Eleven years ago yesterday, the music industry was shaken when Aaliyah died in a tragic plane crash in the Bahamas at the age of 22. Two of her closest friends, Missy Elliott and DMX, remember her on the anniversary of her death.
“AALIYAH u will always be a 1 in A MILLION to your Fans & TheSupafriends Me,Timbo,Magoo,Ginuwine,Playa,Tweet,Nicole. WeLoveU,” tweeted Missy, who was not only a friend, but also a mentor to Aaliyah.
DMX recalled fond memories of the R&B singer, who he starred alongside in the 2000 video for “Come Back in One Piece.”
“I had fun shooting that video,” the 41-year-old rapper told The BoomBox. “My wife [Tashera Simmons] got mad because there was one scene I was sitting up on the bench and [Aaliyah] was sitting [below] between my legs. I had on a jean jacket, it was a little chilly, and [Aaliyah] just had on a T-shirt.
“I was rubbing her arms, warming her up… I just felt the eyeballs [from Tashera]. A wife can give you a stare that will burn the side of your head. It was like a magnifying glass with the sun on me [laughs]. But I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Her legacy continues to live on.
“Her presence will be felt long after all of us are dead,” added X. “That’s the thing about a great artist. Music is timeless. Music will never die. She’ll never die. I think it’s only in death do we recognize a person’s true presence.”