On August 25th, 2001, the talented singer and actress Aaliyah tragically passed away in a plane crash. The game ended up losing one of the most promising young voices out, and while Aaliyah may be gone, her music and legacy remains. I, for one, was first introduced to the songstress through her leading role in the classic hip-hop/kung-fu hybrid flick Romeo Must Die. The film, which also featured fellow artist DMX, featured Aaliyah hitting it off with Jet Li, and while the film wasn't exactly a critical darling, many felt that the late singer was a saving grace.
It seemed fitting to look back on her music, and where better than the Romeo Must Die soundtrack? While I was torn whether or not to highlight "Try Again," which stands as Aaliyah's most popular song. Yet there was something so pure about the classic blend of hip-hop and rnb that seemed to be emerging in the late nineties, and the Aaliyah and DMX collaboration was simply too hot to pass on. Like many duets of that nature, the main theme centered around thug love, or as DMX so eloquently put it, how "a dog needs a bitch." And while X's presence is formidable, it's Aaliyah who steals the show with her subdued, yet graceful vocals.
It's crazy to think that she was only twenty-two when she died, and much she had already accomplished in both music and film. There are few singers who can put DMX in his place on wax, and with her badass yet beautiful presence, Aaliyah was one of them. So take a second and bump this old-school gem in her honor, and think about it - if Aaliyah was still here, what else might she have accomplished. Rest in peace.
Quotable Lyrics
I know you'd kill for me, you'd die you me
I know you like to rip and run the streets
But I get nervous sometimes, baby, I can't help to think
You might not make it home to eat, I barely sleep
[cover via Catherine McGann]
