I have to admit, I was not a fan of Aaliyah while she was with R. Kelly. I just thought their whole odd couple relationship (wearing the same clothes, being around each other constantly, the whole marriage scandal shit that went down) was just..awkward.

However, when she got with Missy and Timbaland during the One In A Million era, and she became this confident, sexy, sophisticated young woman, shedding her tomboy look and taking charge of her career without R. Kelly being under her, that's when I started taking notice. She became fierce. Since then, I was an Aaliyah fan, and I rode with her before and after she died. So in a way, I can see where her die hard loyal fans are coming from.

Her albums may not have sold that well and won grammies, but there was something about her wholesome, sweet, respectable image that people adored, unlike all the hood rats of today's industry. And despite her complex history with Kellz, she never gave up making music and trying to become a household name while she was alive. She kept it moving.