It was 15 years ago today that we lost an icon, an extraordinary young gifted artist, Aaliyah Haughton, known to fans simply as Aaliyah.

In the spirit of Prince, David Bowie, and Janelle Monae, Aaliyah possessed a larger than life persona that ironically was fueled by her mystique. Dark clothing, trademark hair over one eye, the enigmatic chaunteuse had an almost ethereal presence which also could be found in her music.

To say Baby Girl’s impact music was monunmental would be a major understatement. Her work with Missy Elliott and Timbaland made those producers/artists/powerhouses household names. As producers and musicians Missy and Tim have also altered the music landscape.

When she wasn’t dominating the charts with hits like “Try Again,” “More Than A Woman,” and “Back and Forth,” Aaliyah was making moves on the acting front and putting Hollywood on notice. She made her big screen debut opposite Jet Li in the 2000 martial arts action thriller and box office hit, Romeo Must Die.

A year later Aaliyah starred as the villainous Akasha in Queen of the Damned which also dominated at the box office.

For many of us, Aaliyah was an iconic nerd of color who paved the way for diversity for women and PoCs in both music, film, and sci-fi.

While we lost this angel way too soon, her legacy and her art lives on.

Rock on Aaliyah.