Earlier this evening Blackground Recordings startled fans of the late singer Aaliyah, when they refuted claims the Rapper Drake was to produce her latest posthumous album- contrary to statements released by the MC.
Now, the label has changed their tune, retracting their initial statement by naming him the album’s executive producer.
Details below…
Update (4:00 pm): Following publication of this article, Blackground reached out to Billboard.biz to officially confirm that Drake and Noah ’40’ Shebib will be co-executive producing the album alongside Blackground. The story has been amended to reflect the update.
If ever one needed a reason to be against this project, it is the handling of the above ‘mess’.
One seriously has to wonder what occurred between the time in which Blackground gave Billboard the interview and 4pm today to prompt them to pull a 360- completely going back on their word.
At this point, as phenomenal as his brand is, Drake is beginning to seem a little unscrupulous, desperate to control a project we feel should be handled by those who actually knew Aaliyah.
Those, whose motives extend further than making a sweet profit and fulfilling self righteous fan fantasies.
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This s*** is annoying now, they need to announce details when they can get their s*** together.
wtf is goin on???
no missy or tim = no money from my wallet!!!
drake get the f$%# out of here…
Chiiiiiile…this is a mess..THAT girl….
WTH… What is really going on ?
Who eeeven care anymore. This gurl is doin the most. #overthatgirldrake
This coonery is getting on my nerves! I hope Aaliyah’s good name is not tarnished over ppl who are unorganized and trying to make a buck!! This is something that should be planned out not rushed! & no drake should not be on this! He need to focus on that goon label he is apart of! Why is he even included just ugh…
This has to be a joke…I can’t. Why not timbo & missy.
i completely agree with this.. ppl want Timberland and Aaliyah to recook up hits from 15 years ago but Drake is relevant and def knows how to make a hit
Then u go suck his ass dumb b****
Honestly, if someone must be the executive producer of Aaliyah’s album if Timbaland no this stalker.
WTF…just let the poor corpse be….UGH!!
Going to SUCK SO BAD!!!!! Drake can’t produce S***! All he got is a beat, and that alone doesn’t make a song! Poor Aaliyah 🙁
For all we knew if she was alive she woudlnft have worked with the same producers so why is it such a big deal it be produced my ppl she knows..as long as it sounds good who cares y’all just like to complain about stupid s***
Ugh No boo boo not just any old producer needs to be touching her s*** go on somewhere with that Thanks
‘who cares about UR opinion u d*** guzzlin w****! GET THE F*** OFF THIS BLOG U NASTY B****!
*Cough* B******* *Cough*
REPOST: Another Aaliyah album? Really? Who the f*** releases s*** while someone is dead? How will they promote it, perform the singles, go on a tour for it? It sems like just a quick cash scheme because, in complete bluntness, a corpse that rotted a long time ago. Its fine to do things like “Behind the music” or a movie but more music.
I swer unreleased s*** was unreleased for a reason.
I’M WONDERING WHO’S ENTITLED TO GET ALL THAT MONEY THAT THE ALBUM MAKES, BECAUSE I KNOW DIE HARD AALIYAH FANS WILL BUY IT. HOPEFULLY IT GOES TO THE THE FAMILY OR A CHARITY OF THEIR CHOICE.
The family is against this album. So clearly the record label, producers and writers will get the coin. This is very sad. I will not be supporting. Those labels are ruthless and all about the coin.
The record company is run by her uncle and cousin so they own her music, but I don’t know how close they are to her mother, father, and brother. If they’re not supporting this, then there’s definitely a divide in their family.
They’re just dragging the woman from her coffin over this basic s***.
Lying, back and forth, shady business deals and some obsessive dude producing her songs that never met or knew her.
They’re going to end up embarrassing her and screwing up her legacy.
Drake needs to go on some where i for one will no be supporting this if drake is apart of this… this should be made out of love not $$$ and just because drake’s obsessed with aaliyah
who’s to say if she was alive that she would still be working with them. she did not excusively work with them anyways, she always worked with one or two other producers. Drake made a deal to be the executive producer, that doesn’t mean that missy and tim will not be producing on the album. It just means that he’s in charge of the creative direction of the project. Whats so wrong with a die hard fan doin that? missy and tim have had years to take the helm of this project.
Yo momma a b**** for havn u
I said and I repeat, I feel the tragedy happened. But who is this guy has to dare to touch the legendary aaliyah? Nobody wants him.
A petition to say no might be an impact to stop this big joke.
This work takes a missy and timbo. But something tells me that if the family has not agreed, they will respect them.
I already started the petition. Sign it! http://www.change.org/petitions/drake-prohibited-from-touching-aaliyah-s-unreleased-music#
well done!!!
This s*** right here is a hot mess!
All I know is timbaland and missy BETTER be apart of this album .. Yes aaliyah had a career going before them but their production and aaliyahs voice fit like a glove! I actually congratulate drake for this because GOD FORBID if anything happened to brandy (my fave) and years down the line I had the opportunity to be involved in her project musically you best believe I would try in a second so I don’t blame him, he was a STAN.. I just hope the music is good because aaliyah had a specific kind of voice that can come across flat (even though she’s dead I still speak truth) if not backed correctly .. But when the production is on point and her voice lays over it just right it really is magic so I have my hopes up that ppl involved don’t drop the ball!
It’s almost as if redone wanted to produce an album of amy. That’s really all for money and nothing to respect and artistic.
huge difference : amy wrote her own music
Everybody says this will ruin her legacy but I don’t think so. Either way it will introduce more people to her music. If they do end up messing this up it will probably ruin Drake and the other producers’ career. How can this ruin her legacy when she had no valuable input for this album? Makes no sense. If anything the people involved will be the ones receiving backlash. Anyways I hope this is tastefully done.
I already said my peace, but I’m really disappointed that Aaliyah’s legacy couldn’t be protected from these hedonistic fools. I will turn off the TV, the radio, whatever I have to do, because I will NOT support this effort, especially without the approval of Aaliyah’s mother and brother. Maybe I’ll feel differently and hope for the best if they change their minds.
You r***** HOW MANY TIMES, Aaliyah’s family have officially confirmed this!!!!!! Its all over the net, just crawl back under your rock again!
Shouldn’t you be getting ready for school tomorrow? You might learn something, like how to read an article or a statement thoroughly before you respond. Nothing I said about Diane and Rashad has changed. If you can’t understand that, find someone more mature than yourself and have them explain it, ’cause I’m through wasting my time with you.
Stoooopid! Thats y @eric read the f*** outta u
These people clearly don’t know how to handle business. This has been a joke from the start. If they were people who had a business sense and could handle the releasing music of one of their biggest artists and icons they should’ve released a joint statement from the start. Also, Aaliyah being their cousin and neice respectively should’ve given them better insight and sensitivity.
This album will be produced solely by Drake and co because people will now start dropping like flies from this project.
People please remember all the other people who died in the plane crash.
How the f*** do you write a long ass statement claiming someone will not be producing only to backtrack and go “Yeah they were producing it all along”
Something stinks in this. Why the need for the lie if this is supposedly all about Aaliyah and her music? And didn’t Drake already use her song to diss Chris?
Smh…this would never be my sister’s life. I’d die fighting before some thirsty negro would touch her s*** because he’s horny, lonely, and creepy.
YAAASSSS! Read !!!!
One minute drake releases Aaliyah’s new song, then the family says there not gonna be an album, then Blackground records says that Drakes is not gonna executive produce, now they sayin he is, S*** I’M GETTIN CONFUSED, LIKE S*** MAKE UP YOUR MINDS. STOP MAKING AALIYAH’S FANS CONFUSED PLEASE!
I guess it pays off to be half JEW. Jews run the industry and he has major connections. Only makes sense why they would let some random rapper stan produce her entire album and she ain’t even met him. SMH I will NOT be supporting.
All people think about is money. Her immediate family should be in control of her estate (including the releases of music, being the circumstance). To me it would be more organic if this was a project of ONLY Missy and Tim, but it’s not. I heard Drake’s verse on the first leaked Aaliyah track and it was horrible. She never sang or talked about the things Drake rap’s about. It doesn’t even fit. H***, money, cars, YOLO, Toronto, calling chicks out.. none of that fits with what Aaliyah did artistically, which is why her fans aren’t reacting in favor of this. I feel like its a slap in the face, for Aaliyah, who thought logistically and really worked to give fans something creative and DIFFERENT musically every release. Just let her RIP.. and if her IMMEDIATE family and MISSY and TIM want to do something fine.. but this Drake mess doesn’t feel right. I won’t be supporting Drake from this moment on.. he’s a p****.
Drake is trying his best to use his voice to sing and he seems to be trying to use his minor love for Aaliyah to do so…..Point is her fans were not begging for an Aaliyah record, so why continue to push this project? Drake is not doing this for Aaliyah or her fans, he is doing this for himself. It’s that cocky ass young money ego that will tarnish Aaliyah’s legacy. #epicfa
OVER ITTTTTTT
DRAKE IS A SISSY.. CANT STAND HIM
if you are a REAL aaliyah fan and you support this mess , then you need to NOT even Breathe Air , you should question yourself if you are a real fan Or not.
I like Aaliyah but I’m not here for this. I can’t believe Blackground has time to make this album and support Drake’s obsession with the dead but refuse to support Jojo who is aliive and needs promotion. This is crazy.
Pressed f**
I can speak for everyone on this “AW F***!!! ” are u serious right now I’m done with this they’re doing for the money I’m not buying this I’ll illegally download it or just listen to it on YouTube I’m not paying for something and the person is not even here with us to receive her procedes ..nope I’m fine with her red album smh black ground is acting desperate !! Ain’t that her uncles label though? Smh
LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO so in other words. They reached a settlement. Follow the money. IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY. Nothing else.
It’s annoying because it wasn’t “Oh Drake may be a hott young rapper but we don’t feel he’s right to produce Aaliyah’s posthumous album”
it was so obviously “Drake wanted more money as Executive procucer than we wanted to give”
the shady s***
Hey @rythm you are so wrong for that comment you f**king nazi! How dare you try to make this about the fact that he is of Jewish and African ancestry?! You have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re so dumb you probably think hitler was a communist.
You the dumb one, do research instead of talking out your ass.
I agree with many of the posts that are skeptical of this album. I think this situation is best represented by Aaliyah’s brother/best friend Rashad’s quote that the family would not support an album. I think that both Barry Hankerson and Jomo Hankerson use their familial relationship with Aaliyah as an excuse for their actions. This album is not about exposing new listeners to Aaliyah music. It’s not about treating her fans to unreleased tracks. It’s about saving a struggling label, who has mismanaged the careers of their current artists (i.e. Jojo, and Toni Braxton before she left Blackground) and is in financial ruins. Drake is fan, who also happens to be a major artist with power behind his name. Blackground is riding his coat-tails to produce an album, in an effort to create new popularity and revenue streams for the struggling label.
All in all, Aaliyah will always be One in A Million in my book. An angelic voice, original style, smooth dance moves, and hypnotic songs – simply one of a kind. If the Blackground/Drake intent is to release new music, they must release it with the integrity that Aaliyah would have released it herself – not superimposing her vocals on music does not match her magic. Missy and Timbaland understood her magic very well, but so did her family; and if her loved ones aren’t feeling it, my guess it’s for a reason.
You’re right i agree with Everything you said in the first paragraph. oh and i agree with the second paragraph too.
Summed it up perferctly. So True.
they are just trying to make money and get sympathy from the public because whenever a celeb dies in our society they are treated like a god.
aaliyahs vocals werent even all that, i guarantee this album will flop. i like aaliyah but she is overrated because of her death
I don’t want to hear drake and Shebib’s depressing sound on the entire album, one or two songs is cute but a whole album…..NAH
Everybody keep saying Timbaland and Missy should produce it and I totally agree, but you guys keep forgetting about Rapture and E.Seats. Because they did 70% of Aaliyah last album and that was Aaliyah’s most creative album to date. Timbaland only did 3 songs on that album and missy wrote one of them.
I think her family and timberland could have worked out a plan to release an album with unreleased music. They let a decade go by without doing that which is not fair to her fans.
SACRILIGOUS!!! Total fanboy fantasy fo sho! maybe if drake had some cred! leave it to da professionals and sit down, man!
Nobody has any business EP’ing an Aaliyah project other than Missy and Timbo. Such a bad call. Aaliyah’s cousin should be ashamed of himself. Drake is cool being featured on a couple tracks but to be EP’ing an Aaliyah record…no! SMH.