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Issa Rae’s costume tribute to Aaliyah’s character in the 2001 film Queen of the Damned has social media giving the Insecure star her props.
Issa donned the ensemble as a guest judge on episode 4 of the current season of the HBO’s Legendary. In the episode titled Whorror House, things got “spooky” for the seven remaining, competing houses as they “delivered terrifying productions,” according to HBO.
Legendary, which is inspired by the underground ballroom dance scene of the LGBTQIA+ community, showcases the work of voguing houses who dance and rock iconic fashions in competition for a $100,000 grand prize.
This season, the show’s mainstay judges are Leiomy Maldonado, Jameela Jamil, Law Roach and KeKe Palmer.
On Twitter, people are praising Issa for channeling the character Queen Akasha by recreating Aaliyah’s unforgettable Queen of the Damned look.
The Insecure star’s take on Aaliyah’s character wasn’t a replica — but it included all the looks core pieces.
It featured a crown, an extravagant and bejeweled necklace, the bralette, flowing arms and a long black skirt with slits on both sides.
Music lovers may recall that the “Princess of R&B” died on August 25, 2001 following a plane crash.
A few months before her untimely passing, Aaliyah spoke with Entertainment Tonight about her role in the film adaptation of author Anne Rice’s book.
“I had a lot of fun doing [Queen of the Damned]. I was very excited to be part of a vampire film, because I’ve been a lover of vampires since I was very young,” Aaliyah told the source in May 2001.
“And not only was this a vampire film — it was Anne Rice,” the “Rock the Boat” singer added.
Queen of the Damned was later released in February 2002.
See tweets about Issa’s look on Legendary below.
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