Looking Back at Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat" Music Video, Which Was Partially Shot in Miami

You probably can still recall the exact moment you heard of Aaliyah's tragic passing. Fan or not, the news stung like a forceful punch to the gut.

August 25 marks the 21st anniversary of the death of the R&B princess, and with her albums finally gracing streaming platforms, coupled with music trends pushing toward a major R&B revival, New Times cannot help but wonder what Aaliyah's legacy would be today had she not boarded that Cessna 402 after wrapping the music video shoot for "Rock the Boat" in the Bahamas.

Since her mystic 1994 debut, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, and subsequent 1996 sophomore effort, the Timbaland-produced One in a Million, Aaliyah — affectionately known as Baby Girl — introduced a sound and swag to R&B that no one else of her time matched.

The "4 Page Letter" singer's futuristic tracks and forward-thinking signature style that she coined as "street but sweet" was enough evidence to conclude that she beheld the ability to exist one step ahead of everyone else. Posthumously, the trail she's blazed continues to infiltrate today's music and fashion.

Discussing the '90s music era without acknowledging her work feels blasphemous. If it were possible to translate the feeling of silk into an audible experience, the playback would be Aaliyah's voice.

While it's no secret that everything Aaliyah touched during her 22 years of life turned to gold, it flies under the radar that she managed to leave some of this aureate at a place you'd never expect: the aquatic center at Florida International University's Biscayne Bay campus (FIU BBC) in North Miami.

The scenes in the "Rock the Boat" music video where Aaliyah's eyes are coated with sparkly red jewelry as she swims majestically in what seems to be an ocean were shot at FIU BBC's diving well.
Former lifeguard and assistant director of campus recreation at FIU BBC, Elias Bardawil, was fortunate enough to be present on set.

"It was shot in the dark at night," Bardawil tells New Times. "She wore a beautiful gown that floated where she floated under the water, and it was a very cool and innovative production that I had the opportunity to see at the time."

Bardawil recalls briefly being introduced to Aaliyah and director Hype Williams.

"It was myself and the other lifeguards that were there at the time [of the video shoot]," Bardawil says. "We met them briefly. It was like a 'Hello, how are you?' and 'Welcome to the venue' type of situation."

According to Bardawil, the production team wasted no time. Directors, camera crews, and lifeguards pre-staged the aquatic center ahead of nightfall and shot the actual scenes in only a "matter of hours."

"They came in to do setup earlier that day and waited for night to set up the underwater lighting," Bardawil says. "I can't remember how many takes it might have been, but the scene where she's floating in the water was the primary focus at the time."

It wasn't a shock to Bardawil that FIU BBC's pool was chosen for the "Rock the Boat" video. This natatorium is a hub for subaquatic shoots and has quite the resumé of notable productions, the former lifeguard divulges.

"We're one of the few facilities that has a large enough diving well to shoot underwater film and or photography, Bardawil says. "Bad Boys was, I think, shot there and Manchurian Candidate."

Just three days before the fatal crash, filming for "Rock the Boat" commenced. The first day involved a nine-hour, green-screen shoot at a soundstage in Miami that preceded the late-night underwater scenes at FIU BBC. Days later, Aaliyah, her glam crew, and the production team were off to the Bahamas to capture the beach scenes and yacht footage.

Bardawil recalls waking to the news of Aaliyah's death just days after meeting her.

"I was shocked," Bardawil says. "I remember waking up with my television on MTV, and they had read the news of the [plane] crash. When a young superstar in their prime has such a tragedy, and then you have a moment in time to share with them, you just can't believe how sensitive life is."

"You knew about Aaliyah and her music. She was certainly a trendsetter, fashion mogul, and star within the industry with such a promising talent," Bardawil adds.
"Rock the Boat" was the second single from Aaliyah's eponymous and final studio album. Though the Static Major-penned track features the singer's calming voice riding a summery beat, it's a bittersweet reminder of her tragic death.

The song was written and recorded two years before its 2001 release and faced pushback from Aaliyah's label, Blackground Records, for being "too sexual" for her brand at the time.

Archived footage from BET's 2001 Access Granted followed Aaliyah during the filming of the "Rock the Boat" video in Miami and the Bahamas. Observing the singer in her element amongst friends, including Dame Dash, make-up artist Eric Foreman and longtime choreographer Fatima Robinson, is both refreshing and eerie, knowing her days were few.