Aaliyah’s Brother Says She Would Be “The Biggest Star In The World” If She Were Alive
More than 20 years after the untimely passing of Aaliyah, her brother, Rashad Haughton, continues to honor her legacy and cherish her memory. Speaking with PEOPLE, Rashad opened up about his bond with the late R&B icon, how he keeps her spirit alive, and his excitement about the new Aaliyah-inspired Barbie.
“I do often talk to her in times of trouble, or when I’m really missing her. I talk to her in my heart, in my mind, in my dreams,” Rashad shared.
According to him, he would love to tell her “I love you, and I’m so proud of you, and let’s enjoy this together. I know you’re smiling. And let’s hold this doll. Let’s share it with everyone, let’s listen to ‘One in a Million’ and listen to all the fans and their reactions. I love you so much.”
The moment he refers to is the release of Aaliyah’s Barbie doll, part of the Barbie Music Series. Rashad played a key role in curating the doll’s iconic moto-inspired outfit, which pays tribute to her One in a Million music video.
Saying that he knows she must have been happy with the tribute, he added, “I can see her playing with these dolls wherever she is right now, which I know is heaven and in a beautiful place. And she’s going to have a doll with her, and be doing all the dance moves from ‘One in a Million’ with it.”
On special days, like what would have been her 46th birthday, Rashad celebrates his sister by listening to her timeless songs. “Her voice is so angelic. One of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, still to this day. Her presence comes through in her music. Her presence comes through in these collaborations that we do,” he said.
What he misses most about his sister, though, is her personality and sense of humor. “My sister, although she worked so hard, she always was loving and caring to the people around her. Her makeup artists, the managers,” Rashad reminisced.
Rashad also emphasized the life lessons he learned from his sister: “I think when people talk about my sister… the number one thing was that she was such a loving and caring person.”
Aaliyah, who tragically passed away in a plane crash in 2001, released three groundbreaking studio albums and left an indelible mark on music and culture. Rashad believes her impact would have only grown. As far as he is concerned, the late singer would be “the biggest star in the world” today if she were still alive.
But even in her absence, Rashad finds solace in the work she left behind. “Her legacy continues on. So we can imagine, we can dream, but we still have all those incredible works that she did do,” he said.
