AAliyah ” Angel Above”

Aaliyah

Aaliyah Dana Haughton, Born January 16, 1979 in Brooklyn New York, whom later moved to Detroit Michigan where she was raised. Aaliyah was a recording artist, dancer, singer and model.

At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson’s Blackground Records. Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with R. Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.

Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film’s soundtrack, which spawned the single “Try Again”. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. “Try Again” earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001.

Queen of the Damned

On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single “Rock the Boat”. The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah’s family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Aaliyah’s music has continued to achieve commercial success with several posthumous releases. Aaliyah is estimated to have sold 24 to 32 million albums worldwide. She has been credited for helping redefine contemporary R&B and hip hop, earning her the nicknames “Princess of R&B” and “Queen of Urban Pop”.

She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and 27th most successful R&B artist in history. Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York. Born of African American descent, with Native American heritage from her grandmother,she was the second and youngest child of Diane and Michael Haughton. At a young age, Aaliyah was enrolled in voice lessons by her mother, and she would perform at weddings, church choir and charity events. When she was five years old, her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she was raised along with her older brother, Rashad. She attended a Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, where in first grade, she received a part in the stage play Annie. From then on, she was determined to become an entertainer.

Her mother was a vocalist, and her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was an entertainment lawyer who had been married to Gladys Knight. As a child, Aaliyah traveled with Knight and worked with an agent in New York to audition for commercials and television programs, including Family Matters; she went on to appear on Star Search at the age of nine. She then auditioned for several record labels and appeared in concerts alongside Knight at age 11. Her release of Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number in 1991-1995 scored high sales and much success. After Hankerson signed a distribution deal with Jive Records, he signed Aaliyah to his Blackground Records label at the age of 12. Hankerson later introduced her to recording artist and producer R. Kelly, who became Aaliyah’s mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of the album, which was recorded when she was 14. Aaliyah’s debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, was released under Jive and Blackground Records; the album debut at number 24 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 74,000 copies in its first week. It ultimately peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and sold over three million copies in the United States, where it was certified two times Platinum by the RIAA. In Canada, the album sold over 50,000 copies and was certified gold by the CRIA.

Aaliyah’s debut single, “Back & Forth”, topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for three weeks and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The second single, a cover of The Isley Brothers’ “At Your Best (You Are Love)”, peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also certified Gold by the RIAA.The title track, “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number”, peaked at number 75 on the Hot 100. Additionally, she released “The Thing I Like” as part of the soundtrack to the 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame.

Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Some writers noted that Aaliyah’s “silky vocals” and “sultry voice” blended with Kelly’s new jack swing helped define R&B in the 1990s. Her sound was also compared to that of female quartet En Vogue. Christopher John Farley of Time magazine described the album as a “beautifully restrained work”, noting that Aaliyah’s “girlish, breathy vocals rode calmly on R. Kelly’s rough beats”. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic felt that the album had its “share of filler”, but described the singles as “slyly seductive”. He also claimed that the songs on the album were “frequently better” than that of Kelly’s second studio album, 12 Play.

Aaliyah is one of the greatest young solo artist of all times. She will truly be missed. It has been almost 13 years and Aaliyah has still inspired other young artist. I care 4 you album was again one of her best work and would have successfully sored Aaliyah higher in her career than ever.

We Miss you

Baby Girl

Tyra Banks “Diva of Vogue” Model

Diva

Tyra Banks

Famous Model, Known for working Victoria Secrets Original Angels. Banks is the creator of the top model show. America’s Next Top Model.

When Banks was 15 years old, she started modeling while attending school in Los Angeles. She was rejected by four modeling agencies before she was signed by L.A. Models and then switched to Elite Model Management at age 16. When she got the opportunity to model in Europe, she put college on hold and moved to Milan. In her first runway season, she was booked in 25 shows at the 1991 Paris Fashion Week. She would later appear on the covers of magazines such as Elle, Teen Vogue and Vogue. She walked the runways for Chanel, Valentino, Fendi and others. She has featured in advertising campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Nike. In the mid-1990s, Banks returned to America to do more commercial modeling.

Fierce is in the Eyes
Fierce is in the Eyes

Banks was the first African American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 1997, she received the VH1 award for, “Supermodel of the Year.

When Banks was 15 years old, she started modeling while attending school in Los Angeles. She was rejected by four modeling agencies before she was signed by L.A. Models and then switched to Elite Model Management at age 16. When she got the opportunity to model in Europe, she put college on hold and moved to Milan. In her first runway season, she was booked in 25 shows at the 1991 Paris Fashion Week. She would later appear on the covers of magazines such as Elle, Teen Vogue and Vogue. She walked the runways for Chanel, Valentino, Fendi and others. She has featured in advertising campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Nike. In the mid-1990s, Banks returned to America to do more commercial modeling.

Banks

Banks was the first African American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 1997, she received the VH1 award for, “Supermodel of the Year.
Tyra was rejected by four modeling agencies before she was signed by L.A. Models and then switched to Elite Model Management at age 16. When she got the opportunity to model in Europe, she put college on hold and moved to Milan. In her first runway season, she was booked in 25 shows at the 1991 Paris Fashion Week. She would later appear on the covers of magazines such as Elle, Teen Vogue and Vogue. She walked the runways for Chanel, Valentino, Fendi and others. She has featured in advertising campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Nike. In the mid-1990s, Banks returned to America to do more commercial modeling.

Vogue & Pose

Banks was the first African American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 1997, she received the VH1 award for, “Supermodel of the Year. Tyra Banks continues on to inspire other women and help their careers. Leading America’s Next Top Model and more.

The Latest Fashion, Music, Hip Hop and Inspiration