Aaliyah - Aaliyah

About "Aaliyah"

American singer Aaliyah has released three studio albums, two compilation albums, and 31 singles. Aaliyah was born in Brooklyn, New York City and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At age 10, she appeared on Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed a deal with Jive Records and Blackground Records. During that time, she met R. Kelly through her uncle Barry Hankerson; eventually, he became her mentor, sole lead songwriter, and producer for her debut album. Released in 1994, Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold three million copies in the United States. Months after the release of her album, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records due to allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly.

In 1996, Aaliyah worked with unknown record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million. The album was a commercial success selling three million copies in the United States and over eight million worldwide. While working in between albums, she contributed to several movie soundtracks before starring in her debut feature film, Romeo Must Die, in 2000. Aaliyah executive produced the film's soundtrack and contributed four songs, including "Try Again". "Try Again" topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on radio airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. Aaliyah earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist for the song.

After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah shot her second film Queen of the Damned and released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in 2001. A little over a month after her album's release, Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming the music video for her single "Rock the Boat". In the wake of her death, Aaliyah has achieved commercial success with several posthumous releases.

As of December 2008, Aaliyah has sold 8.1 million albums in the United States and an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide. On the Billboard Hot 100, Aaliyah has spent 289 weeks on the chart; while her three studio albums and two compilation albums have spent 202 weeks on the Billboard 200 Chart.