Just before 7 pm on August 25, 2001, a small plane took off from Marsh Harbor in the Bahamian archipelago. Moments later, 60 meters from the runway, it crashed and caught fire, leaving no chance for the pilot and his eight passengers. Among them, a 22-year-old American singer, R’n’B is a prodigy and a global phenomenon: Stop. “The most generous”, “the sublime” according to the Arabic etymology – a name as an omen for whom after his death it became a universal icon. A sublime and elusive ghost.
Which reappears in the news twenty years later. In addition to commemorating Black Sunday, the date marks its entry into the digital scene. Uncommon in the digital age, Aaliyah’s catalog was (largely) absent from streaming platforms. He finally called himself, starting with his flagship album, one in a million. Released last Friday, it has already been listened to 16 million times on Spotify. An event that begs the question: why did you wait so long? – Remember with the weight of a great legend wrapped in scandal and mystery.
Illegal marriage
To capture this magnetic aura, go back to the original: New York in 1979. It’s where Aliyah Dana Hutton was born, into a family she preceded, so to speak, to a career as a pop star. His mother is a singer. Her uncle, Barry Hankerson, is an entertainment lawyer, founder of Blackground Records, and husband of Queen Soul Gladys Knight.
Following the Atlanta singer on tour, Aaliyah finds her voice. The person you explain classical jazz to My funny valentine On television in 1989 he already has a velvety and emphatic falsetto. Beneath her eldest daughter’s brushing, Alia is only 10 years old. She won’t be older when her uncle, sensing the potential, enrolls her in Black Ground. It introduces you to a young artist who has been shattered and who will become your mentor… R. Kelly.
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The dark first chapter in Aaliyah’s story begins, and she stood out this summer during the trial of R. Kelly, accused of multiple sexual assaults throughout his career. It is he who in 1994 composed and produced the teenager’s first album, age Nothing but a number (“age is just a number”). A headline evocative of a questionable relationship, culminating in her marriage when the singer is just 15 years old: her identity documents have been forged to avoid illegality.
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R. Kelly was portrayed as a sexual “predator” on the first day of his trial.
Very quickly, the family requests the dissolution and breaks relations with R. Kelly. But today it seems clear that Aley was among the manipulator’s victims, and that public opinion shared the blame at that time. Despite a successful first album, combining R. Kelly’s genius R’n’B and Aaliyah’s stifled flow, “his reputation waned. No one wanted to collaborate with her anymore, recalls Tim Footman, a British journalist and biographer. High (2003). It’s amazing that he got away with it, he was so young. “
Maturity in slippers
The episode will have an advantage: accelerate the arrival of two new producers as yet unknown, Timbaland and Missy Elliott. Together, they explore new and mixed sounds, redefining the boundaries of the genre. “The result is a mix of the traditional high bells of the R’n’B and the electronic, jerky, pioneering and almost oriental arrangements,” explains Tim Fottman. We will find this mix in the first pieces of Beyoncé, Rihanna or even Amy Winehouse “.
Hubert McCard, a French columnist specializing in R’n’B, affirms that an urban, bittersweet production is “perfectly in keeping with the youth of the time.” And here lies a great strength: his music is timeless. “
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Launched in 1996, one in a million It sold 16 million copies. This recipe also owes its success to Alia’s captivating character. Confident and sophisticated mature woman, good in her sneakers, baggy pants and a black crop top (always black), a long brooch that blocks her view. And look at it at the same time Tomboy And feminine, it attracts girls who want to be friends as much as boys, ”says Hubert McCard.
and cameras. At the same time, the singer began her career in Hollywood, appearing in mainstream films in which she sang the soundtracks; Before her death, Alia had filmed scenes from Reload matrices. “She was a complete artist, who knew how to attract attention even if it was a surprise that she gave so few concerts,” says Tim Foutman. When you think of the shows of current pop icons like Ariana Grande, you think that Aaliyah could have done something extraordinary. Or maybe it would focus on film, like Will Smith? Who knows what it could become … “
parting paper
The accident breaks these possibilities as Alia has just released her third album. It was critically acclaimed and is struggling to get off the ground. “The first single, which offers a darker, sexier version of Aaliyah, doesn’t do well,” says Hubert Macard. His uncle wants a new clip to boost sales. ” The accident occurred at the end of the filming: the investigation concluded that the plane was overloaded and traces of alcohol and cocaine were detected on the pilot.
International drama. Nearly 1,000 people attended the funeral, including Mike Tyson and Jay-Z. On the streets, fans write their goodbyes on promotional posters for the album, which instantly skyrocket in sales. Until the September 11 attacks, a few weeks later, the nuance was Tim Footman. Since then, people only talk about it and want to hear old and reassuring things. ” The world is shocked as they look away from Aaliyah.
Not for much longer. The work of “The Princess of R’n’B” is considered groundbreaking and will be widely praised thanks to posthumous compilations and nominations for the Grammy Awards. But it will be completely lost in the early 21st century.
family breakdown
The reasons for this anomaly (from Sinatra to Janis Joplin, many deceased artists live on the Internet) are unclear. Most plausibly, Barry Hankerson, overwhelmed with grief and believed responsible for his niece’s death, gradually left the reins of the Black Ground, ignoring the arrival of the influx. And the posters that they left on the ground, captives of this no man’s land.
Among them, Timbaland or the singer JoJo, who will end up re-recording their records to facilitate access. Aley’s will remain in limbo. Except for the first, whose proceeds will go to R. Kelly as a producer and songwriter, and which angry fans eventually boycotted.
But history is also the story of a family torn apart. “Tensions arose between Barry Hankerson and the Aaliyah succession, represented by his mother and brother,” explains Tim Fotman. Over the years, and under pressure from fans, there have been many attempts to digitize, but all were unsuccessful. If Hankerson says that it is the family that refuses to relive the mourning, the latter responds that his hands are tied with the sign. Nobody knows the root of the problem. Definitely a question of money, ”suspects Tim Footman.
random from playlist
The ax was not buried. When Hankerson, 73, announced this summer that he was partnering with the young brand Empire to get the entire catalog out of its drawers, the family denounced the networks a “unscrupulous initiative”, “without transparency or succession reports.”
But this time the machine is working. then after one in a millionAll of High’s albums (including major albums) will be released in chronological order in the fall. A fight that would have almost overshadowed Tim Footman’s main concern. “It’s almost no longer about the top, but about an industry that seeks at all costs to exploit its artists, whether they are alive or dead.”
The good news is that it is together with the fans in the first hour, starting with the younger generations that they will randomly discover a featured artist from the playlists. “Okay, the R’n’B has come back into fashion in recent years, acclaims Hubert Macard. It is good for the culture and for a great memory. So that your music is not lost ”.
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