Why do people keep peddling this lie? On what planet was MONICA bigger than Aaliyah? People are seriously perpetuating the lie that Aaliyah was a complete nobody until she died. Her first song was a hit and her sophomore album followed suit. She was well received in the RnB community especially because that's what the demographic/lane that her music was, everyone knew exactly who she was. Aaliyah did a Tommy Hilfiger campaign and performed at the Oscars - so how was she unknown? The success of Are You That Somebody and Try Again are not reflected in Monica's "Angel of Mine". Aaliyah's hits were bigger and still to this very day get more rotation. In fact Monica's biggest song, The Boy is Mine, is a duet with Brandy, and Brandy's peak was when the song came out, so that single primarily rode the airwaves off the strength of Brandy's unstoppable run from 97-98. Monica's biggest song was in due part to Brandy's stardom, other than that single Monica does not have a list of songs or albums that outperformed Aaliyah's catalog. Monica was never bigger than Aaliyah. Aaliyah was a star in 2001. Watch that VMA red carpet clip and pay attention to who was interviewing who. If Beyonce was Aaliyah's understudy on that red carpet then what makes you think Monica was bigger than Aaliyah?
Once again you're trying to diminish Aaliyah's stardom and popularity. She held her own as a single act and did just fine. Stop trying to make it seem as if she was some underground one hit wonder. She had a hit film and 2 multiplatinum albums. She was one of the staple RnB acts and a revered celebrity, not some R Kelly backup dancer that mysteriously managed to last more than a year. She was only getting bigger.
By the way, I truly don't give a dang about record sales because in no way are they an indication of the quality of an artist's music. Britney Spear's music is atrocious and it sold like hot cakes back then. Aaliyah might've sold less than Beyonce, but the quality of her music has withstood time and sounds innovative still to this day. She did what an artist is supposed to do which is make good music, not spew out robotic teen pop garbage to buckdance for the white audience.
She was an awesome artist which is why she was a well known star even before her death.
Ashanti's run went from 2001 to 2002. Aaliyah's went from 1994 to 2001. She had longevity.
Since you mentioned Ashanti I was just saying its amazing how much they're compared when they have nothing in common over both of them doing RnB and being beautiful 
