The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!



The Song: 'Are U That Somebody'

The Contestants: Aaliyah vs. The Gossip

In This Corner -- Aaliyah: Timbaland's protege was catapulted to superstardom with this beat-heavy hit for the 1998 film 'Dr. Dolittle.' He was also responsible for adding the baby babbles on the backtrack. Genius? Not really. Just appropriate, given the late singer was only 19 at the time of its release. And her nickname was Baby Girl.

Aaliyah, 'Are U That Somebody'


In This Corner -- The Gossip: No bells and whistles on this 'un -- just a thick bass line and Southern frontwoman Beth Ditto's soulful howl. Where Aaliyah's breathy pipes evoke a feeling of indifference to the question's answer, Ditto's chokehold and demand some fessin' straight out the gate. Squealing baby sold separately.

The Gossip, 'Are You That Somebody'

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One thing evident about the small-aircraft crashes that led to the deaths of a long list of music stars that include Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Patsy Cline and, most recently, Aaliyah, is that they were blameless in the circumstances that led to their demise. If only that could be said about Ozzy Osbourne's immeasurably talented guitarist Randy Rhoads, who was involved in a bit of airplane misadventure that robbed the world of a musician whom many people say had the potential to become one of the greatest ever to strap on a six-string.