Remembering the Greats: Aaliyah

One of the biggest R&B stars of the 90s was born Aaliyah Dana Haughton on January 16, 1979 in Brooklyn, New York. From the beginning her parents Michael and Diane Haughton cultivated their daughter’s talent by enrolling her in voice lessons. The young prodigy began showcasing her talents at local events before a family connection allowed her to begin work under the tutelage of chart-topping R&B singer Gladys Knight. At only 11 years old, Aaliyah served as an opening act for Knight and eventually began fielding offers from several record labels.

In 1991, the 12-year-old inked a deal with her uncle Barry Hankerson’s Blackground Records. Through his distribution deal with Jive she met R. Kelly, who agreed to helm her debut as a songwriter and executive producer following the success of his platinum selling album Born Into the 90s with Public Announcement in 1992. The pair began work in 1993, and by the following year had crafted an LP than infused remnants of New Jack Swing with harder Hip-Hop rhythms topped with sensual, adult lyrics.

The album, Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, was an immediate hit in 1994 courtesy of two smash singles in “Back & Forth” and the Isley Brother’s remake “At Your Best.” Each single was certified gold, and the album went platinum. The two tracks displayed two distinct reasons for Aaliyah’s appeal. Her black shades, boots and baggy clothes in the “Back & Forth” video appealed to audiences who now welcomed Hip-Hop scratches and vocal effects in their R&B. With “At Your Best,” the delicate timbre and phrasing in her voice showed traditional R&B fans that the young singer was not just the product of good production and could hold her own vocally.

Unfortunately, her talents were overshadowed by a sex scandal involving her mentor. Kelly illegally attempted to marry the then 15-year-old Aaliyah by forging a marriage document claiming she was 18. At the time, Kelly was 27 years old. The fallout effectively ended her relationship with Jive Records, and also damaged the perception of her art. Now, fans could not help but view tracks like “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number” as direct commentary on her relationship with Kelly.

New Beginning

In 1996, Aaliyah linked with two musicians out of Virgina named Timbaland and Missy Elliot. Timbaland had been building his name through several tracks he had produced with Jodeci, and full album with Missy and her group Sista. But the Sista album had flopped, and Timbaland and Missy were unproven as songwriters and executive producers for big name artists. It was a risk to put them with Aaliyah, who was trying to not only redefine her image away from R. Kelly, but also create a new sound distinct from her former mentor.

Aaliyah’s chance with Timbaland and Missy Elliot paid off in a big way and changed R&B music for the rest of the 90s.

The album, One In a Million, would become Aaliyah’s signature LP and breakout project for the careers of both Timbaland and Missy. The title track encompasses the uniqueness of their new sound, featuring stuttering hi-hats and multiple drum patterns combined with electronic effects. Whether it was a ballad like “4 Page Letter” or mid-tempo offerings such as “If Your Girl Only Knew,” fans and critics were smitten. The album shot to double platinum and not only put Timbaland and Missy in demand as producers and writers, but also launched their own solo careers that continue to this day.

Now a superstar and barely 18 years old, Aaliyah began branching out into acting. She started small with a cameo appearance on the popular detective drama “New York Undercover” in 1997. Within three years, she was offered her first major movie role alongside Jet Li with Romeo Must Die. Produced on a $25 million dollar budget, the project went on to gross over $90 million and helped establish Jet Li as a viable action star in America. Aaliyah took the film as an opportunity to develop her production credits as well. She handled executive producer duties for the soundtrack, which with the help of her popular single “Try Again” went on to sell over a million copies.

The End

In 2001 Aaliyah would release a self-titled third album. After years of having others construct her musical vision, she was determined to have a stronger hand in the creative direction of this project. Although she never wrote a song for herself, Aaliyah idealized the album as marking a new beginning as a woman as opposed to the teenager she was during her previous LPs.

“Now that I’m older, I mean that I’m an adult now, and I want that to show through on the album,” she explained. “So my writers, we talk, you know, they ask me how am I feeling, just as a person, you know this point in my life, the things I want to talk about, and they incorporate what I told them.. in the lyrics.”

The team of writers included Timbaland and Steve “Static” Garrett of most the album’s singles: “We Need a Resolution,” “Rock the Boat,” “More than a Woman,” and “I Care 4 U.” Released in July 2001, the project sold over 300,000 copies its first month to coincide with a world tour.

After an appearance on BET’s 106 & Park on August 21, Aaliyah and her team headed to the Bahamas to shoot a video for “Rock the Boat.” After filming wrapped early on August 25, the singer was anxious to get back home and made a fateful decision to leave immediately instead of waiting on her scheduled flight the following day.

The aircraft was smaller that their original plane, and Aaliyah disregarded warnings from the pilot and airport crew that all their equipment from the shoot would not fit on the plane. Later, it was determined that the weight exceeded the plane’s limit by 700 pounds.

The flight only made it 200 feet before it nose-dived and crashed, killing all nine people on board. An inquest later determined that the pilot, Luis Morales III, was unqualified to fly the plane and also had traces of cocaine in his system.

Aaliyah was buried on August 31. Several colleagues in Jay-Z, DMX, Ginuwine, Janet Jackson and close friend Timbaland offered several tributes to her in public and in music after her passing.

“She was like blood. Me and her together had this chemistry,” Timbaland told MTV. “I kinda lost half of my creativity to her. It’s hard for me to talk to the fans now. Beyond the music, she was a brilliant person, the most special person I’ve ever met.”

Aaliyah’s name lived on after her death with a feature film role in Queen of the Damned, deleted scenes from the Matrix series, and several box set compilations of her work. She sold over 35 million albums throughout her career, and remains a loved figure nine years after her untimely death. Her unique mix of dance, Hip-Hop, R&B and pop remains distinct even among her 90s peers like Monica and Brandy, and those who came in her wake such as Alicia Keys, Ashanti and Ciara.

Beats, Boxing and Mayhem honors the career and life of Aaliyah Dana Haughton.

Rest in peace, Aaliyah.