Editing Aaliyah (section)

===1991–1995: ''Age Ain't Nothing but a Number''===
After Hankerson signed a distribution deal with [[Jive Records]], he signed Aaliyah to his [[Blackground Records]] label at the age of 12.<ref>{{harvnb|Farley|2002|p=35|Ref=none}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1338606/Aaliyah.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1338606/Aaliyah.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Aaliyah|date=November 22, 2001|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=May 10, 2009 | location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Hankerson later introduced her to recording artist and producer [[R. Kelly]],<ref name="The Independent" /> who became Aaliyah's mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her first album, recorded when she was 14.<ref name="Allmusic" /><ref name="Telegraph" /> Aaliyah's debut album, ''[[Age Ain't Nothing but a Number]]'', was released under her mononym "Aaliyah", by [[Jive Records|Jive]] and [[Blackground Records]] on May 24, 1994; it debuted at number 24 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart, selling 38,000 copies in its first week.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-06-11.pdf|title=Between the Bullets |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] (June 11, 1994) page 97|publisher=[[Nielsen Corporation|Nielsen Business Media]]|via=World Radio History|access-date=May 1, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100501094813/http://www.billboard.com/| archive-date=May 1, 2010 |url-status= live}}</ref> It peaked at number 18 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and it was certified two times [[music recording sales certification|Platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]].<ref name="Aaliyah albums">{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=aaliyah|chart=Billboard 200}}|title=Artist Chart History – Aaliyah – Albums|magazine= Billboard |publisher=[[Nielsen Company|Nielsen Business Media]]|access-date=July 23, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090802031044/http://www.billboard.com/| archive-date= August 2, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=aaliyah&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |title=RIAA – Gold & Platinum |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |access-date=April 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713200457/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=aaliyah&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |archive-date=July 13, 2015}}</ref> To date the album has sold over 3 million copies in the US.<ref name=USSales/> In Canada, the album was certified gold by [[Music Canada]] for 50,000 copies in shipments.<ref name="CRIA">{{cite web|url=http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php |title=Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Certification Results |publisher=[[Canadian Recording Industry Association]] |access-date=May 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601023939/http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php |archive-date=June 1, 2009 }}</ref> In 2014, ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' magazine estimated that the album had sold six million copies globally.<ref>{{cite web|last=King|first=Aliya S.|url=http://www.vibe.com/2014/08/what-millennials-should-know-about-aaliyah-age-aint-nothing-but-a-number/|title=What Millennials Should Know About... Aaliyah's 'Age Ain't Nothing But A Number' LP|work=[[Vibe Magazine|Vibe]]|date=August 26, 2014|access-date=May 10, 2022|archive-date=September 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929083303/https://www.vibe.com/2014/08/what-millennials-should-know-about-aaliyah-age-aint-nothing-but-a-number|url-status=live}}</ref>

Upon its release, ''Age Ain't Nothing But a Number'' received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Some writers noted that Aaliyah's "silky vocals" and "sultry voice" blended with Kelly's [[new jack swing]] helped define [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] in the 1990s.<ref name="Entertainment Weekly">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302670,00.html |title=Age Ain't Nothing But a Number – Music Review |last=Ehrlich |first=Dimitri |date=June 17, 1994 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=May 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421095311/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C302670%2C00.html |archive-date=April 21, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Slant Magazine">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=424 |title=Aaliyah: Age Ain't Nothing But a Number |last=Cinquemani |first=Sal |year=2001 |magazine=[[Slant Magazine|Slant]] |access-date=May 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509225004/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=424 |archive-date=May 9, 2009 }}</ref> Her sound was also compared to that of female quartet [[En Vogue]].<ref name="Entertainment Weekly" /><ref name="RSguide">{{harvnb|Brackett|Hoard|2004|p=1|Ref=none}}</ref> Christopher John Farley of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine called the album a "beautifully restrained work", noting that Aaliyah's "girlish, breathy vocals rode calmly on R. Kelly's rough beats".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,172511,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030135021/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,172511,00.html|archive-date=October 30, 2010|title=Siren of Subtlety|last=Farley|first=Christopher John|date=August 26, 2001|magazine=Time|access-date=September 14, 2009}}</ref> [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] felt that the album had its "share of filler", but described the singles as "slyly seductive".<ref name="Allmusic" /> He also wrote that the songs on the album were "frequently better" than that of Kelly's second studio album, ''[[12 Play]]''.<ref name="Allmusic" /> The single "At Your Best (You Are Love)" was criticized by ''Billboard'' for being out of place on the album and for its length.<ref name="AANBANBillboard">{{cite magazine|last=Partridge|first=Kenneth|date=May 23, 2014|title=Aaliyah, 'Age Ain't Nothing But A Number' at 20: Classic Track-by-Track Review|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6099210/aaliyah-age-aint-nothing-but-a-number-at-20-classic-track-by|access-date=February 20, 2020|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806014227/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6099210/aaliyah-age-aint-nothing-but-a-number-at-20-classic-track-by|url-status=live}}</ref>

Aaliyah's debut single, "[[Back & Forth (Aaliyah song)|Back & Forth]]", peaked at number 5 on the Hot 100 and topped the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]] chart for three weeks.<ref name="Billboard 2001">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78511/chart-beat-bonus|title=Chart Beat Bonus|date=August 31, 2001|magazine= Billboard |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140930091726/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78511/chart-beat-bonus |access-date=May 11, 2022|archive-date=September 30, 2014 }}</ref> Two more singles charted: a cover of [[the Isley Brothers]]' "[[At Your Best (You Are Love)]]" peaked at number 6 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]],<ref name="Billboard 2001" /> and the album's title track, "[[Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (song)|Age Ain't Nothing but a Number]]", peaked at number 75.<ref name="Billboard 2001" /> Additionally, she released "[[The Thing I Like]]" as part of the soundtrack to the 1994 film ''[[A Low Down Dirty Shame]]''.<ref name="Farley">{{harvnb|Farley|2002|p=103|Ref=none}}</ref>