Missy Elliott is giving flowers to everyone who helped bring a heartfelt Aaliyah tribute to life at the ESSENCE Festival.
Following the special performance, Missy took to social media to praise Normani, Ryan Destiny, Mýa, Chlöe Bailey and Sevyn Streeter for their dedication, revealing that the women had less than a week to rehearse before taking the stage.
“I’m proud of these women,” Missy wrote, recognizing the performers for staying committed and focused while honoring one of R&B’s most influential and beloved stars.
The tribute was made even more meaningful through the involvement of members of Aaliyah’s original creative team. Missy highlighted legendary choreographer Fatima Robinson, who created many of Aaliyah’s defining dance moves and worked closely with the performers to help preserve the spirit and precision of the late singer’s iconic visuals.
Missy also thanked original musicians, dancers and behind-the-scenes collaborators who reunited for the moment, including Nisan, Mona, Blair, Tia, Marley, Derrick, Pavlo, Karl Kani, Roger and Aylx. Their participation gave the tribute an emotional connection to Aaliyah’s lasting legacy and the creative era that helped shape her unforgettable artistry.
While the team hoped to incorporate original footage from Aaliyah’s music videos, Missy explained that they did not own the rights to the content. Even without it, the tribute stood as a moving celebration of Aaliyah’s music, movement, style and continued influence on a new generation of artists.
Missy Elliott also thanked ESSENCE and RAD_6 for helping make the tribute possible, closing her message with a reminder that Aaliyah’s place in music history can never be duplicated.
“Aaliyah, you are forever loved,” Missy wrote. “It’s only one of you.”
More than two decades after her passing, Aaliyah’s legacy continues to inspire. The ESSENCE Festival tribute showed that her sound, fashion, choreography and quiet power remain timeless—and that the artists who came after her still hold her close to their hearts.
