It’s hard to believe that nine years have gone by since Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash.
Her close friend and collaborator Missy Elliott recently answered some questions from MTV about the anniversary of Aaliyah’s death and her influence on today’s female R&B singers.
MTV: When you look around today at some of the current R&B stars, who do you see traces of Aaliyah’s influence in?
Missy Elliott: I think it’s hard for Aaliyah to be duplicated, because she had her own lane. But Ciara is an R&B singer who loves to dance, and Aaliyah was that same kinda artist. We knew when she dropped a record, we couldn’t wait for the video. I think Aaliyah has influenced artists like a Ciara.
MTV: How do you spend a day like this, where everyone is mourning the anniversary of your friend’s passing?
Elliott: I plan to spend my day the same as any other day, because there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of [Aaliyah] or watch a video or play her music. I miss her every day.
MTV: What memory do you revisit most when you think about Aaliyah?
Elliott: We’ve had so many memorable times. My most memorable is when me, her and Tim wore outfits alike! It was burgundy Pony outfits to the awards. Mind you, Aaliyah was petite so her Pony outfit looked so cute on her, but I kept looking at mine during the awards whispering to her saying, “I feel like a big-ass pony for real!” And we laughed and laughed! Too many memories to state them all! If she was still with us, she would still be at the top. Because she always stayed pushing herself to be better.
