Though it’s been 16 years since we lost Aaliyah at just 22 years of age, her legacy still lives on today, and is still one of the most celebrated musicians.
It’s hard to let go of someone so sweet, and so talented. And even still after 16 years, artists like Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Ginuwine, and Puff Daddy all lament losing the starlet.
Many believe, including former track partner Missy Elliot feel that if she was still alive, she’d be reigning queen. Missy attributes this to Aaliyah, telling MTV that it was “because she always stayed pushing herself to be better.” She also shared that she misses her everyday.
Timbaland is another artist that can’t seem to shake his loss of the young singer. When reflecting on her death, he told MTV the following:
“Me and her together had this chemistry. I kinda lost half of my creativity to her. It’s hard for me to talk to the fans right now. Beyond the music, she was a brilliant person, the [most special] person I ever met.”
The pair of them took time to chat about it in 2011 on BET about the feelings they had about their friend:
Ginuwine told The BoomBox back in 2011 that “Aaliyah was in a class by herself… If you’re talking triple threat of a writer, singer and actress, that would probably be Beyoncé. If Aaliyah were still here, she and Beyoncé would be neck and neck.”
It’s easy to see why someone would make that notion. Even with her last music video, the one she was flying back from when we lost her, you can see the icon in the making.
Her stylist Derek Lee reflected this year on her character with CNN, saying that “She never wanted to make you feel like she was better than you or more than you,… She was just a regular person with swag and talent. She didn’t just want to ride on the fact that she was Aaliyah. She wanted more, she wanted dimension.”
We still miss you, Baby Girl.
Amy Cooper is the type of journalist that when asked “What do you bring to the table,” she replies “I am the table.”
