Aaliyah Death Anniversary: Friends And Fans Remember 'Babygirl' 20 Years After Her Death
She may have died young but friends and fans of Aaliyah have not forgotten her. On Wednesday, they flooded social media with sweet messages to commemorate the 20th death anniversary of "Babygirl."
"Babygirl All these years your impact is still felt & your influence is seen everywhere! So many are still captivated by your sound & style! It's beautiful to see a new generation become fans of your art & love your heart," Missy Elliott wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "We Love you __ & May your spirit live on 4ever."
The "Get Your Freak On" rapper became friends with Aaliyah while working with record producer/rapper Timbaland on the late artist's second album, "One in a Million," which was released in 1996.
Loyal fans of Aaliyah also had some sweet words for her.
Aaliyah died when she was 22 in a plane crash in the Bahamas on Aug. 25, 2001. She had just filmed the music video for her single, "Rock the Boat," when the overloaded aircraft crashed, killing all nine passengers onboard.
Two decades after the plane crash, fans triumphantly celebrated the inclusion of Aaliyah's music in Spotify on Aug. 20.
"She was a mystery when she was here and in her absence she's a mystery," Kathy Iandoli, author of the new book "Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah," told CNN. "She's an even bigger mystery and people love a mystery."
Aaliyah's estate, run by Aaliyah LLC on behalf of her mother, Diane, brother Rashad and her former manager and uncle, Barry Hankerson, also shared a special message for the fans Wednesday.
"It is with heavy hearts that we share this day of remembrance that marks the 20th year with all of you. We want to honor the beautiful life and legacy of Babygirl," the message read.
"As a token of our love and respect for your support throughout the years, we are happy to unveil a special project that we've been working on. We truly believe that it embodies Aaliyah’s spirit and passion for life and her artistry. Please head over to Aaliyah's Official YouTube channel (link in our IG Stories) to see what we've been working on. We are just getting started & we hope you really feel us on this one. With Aaliyah and her comrades in our hearts, Team Aaliyah," it said.
Aaliyah's YouTube channel showed excerpts of the late singer's interview from 2001, which was filmed by MTV for its hit documentary series, "Diary." The episode was aired on Aug. 8, 2001, two weeks before the crash that killed the singer.
The YouTube channel announced the whole episode of "Aaliyah's MTV Diary" will be uploaded soon. The trailer has been viewed nearly 18,000 times since it was posted on Wednesday.
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