Aaliyah’s uncle, Barry Hankerson, has confirmed that the late singer’s posthumous album is due later this month.
Hankerson founded Blackground Records and has full control over Aaliyah’s complete masters. In a new interview, he has discussed what people should expect from her upcoming fourth album and revealed that it boasts features from Ne-Yo, Drake, Snoop Dogg, and Future. The record will also include the recent single with The Weeknd, ‘Poison’.
During the conversation, Hankerson refrained from revealing a specific release date but did confirm it would arrive at some point this month. In December, he spoke to Billboard and said, “The body of work is pure hip-hop and R&B […] Some of the people that Aaliyah liked are on the album.
“She loved Snoop Dogg, who’s done a great record in collaboration with Future. Ne-Yo gave us an excellent song; also Drake. Timbaland produced the track that Chris Brown did. It’s vintage R&B with strong vocals.”
The new album is likely to upset Aaliyah’s estate, who previously criticised Hankerson when he made her body of work available on streaming services.
“For 20 years we have battled behind the scenes, enduring shadowy tactics of deception with unauthorised projects targeted to tarnish,” they said in a statement. “We have always been confused as to why there is such a tenacity in causing more pain alongside what we already have to cope with for the rest of our lives.
“Now, in this 20th year, this unscrupulous endeavour to release Aaliyah’s music without transparency or full accounting to the estate compels our hearts to express a word – forgiveness.”
Listen to ‘Poison’ with The Weeknd below.
