Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (Blackground, 1994) by Aaliyah

The controversy surrounding R.Kelly's marriage to Aaliyah seemed to overshadow the album itself.  However, the album is very good.  It blended hip hop and R&B very well.  And even if Mary held the title of the queen of hip hop soul, Aaliyah had the youthful attitude and swagger that provided her an identity all her own.  "Back and Forth" still holds up almost twenty years later and the title track still bangs too.  The video is bittersweet though.  It has Aaliyah, of course, and Proof.  Two artists whose lives were tragically cut short.  Fortunately, through music, they will never be forgotten and will always be appreciated.

Supa Dupa Fly (Elektra, 1997) by Missy Elliot

Missy Elliot not only looked different than her contemporaries, she sounded different too.  The spacey vibes and free associations of Missy raps made her a standout.  At a time when women were using sex to sell, Missy challenged that by just being herself.  But she can't take all the credit for this masterpiece of an album, this album certified Timbaland as a genius.  His sounds stutter, he has crazy arrangements and crafted a sound that has never been duplicated (but often imitated).  The sound that Timbaland introduced to the world to on Aaliyah's One in a Million are perfected here.  In my opinion, this is one of the best produced hip hop albums ever, right up there with Dr. Dre's The Chronic.

I Am... (Columbia, 1999) by Nas

I Am… definitely has its ups and downs, but I think it's a pretty solid album overall.  "N.Y. State of Mind" is a certified classic, and so coming back to the song was a risk, but Premier and Nas crafted a worthy sequel.  And "Nas is Like," is one of the best songs that Mr. Jones and Mr. Martin have ever done together.  "Favor for a "Favor", the record with Scarface, is excellent and "We Will Survive" pays homage to Tupac and Biggie.  The faults of this project are that it's inconsistent and the album is a few songs too long.  And "Hate Me Now" with Puffy was a great commercial single, but I think "You Won't See Me Tonight" with Aaliyah would have been a better choice.

One in a Million (Blackground, 1996) by Aaliyah

Timbaland is a genius and this album proved that he was ahead of his time.  "One in A Million" is one of my favorite records and "If Your Girl Knew" has a phenomenal beat.  Aaliyah is someone who left us too soon and her sophomore album was a proof that she was wise beyond her years.  In addition to Missy and Timbaland's work, Slick Rick and Treach provide great contributions as well.  And yet, no one outshines Aaliyah- as it should be.  There are very few albums that are all killer, no filler.  But this is one one of them.  And as far as Timbaland's production career, One in A Million and Missy Elliot's Supa Dupa Fly did for him what The Chronic and Doggystyle did for Dr. Dre a few years prior.