Street-but-sweet
One of the things that separated Aaliyah from being viewed as just another Mary J. Blige early in their careers was her girl-next-door image; and what separated Aaliyah from being viewed as just another Brandy early in their careers was her streetwise edge. Aaliyah was able to walk the middle ground between the two personas that were dominating mainstream R&B in the mid-90s, and in doing so, she found her own lane.
