Aaliyah's story had barely begun before it was out of her hands. But here we are—24 years after her untimely death in a plane crash at the age of 22—still unpacking her influence on pop culture.

In the 20 years since her tragic death, Aaliyah has been immortalized in song by artists including Kendrick Lamar and Drake, on a street mural in the East Village of New York City and in the musical ...