Even though Aaliyah was only in her teens when she sang most of her songs, she, along with the whole world, already knew that she wasn't just "anybody." She was definitely that somebody. Aaliyah sang timeless songs with the help of producers and songwriters R. Kelly (to whom she was also married as a preteen...), Timbaland, and Missy Elliott. Together they created a short but enduring body of near-perfect work.
Even though this sweetheart of R&B passed away over a decade ago, her voice will continue to sing in posthumous releases. Oddly, Drake, who harbors an obsession with the late singer, will be the one ensuring future generations never forget Aaliyah with an upcoming album that includes some of her vocals.
This Wednesday would have marked the beautiful songstress' 34th birthday, had her plane not crashed in the Bahamas in 2001. 99 Jamz is holding a tribute to her tomorrow, and it's asking you to vote on your favorite Aaliyah song on its website, wedr.com.
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Liz has her master’s degree in religion from Florida State University. She has since written for publications and outlets such as Miami New Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Ocean Drive, the Huffington Post, NBC Miami, Time Out Miami, Insomniac, the Daily Dot, and the Atlantic. Liz spent three years as New Times Broward-Palm Beach’s music editor, was the weekend news editor at Inverse, and is currently the managing editor at Tom Tom Magazine.