aaliyah

this angelic singer with a baggy b-girl style, had ladies across the land rocking their long black hair (real or purchased) over one eye… well i know i did… this slim lady with abs that were highly admired and enviable. she held the poise of someone who r. kelly sang about in his song homie, lover, friend.  she was pre-ciara, pre-alicia, pre-keri... pre-beyonce.

aaliyah transitioned from this life nine years ago today… i always remember where i was when i heard the news… laying in my bed, listening to the radio and hoping that hot97 was reporting a rumor… i remember how devastated my nephew felt.  he thought that everyone lived to be old, nobody died when they were young....

 * * * * * * * * * * * * *

give me the original of anything. i appreciate the real, not the duplicated... i just find that the redone is usually sub-par... but i have stumbled something that i feel is a gem.

aaliyah revisited is a collaboration album released by soul culture this time last year to commemorate aaliyah… with artists like jesse boykins III, marsha ambrosius and sy smith… a few not so mainstream artists…  they have redone some of aaliyah’s hits. jesse boykins III has a voice like butter… as my mother would say… his voice is smooth and wispy-like… and when he sings I care 4 u my insides melt like butter… 

if it was possible to "neo-soul" aaliyah, it has been done with this project... and it can be downloaded for free! just by clicking here...

http://www.thisisrealmusic.com/articles/40809/soul_culture_uk-aaliyah_revisited.php

RIP Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 - August 25, 2001)

Remembering

7 years ago I was battling a severe case of whatever it is I come down with when I leave the Caribbean and Mexico. It started as I was leaving the cruise ship. I couldn't hold down food, the toilet bowl was my best friend.

I came home early on Saturday, August 24th and slept through the night. I woke up early in the morning and looked down at my thighs and noticed they were considerably smaller. I decided to step on my scale to satisfy my mind's query. Sure enough I lost 10 pounds overnight. Never before nor after have I been able to manage that feat.

I laid back down because whatever it was had taken hold of me again. I awoke to the phone ringing. I answered. My friend, Mickey, was crying. Are you listening to the radio, K? Did you hear about her? Aaliyah is dead.

I am a skeptic. I believe NOTHING until I see the proof for myself. Far too often we hear rumors about someone passing when they are actually alive and well. I am upset that the media killed Bernie Mac off a week before he actually passed away. Makes me wanna believe that all of the gossip powers were able to take him out, yet I know it's not that simple.

I hung up with Mickey, explaining to her that I was under the weather. I turned the radio on and they were playing Aaliyah songs. That meant nothing. I listened some more until the radio DJ mentioned that Aaliyah Haughton had passed away in a plane crash. Now I understood Mickey's tears. Though she is emotional and has a tendency of falling in love and carrying on relationships with celebrities (she was the one in a relationship with Jay-Z), she was crying for me. I had just arrived from a trip overseas and it was my first time flying. Everyone including my mother was nervous about me flying, except me. For Mickey, Aaliyah's death could have easily been mine.

Today marks the 7th anniversary of Aaliyah's death. I am not one for observing death dates, I prefer to observe their birth dates, yet I can't help but remember how fortunate I felt that day, how sad I was and though Aaliyah was not an off the meter pop singer, I love her music and I miss her.

"I Don't Wanna"