Aaliyah Haughton would have been 36 years old today (Jan.16). The multitalented actress, dancer and singer had a smile and energy that seemed to light up any room she entered. Though it may be hard to believe, it's been almost 15 years since her untimely passing. To this day, the impact she left on every person she encountered and her music alone lives on in pop culture. She was indeed a star that went too soon, but while she was on earth, she created great memories with the ones she loved. Today, many artists like Tinashe, Cassie and Ciara, are influenced by her laid-back vibe and stage persona.

In celebration of her birthday, Enstars gathered a group of some rare photos of the star and a playlist to help you honor hip hop's "Baby girl."

1. Aaliyah Haughton poses with a young Ludacris, before he became a successful (and recently married) rapper, in his radio hosting days.

2. "Blackish" star Anthony Anderson worked with Aaliyah on their hit movie, "Romeo Must Die." The two formed a close bond on set and here, they are pictured sharing an embrace on the red carpet of the movie's premiere in 2000.

3. Close friends Aaliyah, Nas and Missy Elliot pose on the red carpet.

4. Well, isn't this just fabulous? Liza Minnelli, Naomi Campbell, Kidada, Rashida Jones and more hang out in a hotel room, Aaliyah is pictured in black.

4. Lil' Kim and Aaliyah were great friends and would tour a lot because they were on the same label. In an interview with Sway Calloway, Kim recalled of her old friend, "She was an angel for real... She was just a beautiful person inside and out."

5. Most say that Dame Dash was the love of Aaliyah's life. Here, they are pictured at the "Queen of the Damned" red carpet premiere.

6. Aaliyah and Ginuwine worked together a lot with Missy and Timbaland. Ginuwine shared his favorite memory of her with Urban Daily.

 

7. DMX may be a little hotheaded, but Aaliyah sure loved to be around him. Here, they are pictured on the set of their video, "Back in One Piece."

8. Party like it's 1999 with Aaliyah, Dame, Jennifer Lopez, Diddy and Busta Rhymes.

9. Aaliyah and HOV were pictured hanging out at that party, too.

10. Justin Timberlake and Aaliyah share the characteristic of being extremely silly. So, this epic photo was bound to happen during their photo shoot for Teen People magazine. There's footage, enjoy.

 

Happy birthday baby girl:

Listen to this mix of Mister Cee's tribute to her to zone out to her music and share your favorite Aaliyah photos with us @Enstars on Twitter. Plus, check out her site Aaliyah.com.

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