting the frilliness of her ingénue peers". In 2001, Aaliyah called her sound "street but sweet", pairing feminine vocals with a gritty urban rhythm track. In another interview she further spoke about her artistry, saying, "I love to fuse other types of music with my own". She explored

10788-607: The wave of artists began mixing trap with that sound in the middle of this decade. Spanish-language singles by Alex Rose, Rauw Alejandro and Paloma Mami , which borrow shrewdly from R&B, are captivating a global audience. In Latin America, the genre became popular with Alex Rose's "Toda", and Sech 's " Otro Trago ". Rashad Haughton Rashad Hasan Haughton was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 6, 1977, to Diane (née Hankerson) and Michael Haughton. Haughton’s mother

10904-451: Was "cutting edge, always one step ahead of the curve and that the TRL audience looks to her to figure out what's hot and what's new". Aaliyah was often praised for her "clean-cut image" and "moral values". Robert Christgau of The Village Voice wrote of Aaliyah's artistry and image, "she was lithe and dulcet in a way that signified neither jailbait nor hottie—an ingenue whose selling point

11020-421: Was "evolving from the punchy pop-influenced hip hop and R&B to a more mature, introspective sound", on her third album. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described her album Aaliyah as "a statement of maturity and a stunning artistic leap forward", and called it one of the strongest urban soul records of its time. She portrayed "unfamiliar sounds, styles and emotions", but managed to please critics with

11136-503: Was a "bad man". Dash said he was unable to watch Surviving R. Kelly because its interviews with visibly traumatized girls struggling to discuss their encounters with Kelly reminded him of how Aaliyah behaved when trying to recount her relationship with Kelly. Dash later appeared in Surviving R. Kelly, Part II in 2020. Other allegations were made about Kelly regarding underage girls in the years after Aaliyah's death, and their marriage

11252-494: Was also nominated for Record of the Year . Beyoncé 's solo studio debut album Dangerously in Love (2003) has sold over 5   million copies in the United States and earned five Grammy Awards . Usher 's Confessions (2004) sold 1.1   million copies in its first week and over 8   million copies in 2004, since then it has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and, As of 2016, has sold over 10   million copies in

11368-772: Was applied to artists such as Keith Sweat , Bobby Brown , Johnny Kemp , and Bell Biv DeVoe . Using hip hop -inspired backing tracks, a new genre labeled " hip hop soul " was created by Mary J. Blige and producer Sean Combs . During the mid-1990s, Whitney Houston 's The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album eventually sold over 45 million copies worldwide becoming the best-selling soundtrack of all time. Janet Jackson 's self-titled fifth studio album Janet (1993), which came after her multimillion-dollar contract with Virgin Records , sold over 14 million copies worldwide. Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey recorded several Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, including " One Sweet Day ",

11484-703: Was booked as one of its presenters. On October 27, 2001, Aaliyah was scheduled to perform a duet with Seal at Breathe, a benefit concert for breast cancer treatment and research. Instead, Haughton presented the $ 41,000 check and introduced a tribute performance to Aaliyah by Seal. On February 10, 2002, at the Hollywood Black Film Festival 's closing night, Haughton accepted the Inspirational Spirit Award given to Aaliyah posthumously for her lifetime of excellence in entertainment. On February 23, 2002, Haughton accepted

11600-407: Was coming and going in and out of his house. People would see her walking his dog, 12 Play, with her basketball cap and sunglasses on. Every time I asked the label, they said it was platonic. But I kept hearing complaints from people about her being in the studio with all those men." Brown later added "at 15, you have all those hormones and no brains attached to them". In his 2011 book The Man Behind

11716-529: Was dating the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records , Damon Dash, at the time of her death. Although they were not formally engaged, Dash claimed the couple had planned to marry in interviews given after Aaliyah's death. In the summer of 2000, Aaliyah was introduced to Dash by his accountant and they formed a friendship. Aaliyah never publicly addressed their relationship as anything but platonic. Due to their hectic work schedules, Aaliyah and Dash were separated for long periods of time. Jay-Z mentioned Aaliyah and Dash in

11832-572: Was featured on the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack . The song peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Aaliyah her first Grammy Award nomination. In 1999, Aaliyah landed her first big-screen acting role in Romeo Must Die . She starred opposite martial artist Jet Li , playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. Released on March 24, 2000, the movie grossed US$ 18.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number two at

11948-478: Was heavily featured in the court case. On September 27, 2021, a federal court jury found Kelly guilty of nine counts including racketeering , sexual exploitation of a child , kidnapping , bribery, sex trafficking , and a violation of the Mann Act . The judge ordered that Kelly remain in custody pending sentencing, which was set for May 4, 2022. On June 29, 2022, Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Aaliyah

12064-686: Was her "favorite album" and that "nothing will ever top Thriller ." She said she had always wanted to work with Janet Jackson, to whom she had often been compared, saying, "I admire her a great deal. She's a total performer ... I'd love to do a duet with Janet Jackson." Jackson reciprocated Aaliyah's affection, saying, "I've loved her from the beginning because she always comes out and does something different, musically." Jackson also said she would have enjoyed collaborating with Aaliyah. According to director Paul Hunter from day one, "Aaliyah wanted her videos to stand out from clips by other R&B singers". He stated, "You can watch programming all day and see

12180-765: Was known to have usually been accompanied by members of her family. Her brother Rashad stated that the filming of "Rock the Boat" was the only time her family was not present during a video shoot. In October 2001, Rashad said: "It really boggles everyone [that] from Day One, every single video she ever shot there's always been myself or my mother or my father there. The circumstances surrounding this last video were really strange because my mother had eye surgery and couldn't fly. That really bothered her because she always traveled. My dad had to take care of my mom at that time. And I went to Australia to visit some friends. We really couldn't understand why we weren't there. You ask yourself maybe we could have stopped it. But you can't really answer

12296-587: Was later hailed "song of the decade" and won a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2006. The mid-2000s came with the emergence of new R&B acts Ashanti , Keyshia Cole and Akon . Ashanti's eponymous debut album topped both US Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It earned her three Grammy nominations winning one for the Best Contemporary R&;B Album . R&B newcomer Chris Brown released his self-titled album in 2005 which debuted at number two on

12412-436: Was not qualified to fly the aircraft designated for the flight. Aaliyah's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the aircraft's operator, which was settled out of court. In the decades following her death, Aaliyah's music has continued to achieve commercial success, aided by several posthumous releases. She has sold 8.1 million albums in the US and an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide. Billboard lists her as

12528-411: Was ready to start back up, "Romeo" happened, and so I had to take another break and do that film and then do the soundtrack, then promote it. The break turned into a longer break than I anticipated." Ultimately, she filmed Queen of the Damned and recorded her third album at the same time so that it could be released in 2001. Aaliyah enjoyed balancing her singing and acting careers. Though she called music

12644-523: Was released, Aaliyah was featured on Timbaland & Magoo 's debut single, " Up Jumps da Boogie ". In 1997 Aaliyah graduated with a 4.0 GPA from the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts , where she majored in drama. The same year, she began her acting career, playing herself in the police drama television series New York Undercover . During this time, Aaliyah participated in

12760-412: Was reported that she cut off all professional and personal ties with Kelly after the marriage was annulled and ceased contact with him. In a 2014 interview, Aaliyah's cousin Jomo Hankerson said that she "got villainized" for her relationship with Kelly and the scandal over the marriage made it difficult to find producers for her second album. "We were coming off of a multi-platinum debut album and except for

12876-593: Was seen lifting off the runway, and then nose down, impacting in a marsh on the south side of the departure end of runway 27." The report indicated that the pilot was not approved to fly the plane. Morales falsely obtained his FAA license by showing hundreds of hours never flown, and he may also have falsified how many hours he had flown to get a job with his employer, Blackhawk International Airways . Additionally, toxicology tests performed on Morales revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Contemporary R%26B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B )

12992-573: Was sincerity, not innocence and the obverse it implies." Emil Wilbekin , told CNN : "Aaliyah is an excellent role model because she started her career in the public eye at age 15 with a gold album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number . And then her second album, One in a Million went double platinum. She had the leading role in Romeo Must Die , which was a box office success. She's won numerous awards, several MTV music video awards, and aside from her professional successes, many of her lyrics are very inspirational and uplifting. She also carried herself in

13108-629: Was smaller than the Cessna 404 on which they had originally arrived, but the whole party and all the equipment were accommodated on board. The plane crashed and caught fire shortly after takeoff, about 200 feet (60 m) from the end of the runway. Aaliyah and the eight others on board—pilot Luis Morales III, hair stylist Eric Forman, Anthony Dodd, security guard Scott Gallin, family friend Keith Wallace, make-up stylist Christopher Maldonado, and Blackground Records employees Douglas Kratz and Gina Smith—were killed. The passengers had grown impatient because

13224-614: Was the furthest thing I would have ever thought that she could do. It just blew my mind." The song's writer, Diane Warren praised her vocals on the song, saying: "It showed her vocal range, and I know a couple of people thought she wouldn't be able to do that song. I thought, 'No, she'll be able to do that." Variety echoed a similar sentiment as Warren, saying "The One I Gave My Heart To" "showcased Aaliyah's ability to hit higher notes." Discussing her approach on "Never Givin' Up" producer Craig King said, "lyrically and vocally she just took you to places that you didn't know she could go". From

13340-550: Was used as an example of his involvement with them. He has refused to discuss his relationship with her, citing her death. "Out of respect for her, and her mom and her dad, I will not discuss Aaliyah. That was a whole other situation, a whole other time, it was a whole other thing, and I'm sure that people also know that." In 2016, Kelly said that he was as in love with Aaliyah as he was with "anybody else." Aaliyah's mother, Diane Haughton, reflected that everything "that went wrong in her life" began with her relationship with Kelly. After

13456-537: Was wonderful." Even in her adult life, she considered herself small. She had "learned to accept and love" herself and added: "the most important thing is to think highly of yourself because if you don't, no one else will". During her audition for acceptance to the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts , Aaliyah sang " Ave Maria " in Latin. Aaliyah held a 4.0 grade-point average when graduating from high school. She reflected: "I wanted to keep that 4.0. Being in

#442557