Aaliyah vs. Brandy - Who is more of an icon?

[young chad]

Wooowww....so nigga's acting like Aaliyah wasn't on top when she passed? Aaliyah as far as RnB chicks goes, was on top, winning Grammy's for soundtrack songs, she had undeniable classics AND she was stepping her movie game up, I truly believe Aaliyah would either be on some Will Smith or AT LEAST LL Cool J type ish with her acting resume right now (which says a LOT about an RnB artist because you really can't name too many chicks that went from multi platinum albums to being A-list actors)...

Not to mention Aaliyah's impact on 90's fashion was ICONIC, maybe cuz I'm 2 weeks from being 28, I remember how EVERY girl at school wore their hair like Aaliyah and EVERY girl wanted to wear the baggy pants and tube tops or whatever it was. Aaliyah was absolutely revered by her peers and idolized (even before death) by her fans. Gotta remember there weren't a lot of solo rnb chicks who were "entertainers AND singers" at the time Aaliyah died, she was bringing the dancing AND singing to the table...and no she didn't have a particularly strong singing voice, but she mastered that "pillow talk" sound and played her lane perfectly.

Brandy definitely did her thing in her hay day but to be honest she did a little too much "following" and not enough leading....where as Aaliyah was the total opposite..she set trends, she didn't follow them...and like it or not, the fact that she died did boost her to icon status, sorry

 

[Pun1sher]

Wooowww....so nigga's acting like Aaliyah wasn't on top when she passed? Aaliyah as far as RnB chicks goes, was on top, winning Grammy's for soundtrack songs, she had undeniable classics AND she was stepping her movie game up, I truly believe Aaliyah would either be on some Will Smith or AT LEAST LL Cool J type ish with her acting resume right now (which says a LOT about an RnB artist because you really can't name too many chicks that went from multi platinum albums to being A-list actors)...

Not to mention Aaliyah's impact on 90's fashion was ICONIC, maybe cuz I'm 2 weeks from being 28, I remember how EVERY girl at school wore their hair like Aaliyah and EVERY girl wanted to wear the baggy pants and tube tops or whatever it was. Aaliyah was absolutely revered by her peers and idolized (even before death) by her fans. Gotta remember there weren't a lot of solo rnb chicks who were "entertainers AND singers" at the time Aaliyah died, she was bringing the dancing AND singing to the table...and no she didn't have a particularly strong singing voice, but she mastered that "pillow talk" sound and played her lane perfectly.

Brandy definitely did her thing in her hay day but to be honest she did a little too much "following" and not enough leading....where as Aaliyah was the total opposite..she set trends, she didn't follow them...and like it or not, the fact that she died did boost her to icon status, sorry

Aaliyah has never won a Grammy, first of all. And just what type of trends did she set musically, that wasn't already being done years prior?

And let's not forget...Brandy went from multi-platinum artist to A-list actor...before Aaliyah did. Lls

 

[georgia boi]

Aaliyah has never won a Grammy, first of all. And just what type of trends did she set musically, that wasn't already being done years prior?

And let's not forget...Brandy went from multi-platinum artist to A-list actor...before Aaliyah did. Lls

Aaliyah as a trendsetter:

"Following a successful transition to a more mature image, Aaliyah played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late '90s. " http://www.allmusic.com/artist/aaliyah-p44722

LOL @ Brandy being an A-List actor. Back when she was in Double Platinum, Cinderella, and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, she wasn't A-List. Brandy back when she had big acting roles still wasn't cast in the bigger roles like Halle Berry, Angela Basset, or even Nia Long.

 

[Pun1sher]

Aaliyah as a trendsetter:

"Following a successful transition to a more mature image, Aaliyah played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late '90s. " http://www.allmusic.com/artist/aaliyah-p44722

That isn't trendsetting, considering nobody in here can name the "trend" it actually started. I'm not here for pity quotes from empathetic critics. If we can't name artists that started doing something that wasn't already being done in 1992, or 1986...it's futile. And if we can't name artists, outside of the Tim/Missy/Aaliyah/Ginuwine camp that incorporated similar production techniques into their own music, then it's not as much a "trend" as it something that was just being done amongst the same 2 or 3 artists.

LOL @ Brandy being an A-List actor. Back when she was in Double Platinum, Cinderella, and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, she wasn't A-List. Brandy back when she had big acting roles still wasn't cast in the bigger roles like Halle Berry, Angela Basset, or even Nia Long.

The same applies for Aaliyah...but it's okay for dude to refer to her as "A-list", though, correct?

 

[Just2C]

Alliyah easily. People still talk about her music to this day. Brandy hasnt been poppin since "The Boy Is Mine". aint nobody studying Brandy.

 

[georgia boi]

That isn't trendsetting, considering nobody in here can name the "trend" it actually started. I'm not here for pity quotes from empathetic critics. If we can't name artists that started doing something that wasn't already being done in 1992, or 1986...it's futile. And if we can't name artists, outside of the Tim/Missy/Aaliyah/Ginuwine camp that incorporated similar production techniques into their own music, then it's not as much a "trend" as it something that was just being done amongst the same 2 or 3 artists.

The same applies for Aaliyah...but it's okay for dude to refer to her as "A-list", though, correct?

Isn't it safe to say that since people were either going to Timbaland for the signature sound that he introduced with Aaliyah or biting that sound, that Aaliyah played a part in that trend? Artists outside of just the Timbaland/Missy/Ginuwine circle jumped on that sound whether it was for singles or album cuts.

As for the acting thing, dude didn't refer to Aaliyah as A-List. He implied that she could have been, if she hadn't died. In fact he compared Aaliyah's acting resume to LL's and he's not an A List actor. Of course, Aaliyah wasn't an A List actor either even though her acting career was just taking off before she died.

 

[DRO]

Monicas voice, face, and body! >>>>>>>>

 

[young chad]

Isn't it safe to say that since people were either going to Timbaland for the signature sound that he introduced with Aaliyah or biting that sound, that Aaliyah played a part in that trend? Artists outside of just the Timbaland/Missy/Ginuwine circle jumped on that sound whether it was for singles or album cuts.

As for the acting thing, dude didn't refer to Aaliyah as A-List. He implied that she could have been, if she hadn't died. In fact he compared Aaliyah's acting resume to LL's and he's not an A List actor. Of course, Aaliyah wasn't an A List actor either even though her acting career was just taking off before she died.

Exactly...and the question clearly states who is more of an ICON (not a musical icon)....how are we just going to blatantly deny Aaliyah's trend setting fashion, which, like it or not helps with icon status...when you can change the way an entire generation (even if it's just the minorities) dress based solely on YOUR style...that's setting a trend. Let's not use revisionist history and act like that didn't happen.

As for acting, again, when Aaliyah died, she was just taking off...."Queen of the Damned" was critically acclaimed and my apologies for the Grammy mistake, I was thinking of her performance of "Journey to the Past" from the Anastasia soundtrack. But yes, I truly believe that she would've climbed the acting ranks and therefore not "fallen off" like say a "Monica" or Brandy. Why you ask? Because neither of them were ever taken seriously for their acting..and when I say that, I mean by the people that matter (casting directors)...people were never running to Brandy or Monica for big time Hollywood productions....Aaliyah was CARRYING movies as the top billed star in actual THEATRICAL released films. (Maybe because I'm into film I understand the impact of this more than some) but to be honest...that goes a HUGE way in insuring you don't "fade" away. When a black artist can successfully go from singing/rapping to being cast in legitimate movies (no not Ja Rule) ..they are usually there to stay. You don't believe me? Look at LL Cool J, Queen Latifa, Mos Def, Will Smith, Ice Cube, Ice T, Bow Wow etc.....all of them started out just like Aaliyah and some even the same time as her, and guess what, none of them have faded. And the thing is, the reason I say Aaliyah probably would've been A-list...is because it took most of those names I listed a LOT longer time to get an A-List role, than it took Aaliyah. She was cast as Nyrobi in the freakin Matrix....let's see what that spawned, hmmm 2 movies AND a video game based around the character. That would've been Aaliyah...and maybe you're not familiar with Hollywood, but when THAT happens...the actor usually gets about 3 more movies just as big offered to them to film back to back so they can all come out around the same time.

Unless you think it's a coincidence when rising stars appear in 5 blockbuster movies in the span of 2 months...here let me provide proof so that I don't have to be quoted and misunderstood again: Sam Worthington - Terminator, Avatar, Clash of the Titans.....Ryan Gosling - Crazy, Stupid, Love..Drive, Ides of March...only a fool would think that with 2 back to back Matrix Films (The biggest films at that time) Hollywood wouldn't want to capitalize on Aaliyah's star power

So yes, I believe Aaliyah was on her way to being a "black entertainment icon"...I believe she changed the way girls viewed what was "possible" in this society for them...and I think, in my eyes, and the eyes of many she was more iconic than Brandy (who was on a good ride for a long while but chose to play it safe and didn't blaze any trails)

 

[Pun1sher]

Exactly...and the question clearly states who is more of an ICON (not a musical icon)....how are we just going to blatantly deny Aaliyah's trend setting fashion, which, like it or not helps with icon status...when you can change the way an entire generation (even if it's just the minorities) dress based solely on YOUR style...that's setting a trend. Let's not use revisionist history and act like that didn't happen.

As for acting, again, when Aaliyah died, she was just taking off...."Queen of the Damned" was critically acclaimed and my apologies for the Grammy mistake, I was thinking of her performance of "Journey to the Past" from the Anastasia soundtrack. But yes, I truly believe that she would've climbed the acting ranks and therefore not "fallen off" like say a "Monica" or Brandy. Why you ask? Because neither of them were ever taken seriously for their acting..and when I say that, I mean by the people that matter (casting directors)...people were never running to Brandy or Monica for big time Hollywood productions....Aaliyah was CARRYING movies as the top billed star in actual THEATRICAL released films. (Maybe because I'm into film I understand the impact of this more than some) but to be honest...that goes a HUGE way in insuring you don't "fade" away. When a black artist can successfully go from singing/rapping to being cast in legitimate movies (no not Ja Rule) ..they are usually there to stay. You don't believe me? Look at LL Cool J, Queen Latifa, Mos Def, Will Smith, Ice Cube, Ice T, Bow Wow etc.....all of them started out just like Aaliyah and some even the same time as her, and guess what, none of them have faded. And the thing is, the reason I say Aaliyah probably would've been A-list...is because it took most of those names I listed a LOT longer time to get an A-List role, than it took Aaliyah. She was cast as Nyrobi in the freakin Matrix....let's see what that spawned, hmmm 2 movies AND a video game based around the character. That would've been Aaliyah...and maybe you're not familiar with Hollywood, but when THAT happens...the actor usually gets about 3 more movies just as big offered to them to film back to back so they can all come out around the same time.

Unless you think it's a coincidence when rising stars appear in 5 blockbuster movies in the span of 2 months...here let me provide proof so that I don't have to be quoted and misunderstood again: Sam Worthington - Terminator, Avatar, Clash of the Titans.....Ryan Gosling - Crazy, Stupid, Love..Drive, Ides of March...only a fool would think that with 2 back to back Matrix Films (The biggest films at that time) Hollywood wouldn't want to capitalize on Aaliyah's star power

So yes, I believe Aaliyah was on her way to being a "black entertainment icon"...I believe she changed the way girls viewed what was "possible" in this society for them...and I think, in my eyes, and the eyes of many she was more iconic than Brandy (who was on a good ride for a long while but chose to play it safe and didn't blaze any trails)

There was nothing groundbreaking, or trendsetting about Aaliyah's fashion. TLC, Mary J. Blige, and the like...were ALL responsible for pioneering that "street but sweet" look, with the baggy clothes, sunglasses, and baseball caps, while managing to keep it feminine...years before Aaliyah did.

By saying Aaliyah changed the way an entire generation dressed, based solely on her style...you're completely ignoring what Mary and TLC did in 1992. If a car stops on the highway, and another car hits it, then another, and another, and the chain reaction continues. You can't just pick the 4th car, for example, and say that is what caused the accident (teehehe). And if you really wanted to be technical, we can argue that Mary's Northern Urban-city influenced style became the blueprint for artists like Aaliyah...and I can guarantee you, georgia boi, and EVERYONE else in this thread...that there is absolutely NOTHING you can say Aaliyah did in 1994 or 1996, that Mary didn't already do (be it musically or stylistically) in 1992. And that's why Mary has the title...and Aaliyah doesn't.

Now, moving on...Queen of the Damned was NOT critically acclaimed. That shit was shunned by critics, and even Anne Rice herself dismissed that shit, and didn't support it. So, Aaliyah was the top billed star of ONE movie, that got awful reviews...Brandy carried a sitcom for 6 seasons, which happened to have been one of the highest rated shows with a predominantly African American cast on a major television network. And that in itself is more trendsetting and "iconic", then what Aaliyah did in terms of acting...and that's why, of the two, Brandy's the icon.

 

[young chad]

There was nothing groundbreaking, or trendsetting about Aaliyah's fashion. TLC, Mary J. Blige, and the like...were ALL responsible for pioneering that "street but sweet" look, with the baggy clothes, sunglasses, and baseball caps, while managing to keep it feminine...years before Aaliyah did.

By saying Aaliyah changed the way an entire generation dressed, based solely on her style...you're completely ignoring what Mary and TLC did in 1992. If a car stops on the highway, and another car hits it, then another, and another, and the chain reaction continues. You can't just pick the 4th car, for example, and say that is what caused the accident (teehehe). And if you really wanted to be technical, we can argue that Mary's Northern Urban-city influenced style became the blueprint for artists like Aaliyah...and I can guarantee you, georgia boi, and EVERYONE else in this thread...that there is absolutely NOTHING you can say Aaliyah did in 1994 or 1996, that Mary didn't already do (be it musically or stylistically) in 1992. And that's why Mary has the title...and Aaliyah doesn't.

Now, moving on...Queen of the Damned was NOT critically acclaimed. That shit was shunned by critics, and even Anne Rice herself dismissed that shit, and didn't support it. So, Aaliyah was the top billed star of ONE movie, that got awful reviews...Brandy carried a sitcom for 6 seasons, which happened to have been one of the highest rated shows with a predominantly African American cast on a major television network. And that in itself is more trendsetting and "iconic", then what Aaliyah did in terms of acting...and that's why, of the two, Brandy's the icon.

Sorry but I don't agree...yes Mary was street (was she sweet?) Yes TLC was loud/bright and a little raunchy...but Aaliyah was more "model" then either of them...it was her that was chosen to carry the style and be the "spokesperson" for it. I do agree TLC set a trend as well, T-Boz with her hair especially...but it doesn't matter who else was doing it, when most of the girls that were mimicking it, were doing so BECAUSE of AALIYAH...we gonna just act like EVERY girl in school wasn't walking around with the hair over 1 eye? We gonna act like Aaliyah wasn't modeling AND singing?

TLC made dressing in guys clothes "cool"...Mary made being from the hood "cool"...Aaliyah came off as more of a model who was singing and dancing, and girls bought into that. I mean geez the proof is in the pudding, this isn't just "opinion". Read magazne articles from BEFORE she died etc.

Of course there were icons that came before icons...if you talking influence, let's say Mary J didn't do shit that most artists in the 70's hadn't already done...it goes without saying that Aaliyah was influenced by people that came before her, most people are..that's life. Denzel was influenced by Sidney Poitier, does that make Denzel less of an icon?

Aaliyah's acting in QOTD was critically acclaimed, she died before the film was completed perhaps that effected the final product, I'm not entirely sure. Aaliyah was the top billed star in Romeo Must Die as well...and again, both of those movies were simply groundwork for what she was about to undertake...it's not like I'm "speculating" on if her next movie role would've been big or not...it was FACT that she was going to be in both Matrix movies, and the matrix video game..I'm pretty sure that would've made her a household name (outside of the suburbs) something that "Moesha" didn't do for Brandy. Charles S. Dutton did "Roc" did that make him a bigger icon than Denzel? 6 Seasons on Moesha might've fattened Brandy's pockets but it did NOTHING for her acting career, sorry but that's just fact. 1 role in a top box office smash >>> 6 seasons on UPN...a recurring role in a top billed Sci-fi trilogy and a spin off video game>>>> 6 Seasons on UPN and a made for tv Cinderella movie..

 

[georgia boi]

There was nothing groundbreaking, or trendsetting about Aaliyah's fashion. TLC, Mary J. Blige, and the like...were ALL responsible for pioneering that "street but sweet" look, with the baggy clothes, sunglasses, and baseball caps, while managing to keep it feminine...years before Aaliyah did.

By saying Aaliyah changed the way an entire generation dressed, based solely on her style...you're completely ignoring what Mary and TLC did in 1992. If a car stops on the highway, and another car hits it, then another, and another, and the chain reaction continues. You can't just pick the 4th car, for example, and say that is what caused the accident (teehehe). And if you really wanted to be technical, we can argue that Mary's Northern Urban-city influenced style became the blueprint for artists like Aaliyah...and I can guarantee you, georgia boi, and EVERYONE else in this thread...that there is absolutely NOTHING you can say Aaliyah did in 1994 or 1996, that Mary didn't already do (be it musically or stylistically) in 1992. And that's why Mary has the title...and Aaliyah doesn't.

Now, moving on...Queen of the Damned was NOT critically acclaimed. That shit was shunned by critics, and even Anne Rice herself dismissed that shit, and didn't support it. So, Aaliyah was the top billed star of ONE movie, that got awful reviews...Brandy carried a sitcom for 6 seasons, which happened to have been one of the highest rated shows with a predominantly African American cast on a major television network. And that in itself is more trendsetting and "iconic", then what Aaliyah did in terms of acting...and that's why, of the two, Brandy's the icon.

I'm sorry, but what Mary J. Blige did musically was nothing like what Aaliyah was doing in 1996. Yes, Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number is musically the same as Mary's first two, and Brandy and Monica's debut, but One In A Million was different. People acknowledged how groundbreaking that album was sonically before Aaliyah's passing. Are you saying that "4 Page Letter", "Beats 4 The Streets", "One In A Million", "If Your Girl Only Knew", "Heartbroken", "Ladies In The House" sounds anything like what Mary was doing in 1992?

Aaliyah's style in terms of how she dressed was also different. It wasn't the baggy clothing and tom-boy look that seperated her from the rest. It was the black shades, the black leather, the clothing that almost always exposed her stomach. The closest to how Aaliyah dressed was probably Total:

Carrying a sitcom for 6 seasons would make Brandy an icon on the level of Martin Lawerence if he never did anything outside of Martin like Bad Boys, hosting Def Jam comedy, the Big Momma House films, and other movies that he starred in directed or produced. The difference is Brandy's an accomplished singer and her carrying a sitcom is the only thing of iconic status that you can present all while stating that Aaliyah was the top billed star of a movie?

 

[young chad]

^^^^Two movies...and brushes over the fact that she was going to be in both Matrix movies AND the video game?! That speaks volumes of what Hollywood actually thought of her and how much faith they had in her star power.

 

[Pun1sher]

Oh...so you guys are saying that nobody in TLC (or TLC, as an entire group) was "model" enough to personify that "street but sweet" look?

And, of course, Mary wasn't rockin' leather ensembles, with the Black shades.

I believe I have officially heard it all on the I.C.

People acknowledged how groundbreaking that album was sonically before Aaliyah's passing.

People only acknowledged how groundbreaking that album was for Missy and Timbaland's career...not for the music industry as a whole.

 

[C.Melendez]

You don't compare those 2 aaliyah is above her in my opinion ......maybe brandy and monica might be on each other level

But then again i really don't listen to rnb

 

[iphucq]

is this really a post?

 

[georgia boi]

Oh...so you guys are saying that nobody in TLC (or TLC, as an entire group) was "model" enough to personify that "street but sweet" look?

And, of course, Mary wasn't rockin' leather ensembles, with the Black shades.

I believe I have officially heard it all on the I.C.

People only acknowledged how groundbreaking that album was for Missy and Timbaland's career...not for the music industry as a whole.

It was acknowledged on how groundbreaking the sound was period. Bottom line, it was a sound that was groundbreaking for Urban and Pop music. DJ Premier on Aaliyah's "One In A Million" song:

"I loved ‘One in a Million.’ I loved the video, the way she was moving her body, and I was really into the way she looked in that video, and the song was dope, Timbaland was a new guy to us, and he was just so ahead with this new sound"

http://www.complex.com/music/2011/0...d-classic-records/a-million-and-one-questions

Adam Levine on Aaliyah/Timbaland:

"That is one of the most revolutionary-sounding songs ever recorded," said Levine, whose teenage rock band Kara's Flowers was dropped the following year by Reprise Records. "We heard that song, and we thought to ourselves, 'Whoa, there has never been anything like this before.' "

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/20/entertainment/la-et-maroon-5-20101020

According to the above article, "Are You That Somebody" was influential in Maroon 5 changing the direction of the band. Yet Aaliyah's records weren't groundbreaking and critics just decided they'd throw a pity party for a deceased young lady who never did anything groundbreaking.

 

[Conscious__Nkechi]

Neither was an Icon or close to it, but Aaliyah was the better between the 2

. .

 

[baller2500]

Aaliyah was an icon

without her Missy and Timbaland wouldn't even exist.

She was also the first teenage pop singer of the 90's, a trend that helped Britney Spears and them other pop teens get in the game.

Brandy was someone who started off big, but she was a fad, she fell off quick. She was the 90's Ashanti.

Aaliyah was an artist who got more popular as time went on.

Done.

 

[freepostking]

Aaliyah. Brandy is cool.

 

[birdcallaveli]

neither imo but aaliyah is closer to being remembered as one because she fucked the right niggas.