It has been 15 years terrible years since the world has lost the angelic talents of Aaliyah Dana Haughton, and yet her presence can still be felt almost any where you look…or listen. DJ Venus X has been one key spiritual heir of Aaliyah’s innovative art, particularly in transforming her daring mix of then-opposite categories ‘urban’ and ‘gothic’ into a movement, helping to make it a thing, and then THE thing. As we all remember and pay tribute to Baby Girl’s talents, the traces she left on our lives, the hole created by her passing, Venus X was gracious enough to take some time out to speak to us specifically about the “One In A Million” singer’s impact in her life and the early days of GHe20G0TH1K. Read on:
From the beginning of GHE20G0TH1K, Aaliyah was a huge source of inspiration for me on many levels. We used her image on flyers during our inception. We always played at least two or three remixes or a cappellas of her songs at every party and we loved her style. It was the foundation for what we wanted people to associate with ‘ghetto goth.’
As a personality, she really touched me and inspired the personality of the GHE20G0TH1K brand. She was charismatic, kind and came from a community of brilliant artists. All the while, she was innovative, groundbreaking and truly angelic in her time as a star. The family portrait of Missy [Elliott], Timbaland, Aaliyah and DMX all working together to design this futuristic r&b experience would remain a point of reference for the bonds we were building at GHE20G0TH1K in our earliest years.
Without Aaliyah, I don’t know if GHE20G0TH1K would have ever been possible. – Venus X
Relive some of Aaliyah’s most landmark moments of Urban Gothic below…and listen for the secret messages she left for those with ears to hear:
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