Normally, an artist whose career was cut short by their death at the age of 22 wouldn't have much of a career to speak of. This, however, is not the case when it come s to Aaliyah. She was an R&B sensation while still in her teens. Aaliyah, which means "most exalted one" in Swahili, was born in Brooklyn in 1979. Her mother, also a singer, enrolled Aaliyah in vocal lessons before she was enrolled in school. She performed on the show Star Search at the age of nine, though she didn't win.

Aaliyah eventually began working with R. Kelly, who wrote and produced some of her first songs. Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, dropped in 1994 and went platinum. The album spawned two smash hit singles, "Back & Forth" and "At Your Best (You Are Love)." "Back & Forth" made it all the way to number one on the R&B charts, while "At Your Best" reached number two. After a scandal that involved a wedding and prompt annulment between 15-year-old Aaliyah and Kelly, who was 10 years her senior, the two parted ways.

Aaliyah released her second effort, One in a Million, in 1996. The album went double platinum and produced the number one single "If Your Girl Only Knew." On Once in a Million, Aaliyah worked extensively with producer Timbaland, a collaboration that would prove fruitful. In 1998 she had a single, "Are You That Somebody," on the soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy movie Dr. Doolittle. She also made a cameo appearance in the film.

Following her cameo in Dr. Doolittle, Aaliyah starred in the film Romeo Must Die, and her single, "Try Again," was featured on the soundtrack and became a number one hit. Aaliyah also gained a starring role in the film Queen of the Damned. After a brief hiatus, she returned to the studio and her third album, Aaliyah, was released in 2001. Her first single off the album, "We Need a Resolution," was a Top 20 hit. On her return from the Bahamas after filming the video for the album's second single, "Rock the Boat," the plane she was on crashed shortly after takeoff, taking the lives of Aaliyah and seven other passengers instantly.

"Rock the Boat" and "More Than a Woman" both became Top Ten hits on the R&B charts after her death. Queen of the Damned was released in 2002 and topped the box office in its first week in theaters. Her fourth album, I Care 4 U, was released posthumously in 2002 and featured some of her most popular songs as well as previously unreleased material.

Like so many talented people, Aaliyah was taken before her time. The music world is fortunate for what she was able to contribute before her death.