Aaliyah
HBD to the Queen: Rappers Who’ve Sampled Aaliyah
Today would’ve been Aaliyah’s 46th birthday, and she’s still one of the most influential artists in music, even though she passed away in 2001. Aaliyah was more than just a singer—she was a trendsetter. She mixed R&B, hip-hop, and pop in a way nobody had done before, and her smooth vocals and chill vibe made […]
Dame Dash Explains Appearance In R. Kelly’s “Fiesta (Remix)” Video While Dating Aaliyah
The former CEO of Roc-A-Fella Records opened up about his appearance in the R. Kelly music video alongside his former business partner, JAY-Z, in a recent episode of his American Nu Network podcast on YouTube.
Witness Alleges R. Kelly Abused Aaliyah At Age 13
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Cook County Department of Corrections / Cook County Department of Corrections The federal racketeering trial against disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly has unearthed some truly disturbing allegations, and the latest one has the late singer Aaliyah at the center of it. On Monday (September 13th) in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, a witness referred to as “Angela” testified that they frequently had sexual relations when she was a minor. “Angela” met Kelly when she was 15 at a party at his apartment in Chicago. She stated that first meeting ended up in her becoming part of an orgy initiated by R. Kelly. She testified that she would later drop out of high school to be a backup dancer for him on tour in 1992 or 1993. When the prosecutor displayed a pho...
Damon Dash Reflects About The Legacy of Aaliyah 20 Years After Her Death
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Steve Eichner / Getty As many commemorate the day that the world lost Aaliyah twenty years ago in a tragic accident, the impact of her life and career has constantly in the minds of many who knew and loved her – with Damon Dash being foremost among them. The Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder and creative producer reflected about the late singer and his relationship with her in an interview with Kevin Frazier of Entertainment Tonight. “I was reflecting [that] there hasn’t been one day since she’s passed, not one in the 20 years, that I haven’t either heard her name, heard her record, or seen a picture of her,” he said. “Every single day she’s present in my life and I feel lucky for that.” Dash and Aaliyah met each other and were together from late 2000 until ...
A Decade Later, Aaliyah’s Music Returns To The Public Online In New Deal
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty The shockwave that Aaliyah fans might be feeling now is the news that her entire catalogue of music will be available before the month is out thanks to a new deal between her former label and a publishing company. Blackground Records 2.0, founded by the late singer’s uncle and former manager Barry Hankerson along with his son, Jomo Hankerson announced the news in a press release earlier Thursday (August 5th). The record label is entering into a partnership with independent music and publisher Empire which will oversee the release her music on all streaming formats worldwide. The catalogue includes both of her double platinum albums One in a Million and ΛΛLIYΛH in addition to her Ultimate Aaliyah and I Care 4 U compilation albums an...
A New Battle Between Aaliyah’s Estate and Her Label Emerges Online
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: David Corio / Getty For fans of Aaliyah who have been eagerly awaiting news as to when her music will be available to the world to stream, a recent statement from her family might put a damper on their emotions. Since her untimely passing in 2001, the music of Aaliyah Haughton has been kept from music streaming sites due to a contentious battle between her estate and her uncle and former manager Barry Hankerson. This past Wednesday (August 4th), a website emerged on the web with a cryptic message: “Aaliyah is coming.” As fans began to speculate online that this might mean that there was an agreement in place, that was quickly squashed with a statement posted to Instagram and Twitter by her estate. The Estate of Aaliyah Haughton, represented by her brother...
The 50 Best Songs of the Year 2000
The year 2000 looms large in pop culture history: the Y2k non-scare, the Seinfeld “Newmannium” episode, the “In the Year 2000″ sketch from Conan O’Brien’s original late-night show, the Hulu series PEN15. And just like, say, the grunge-defined 1991, the year immediately conjures specific sounds: gleaming teen-pop, earnest radio rock, the Neptunes and Timbaland. There’s never a bad time to revisit this music. But in the middle of a pandemic, with America on the verge of collapse, it feels extra comforting — a blast of nostalgia for a time when you could safely exit your home, visit your local mall’s Sam Goody and buy Mystikal’s “Shake Ya Ass” CD single. For this list, our only criteria was that the songs appear on albums or soundtracks released in 2000. Here we go. 50. Papa Roach, “Last Reso...
