Aaliyah Archives: News

Sorry for not posting as much everyone! Been so busy lately! :( I was meant to post this particular post awhile ago, so for those who are unaware, this one is especially for you! ;) Since I like to keep everyone updated on all the relevant news regarding our beloved Babygirl. Around late May time, Jonathan Mannion happened to gift an original portrait from one of his photoshoots (shown above) to Drake, who we all know is an avid admirer of Aaliyah in his own 'unique' way. Here's what Mannion had to say, courtesy of bet.com who I happened to find this information from :o)

Jonathan Mannion: "Everything that everyone always says about Aaliyah is 100% true," Mannion said of working with Baby Girl on her last shoot. "She was such an angel, her team was amazing. That was a gift of my career. People ask me what my favorite photoshoot was of all time — it's either Jay Z because it started my career with Reasonable Doubt or Aaliyah because nobody got her quite like I did." There is also a secret stash of photos from that shoot. "I did ten shots with her, so there's things that nobody's ever seen," he adds. "They're protected."

"I knew Drake had a tattoo of Aaliyah on his back," Mannion explained. "I wanted to do something for him because he's had such a run, and I feel like he really changed music. I knew he loved [Aaliyah] and that was a really big part of him doing what he was doing." Mannion sent Drake a massive print of Aaliyah from that final shoot to decorate his bare walls. "I went to his house and was like, 'You got some empty wall space.' He was printing things that he liked but like photocopying them and hanging them up." Mannion wanted to change that. "I said, 'Yo you need originals. You've gotta start buying art. You're that guy now. We are looking to you to be a patron of the arts, so I'm gonna kick it off."

He sent Drake the Aaliyah portrait of her leaning against a car with flames on the side. A few months later, the two reconnected at a club in Los Angeles. "He just came up and he hugged me," Mannion recalls. "That's what the f**k I'm talkin' about. It was so much better than a phone call."

(Source – bet.com)

I thought this was a very kind gesture from Mannion, proving that good people do still exist in today's world. I'm sure Drake will take very good care of it. :o)