Aaliyah’s Music Will Be Streaming In 2020
There’s exciting news for fans of the late singer Aaliyah. 18 years after the “4 Page Letter” singer died in a fatal plane crash, her music will finally be available on streaming platforms, as Madame Noire reports.
Her uncle, Barry Hankerson, the former head of Blackground Records, announced the news on Twitter, alerting fans that the singer’s music will be available on January 16, 2020, which is Aaliyah’s birthday.
“We listened, this is not a drill in honor of the great legacy of #Aaliyah,” Hankerson tweeted while also tagging, Apple Music, Spotify, TIDAL, and Amazon Prime. “1/16/2020.”
The only album that has been available on streaming services is Aaliyah’s debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, which was executive produced by Hankerson alongside embattled singer and songwriter R. Kelly.
Singer Aaliyah attends the 7th Annual Revlon Run/Walk for Women May 13, 2000 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brenda Chase/Online USA)
All of the rights to Aaliyah’s music were retained by Hankerson except for Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number. It was a longtime mystery why Hankerson had refused to release Aaliyah’s music to streaming services until Complex did an investigative report titled “Why Can’t You Listen to Aaliyah: Ask Her Uncle” back in 2016.
The reporters claimed that Aaliyah’s music wasn’t available because of “a single, stubborn man,” [referencing Hankerson] not because of legal issues. However, his legacy has been in question because he reportedly introduced Aaliyah to Kelly, according to Madame Noire.
UNSPECIFIED LOCATION – MARCH 6: (EDITORS NOTE: Best quality available) In this handout provided by Cook County Sheriff’s Office, R. Kelly poses for a mugshot photo after being arrested for $161,663 in unpaid child support March 6, 2019. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Kelly will have to pay the full amount before he can be released from jail. (Photo by Cook County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images)
