Born in Brooklyn and raised in Detroit, Aaliyah Dana Haughton entered the music scene with her first album, "Age Aint Nothing but a Number" at the age of 15. From that point forward, Aaliyah began to revolutionize the popscape with a quick and effortless swoop, embodying what the editors of The FADER love right now; her influence in 2008 an omnipresent force from the futuristic megahits dominating the airwaves to the demure pop sensibilities fluttering throughout the underground. Now as a hardcore fan, I'm going to add something to this Aaliyah tribute. Aaliyah was one of my favourite R&B artists in the whole world. She wasn't that much older than me so I could relate to her music and I grew up with it. I was incensed by her beauty. It was a beauty like no other. In fact back then, I was convinced that no one could come any more beautiful than her. The nice thing about it was that, she wasn't just a beauty on the outside but she had true beauty within. She always cared about the feelings of others. You NEVER ever heard bad encounters that she ignored her fans or that she acted like a straight up diva. And she had a deep underlying passion for her craft. She took herself seriously in every career path she contended with. I loved Aaliyah for her street but sweet style, her angelic vocals and hard hitting infectious beats. She was unique and different but extraordinary in a greatly positive way. As she grew up in front of us, so did her style and womanly elegance. As for her last album 'Aaliyah' it was her most innovative, her most inspirational and her most creative - a fantastic conglomeration of a great mix of different musical styles. She entered a place that she'd never entered before (or any of her peers for that matter). She took a risk far greater than anyone else in her field of music, and that alone made her legendary and put her waaaay above her peers. 'Aaliyah' was one of the most inventive albums to come out that year, and to this day, still is. Now you can check out the rest of the press release and the other tributes after the cut.
Before Aaliyah's life was cut short in 2001, the Grammy-nominated artist sold millions of records worldwide—collaborating with producers and artists including Missy Elliott and Timbaland. Although Aaliyah was only in the spotlight for a short time, she had a major impact on these artists personally, and many others professionally including Mark Ronson, Ciara, Method Man, Beth Ditto, and Kid Sister. These artists and more were all interviewed, offering their take on how Aaliyah’s impact has transcended over the years, long after her death.
"It only took Aaliyah a few albums to make an indelible mark on the world of pop music, but today her influence can be felt across numerous genres," said Chris Richards, Executive Editor of The FADER. "This issue not only tracks that influence, but also offers a more personal glimpse into the life of a true pop visionary."
Missy Elliott
"We was gonna save the world. We was gonna change music every chance we got. We was gonna always be family. Forever."
Mark Ronson
"If it wasn't for Aaliyah being the face and voice of [Missy Elliott and Timbaland's] sound they might have never got to where they did. They were presenting their sort of brilliant but challenging breakthrough music through this beautiful young girl who could sing it perfectly."
Kidada Jones
"I think about her all the time...Anytime she's brought up or her music comes on the radio, it’s sweet, but it definitely sounds like she found a niche before it was here. If you listen to her music it's so relevant today, but we had it so long ago."
Damon Dash
"She was already a fashion icon, she was getting into movies, she had already planted that seed. If she was alive today she would be so relevant. I see little bits of her everywhere I look, in a lot of artists."
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