R&B's Sultry Diva
(7/16/01, Essence.com ) R&B princess Aaliyah has a new album and three upcoming flicks.
While many
artists struggle to make the transition from the sound booth to the
silver screen, the 22-year-old Aaliyah's crossover talent has thrived in
movies and music as only a true superstar's could. After
impressing audiences with her screen debut as a modern-day Juliet in the
hip-hop/kung fu, Shakespeare-inspired action flick Romeo Must Die,
the R&B princess has quickly amassed blockbuster credits. Next
year, she'll grace the marquee with a title role in the supernatural
thriller Queen of the Damned, based on Anne Rice's third novel in
the Vampire Chronicles, and she'll star as a recurring character
in the sci-fi sequels Matrix Reloaded and Matrix 3 (coming
to theaters in 2002 and 2003).
Never forgetting
her first love, the singer/actress (who many have dubbed Generation X's
new Janet Jackson) drops her self-titled junior project, Aaliyah, on
July 17. It promises to deliver all the kinetic beats and feathery
vocals her devotees have grown to crave. And Aaliyah's
formula--sensual dance moves, angelic vocals, swan-like frame and acting
ability--adds up to longevity in this fickle industry. For those
of you who've been sleeping on Aaliyah's skills, here are some must-know
facts about the sultry diva.
One in a
million...
Born Aaliyah
Haughton, her name means "the highest, most exalted" in
Swahili and she's been living up to her moniker since her pre-teen
years. As a Brooklyn-born, Detroit-bred 8-year-old, she sang at
elementary school productions and weddings around Michigan. But
don't get it twisted: Aaliyah's not just another R&B chick--the
girl's been exposed to much culture. When she auditioned for the
Detroit Performing Arts High School in 1994, she wowed the judges with a
classic rendition of the aria "Ave Maria" in Italian.
She excelled despite her burgeoning music career, and graduated in 1997
with a 4.0 GPA.
If at first
you don't succeed...try again
Aaliyah went from
performing for her schoolyard peers to performing for millions of
television viewers on Star Search in 1990. Although she
lost, Aaliyah went on to hone her vocals by singing in Las Vegas with
Gladys Knight, who was at the time the wife of her uncle/manager, Barry
Hankerson. Three years later, she dropped her 1994 debut Age
Ain't Nothing But a Number, proving to be a talent to be reckoned
with at the tender age of 14.
All in the
family
When it comes to
handling her business, Aaliyah runs a close-knit operation. Her
mom, Diane Haughton, is her manager; her older brother Rashad is her
mentor and creative consultant; and uncle Barry Hankerson is the CEO of
her label, Blackground Records. In addition, her cousin Jomo
Hankerson is the executive producer of her albums.
And the award
goes to...
Aaliyah's not too
shabby in the award department. She received a 1998 Grammy nomination
for her bounce-heavy single "Are You That Somebody?", while
her follow-up hit "Try Again" garnered her two 2000 MTV Music
Awards for "Best Female Video" and "Best Video in a
Film." The song also became Billboard Hot 100's first
airplay-only single to reach its top slot. And her acting skills
didn't go unnoticed when she received two 2001 MTV Movie Awards
nominations for "Best Female Performance" and
"Breakthrough Performance Female" for her role in Romeo
Must Die.
They just
clique
Aaliyah and her
musical cohorts--Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Magoo and Ginuwine--give new
meaning to the theory "six degrees of separation" with their
production team, Da Basement. Aaliyah's distinct voice is most
often accompanied by Timbaland and Magoo's signature drum 'n bass-tinged
beats (the dynamic duo produced seven tracks for the 1996 One in a
Million). The singer has appeared on projects by Missy
"Misdemeanor" Elliot, Ginuwine and Timbaland.
Shady lady?
Aaliyah has made
sunglasses one of her trademarks since the beginning. Although in
recent years, she's graced many 'zines without shades, the singer has a
weakness for unique-looking frames and adds one to her growing
collection every time she travels. "My favorites are Jean
Paul Gaultier," she said in a 1999 Rolling Stone interview.
"They're gold with a very light-brown lens--they're
fly."
Unforseen
hiatus
It's hard to
believe that it's been over five years since Aaliyah's last project, One
in a Million. Musically, she's stayed in the spotlight with
record-breaking hits "Are You That Somebody" (her most
successful single to date from the 1998 Dr. Doolittle soundtrack),
"I Don't Wanna" and "Try Again" (both from last
year's Romeo Must Die soundtrack). Like some very
particular artists, Aaliyah is very concerned about over exposure, and
makes it her business to take breaks.
Vonetta
Booker, a freelance writer who lives in Brooklyn, NY., is the editor of
the urban lifestyle e-zine Triscene.com.
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