Aaliyah In Vibe Magazine ©1995 VIBE Magazine

By Kevin Powell Right this minute it doesn't matter that Aaliyah's musical dreams are coming true. Sitting inside Serendipity 3, the famous Americana theme restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side, Aaliyah is too busy admiring all the Tiffany glass and chandeliers, as well as the novelty merchandise up front ("Check out that motorcycle clock! ...Whassup with the HAPPY BIRTHDAY pills?"), to be bothered with her recent notoriety as black pop's summer star child. So what if she's dining in an eatery whose celebrity clientele includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Candice Bergen, and Diana Ross? Nope, that doesn't matter either. What does matter is that Aaliyah has her own credential: a No. 1 R&B hit, "Back & Forth," that knocked "Your Body's Callin' "--by her mentor, R. Kelly--out of the top spot on the charts. Her explosive debut single helps bust the myth that the R&B solo act is dead. On the contrary, Aaliyah is part of a wave of crooners--including Mary J. Blige, Tevin Campbell, and Toni Braxton--who can really sing and sell records. A light-skinned cutie sporting a wrap 'do, oversize jeans cuffed at the ankles, and an I-was-born-in-Brooklyn smile, Aaliyah has that rare combination of mad vocal skills, physical beauty, and show-biz charisma that drums up memories of fellow teens-turned-superstars Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston. Yeah, the girl is all that and she's only...Hey! How old is she anyway? "You said age?" Aaliyah asks slyly between gulps of her frozen mochaccino. "That's not something I really discuss." As the title of her album will tell you, age ain't nothing but a number as far as Aaliyah is concerned. But she does admit, "I'm under 18." Whatever the case, it's clear that record buyers everywhere from her native Brooklyn to Detroit (her adopted hometown--she moved there with her parents and older brother when she was five years old) are captivated by Aaliyah's sexy, velvety voice and her urban brand of femininity. In the video for "Back & Forth," she succinctly captures the gangsta flair without compromising her innocence. This ain't no Cinderella story, though. Aaliyah has been planning to blow up from jump. "I've been singing all my life," she says matter-of-factly. "I've always wanted this. I sang in church, in school plays, and my parents gave me vocal lessons. My parents always said this was destined for me." By the time she was nine, Aaliyah (which means "the highest, the most exalted one, the best" in Arabic) was performing professionally. She routinely auditioned for record companies and television pilots, sang on Star Search, and jammed with Gladys Knight in Las Vegas. It didn't hurt either that Aaliyah's uncle is Barry Hankerson, Knight's ex-husband and a longtime entertainment industry fixture. In fact, it was Hankerson who introduced Aaliyah to R. Kelly. "My uncle is also R. Kelly's manager," she says. "I met Robert before he came out with Born in the 90's [his first album]. He came to my house and I sang for him, and from there we went into the studio and started working together." R. Kelly, obviously a gifted songwriter and producer, nurtured Aaliyah in the studio. "The work was new to me," she explains. "I worked very hard to make the album perfect. Since Robert did have the experience, he basically laid out the album and everything, but I do want to write and produce my own stuff down the line." Down the line, Aaliyah--a student at the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts, where she has a 3.8 grade point average--also plans to attend college and pursue a doctorate in music history. She says, "I always want to have music in some part of my life." If that isn't enough, she's also serious about acting. Her limitless ambition brings to mind other multitalented artists like Vanessa Williams, Janet Jackson, and Queen Latifah. "People are gonna look up to me because I'm young, black, and female," Aaliyah says, her eyes bright as she spins the spoon around her now empty mug. Does that mean more pressure? Aaliyah sideswipes me with that smile. "No, not really. I don't feel any pressure at all." A giggle. She pauses, and her mind seems to venture out, then return. "That's why I work every day. Ev-er-y day." The words roll slowly from her lips. "I want to knock people out."