Aaliyah: What Might Have Been!

Yesterday marked the 8th anniversary of the death of hip-hop superstar Aaliyah from a plane crash in the Bahamas. Aaliyah was 22 at the time of her death, and poised to rule hip-hop like no female artist before her. While Beyonce Knowles rules popular music from a female perspective, Aaliyah would've ruled the "cool" aspect of music with her quiet confidence and undeniable swagger. She had ruled the hip-hop and R&B charts with the assistance of mega producers R. Kelly and Timbaland and was coming off a hit movie with "Romeo Must Die." Aaliyah's trademark was her mystery, and she was surely just coming into her own as an artist and actress. Her music still resonates today and doesn't come close to sounding dated.

The Detroit Free Press has reprinted an article that was originally published 2 days after her death. Detroit was Aaliyah's home town and she graduated from Detroit's Performing Arts High School with a 4.0 GPA. Her loss is still evident 8 years later, and her legend was instantly cemented with her passing with a void that has yet to be filled.