“I can’t believe it's been 14 years since we lost Aaliyah. I got to meet her in LA. She was so nice and sincere. #alwaysmissed”
Thank you so much sharing your experience with Aaliyah, I’ve always heard nothing but positive things about her from other people who have met her 🙏🏽❤ This particular image was posted back in 2014, a gem we had missed on her death anniversary.
🔁 via Sharaè Nikai:“Oh, it’s da L-I-Y-A-H…” Hanging with childhood friend Desmond Herod & Aaliyah at Jayson Williams’ crib (Nets #55, pre weird home shooting) when I was far too young to be in the mix… 1/16/14 - Happy Birthday, Aaliyah."
This was posted on Aaliyah’s birthday via Facebook back in 2014! And from the looks of the outfit we can confirm this was where she took the photo with Static Major which can be found in Vibe magazine published December, 2008. You can find read the full interview via the link here, which was also posted back in 2014. For all Static Major, Playa and Aaliyah fans it's definitely a must read! Enjoy! 😊✌🏽❤
🔁via Shilynne Cole “TBT born on this date in 1979. R.I.P Aaliyah. I was going through some pictures and found this one from when I met her back in 1994 in Honolulu.”
A throwback on Aaliyah’s born day which was posted on Facebook back in 2014! Thank you so much for sharing and thanks to my big sis @aaliyahalways for the heads up! 😘❤
So I happened to come across this video by chance and thought it would be nice to share with everyone. Being quite a creative person myself, I appreciate the time and effort that people put into their craft. Personally, I feel that Jonathan Mannion has to be one of my favorite photographers when it comes to capturing our beloved Babygirl. In this video below, he talks about some of the biggest legends he has shot throughout Hip-Hop history and culture. Gotta say...I really enjoyed watching this, especially the part where he talks about Aaliyah. A big thank you to TED-Ed for sharing this video!
Here are also few rare photo's of Aaliyah, which Jonathan Mannion released awhile ago and mentions within this video. Enjoy! :o)
So this happened awhile ago, but this is the first time Rashad Haughton has ever favorited and retweeted one of my tweets. I am so fortunate and grateful right now, beyond what any words could express. The fact that he does see our messages, brings comfort to my heart. So this is just a quick shoutout to him personally. Thank you so much, you have no idea how much it means to me. #TeamAaliyah will always have you and your Mothers back no matter what. We love you unconditionally, as if you were our own family. I'm so happy Missy Elliott has kept you informed of what is going on, this alone is the only reassurance I need right now. :o)
Ok, so normally I am not late on these kinda things, but a huge thanks to @missaaliyahdana from Instagram who brought this to my attention, otherwise I would of not known about this at all! Awhile ago, during the celebration of our beloved Babygirl's 35th Birthday, producer Budd'a, who you all know helped production wise on the red album, (along with many others) posted this audio snippet in honor of her. I can honestly say that this has given me life right now. Expect to hear new remixes in the near future! ;) We are not sure when he is planning to release these, but I will no doubt keep an eye out for when he does. He left off saying with this beautiful caption...
Bud'da:Happy 35th Birthday Baby Girl! I'm so grateful to have been your friend for a brief moment! We truly miss you #Aaliyah @therealtank@smokedigglera@zenmix@blackfromplaya@dubzworld@raptracks@staticmajor502 #babygirl #redalbum #memories #icanbe
What's good people? Since it's been awhile, I thought I would post a recent interview courtesy from You Know I Got Soul who talk to legendary Hip-Hop group Naughty By Nature. As some of you Aaliyah fans are aware, Aaliyah worked with both Kay Gee and Treach, she even appeared as a cameo in one their videos called 'Holiday'. Below, the group share their fondest memories of our beloved Babygirl. YouKnowIGotSoul:We’ve known Kay Gee for awhile and supported everything he’s done in r&b. Can you talk about the respect level you had for him when he started his Divine Mill record label and had success with it?
Naughty by Nature (Treach):I was mad as hell, I didn’t want him doing shit but Naughty by Nature! *Laughs* Nah. Kay is one of the most talented producers out there. It really shows when you can go from different genres of music like hip hop which we started in, and then we see him going and doing Zhane, Koffee Brown, Jaheim. He wasn’t just our homey, we weren’t just saying he was a dope producer because he was with us. Once he started doing that r&b stuff, we knew he was a world class producer.
Naught by Nature (Kay Gee):They knew I had soul!
Naughty by Nature (Treach):You could see everything he’s done throughout the years, he’s right there. We never questioned why he was doing stuff outside of hip hop, a producer is a producer. When a producer is a real producer, he can do all types of music. I felt like my brother was doing something that I was proud of. You see your brother like in sports, I felt like he made it. He wasn’t just a hip hop producer, I was telling people “My DJ is one of the dopest.” Once he started doing r&b and other genres, I was like “See!”
YouKnowIGotSoul:Talk about the collaboration you guys had on “We Could Do It” with Tony Sunshine and Big Pun.
Naughty by Nature (Treach):You know Pun, he could write right there! Certain artists you give them the track and they go off for a month or two and come back with the track. Pun would be right in the studio, writing right there, lay it down right there, the song was done that day.
Naughty by Nature (Kay Gee):He could flow too, the flow was just ridiculous man. We miss Pun out there. We’ve got a lot of fallen soldiers in hip hop, you miss them all, but we definitely miss Pun especially for what he’s done for Latin Hip Hop.
YouKnowIGotSoul:We do a lot to keep Aaliyah’s legacy alive. What do you guys remember most about working with her?
Naughty by Nature (Treach):One thing I remember about her was that she was so much of a mega star and you would never know it. You would sit and talk to her like you grew up with her. It was no super star, it was no diva; she was the largest at the time. It was no extra.
Naughty by Nature (Kay Gee):She kept her family with her, her mother and her brother. She was one of those people where if you saw her, you just knew she was a star; it just came off like that. Even working with her, we were working with her in a small room in Battery Studios, with Renee (from Zhane). We were working on “Are You Ready” from the “Sunset Park” soundtrack. It was incredible. I just cherish the moment and I’m glad I had the chance to meet her and say I’ve known her and had the chance to work with her. There are some people you put on a pedestal and say you want to work with, and she’s one I’m glad I had the chance. Wow! What a beautiful interview to read! :o) I have to say that 'Are You Ready?' is probably one of my all time favorite Aaliyah songs. I always get that Hip-Hop vibe every time I listen to it, but now it clearly makes more sense. Another important thing to note, is how Kay Gee points out on how Aaliyah ALWAYS kept her family close by her side. FAMILY meant EVERYTHING to her. So for all those who think us Aaliyah fans are talking nonsense in reference to The Haughtons and the Aaliyah movie, the proof is in the pudding, even from people Aaliyah worked with, so I say no more... ;) Anyhoo, you can also watch the full video of the interview shown below here. Enjoy! :o)
Hey guys! Hope all my readers out there are good :o) This is just a quick shout out, since I very seldom get a chance to. But I would like to thank everyone for all their support and love. I appreciate all the emails which never go unnoticed. What started out as something small, I never could of imagined to have become what it is today. So first and foremost (I'm so delayed on this but 'it's whatever' as Babygirl would say! ;) lol) The Aaliyah Archives celebrates it's 1 year and 2 month Anniversary since it's start up. As you all know, I'm a die hard fan of Aaliyah, so for me, this is just my way of giving back to The Haughtons as well as keeping her legacy alive.
I have also come across many lovely Aaliyah fan pages/blogs who have shown nothing but love and respect since I've started this blog. I would love to list all of you out there, but it would probably take me forever to do so! lol! Y'all know who you are though ;) so I would like to say a big thank you to my #TeamAaliyah Familia, who I love unconditionally :o)
This year has been a pretty tough year, but one I am very much grateful for. With the good, there have also been the bad and then the straight up ugly! lol! I embrace everything I encounter, and that includes haters, frauds, rude people etc... Anyhoo, I have a lot of big plans and ideas for this blog, some of which are so exciting that I can't wait to share with you all! I truly feel blessed and it's all thanks to you guys. One love ♥
For all those who are avid collectors, here is one book you might want to add to your list! To some of you folks out there the name Karl Kani should already ring a bell. If you all remember awhile back, he shared some never before seen pics of our beloved Babygirl. To refresh your memories, here are all the pictures he shared below...
Right, now you're probably wondering what the big deal is right? Well, Karl Kani himself happened to share a small video snippet of his new book, which is going to be released around Christmas time this year. Anyhoo, peep the video below and check out the goods! ;)
@karl_kani: #originator THE BOOK holiday 2014 by #KarlKani"
Repost from @ateam628Thank you so much for sharing! Babygirl looks so adorable in this pic! :o) :D
@ateam628: "I have this photo of Aaliyah framed in the office. I have others from our sessions together but for some reason this one stands out. Could be the "let me eat my Crackerjacks in peace" look she has. Lol. I think this was the night we cut "I Don't Wanna" (still @pharrell fav song of mine) or "I Miss You". Anyway, Babygirl if you're checking in with it from time to time, then you know the world still misses you dearly! #whydothegooddieyoung?"
So not only did we get to see a collection of never before seen contact sheets, photographer Hamish Brown shared this picture yesterday with the caption or should I say 'hashtags'...
Repost from @dleestyle. For the first photo his caption read...
@dleestyle: " ... #photobomb ... sad, pissed & thankful is some mentally tiring shit...!"
And for the second photo...
@dleestyle: "#crew ... #peoples ... #fam ... ❤"
I adore seeing moments of Aaliyah acting carefree and goofing around with her friends. No matter how many pictures I see, Aaliyah was always smiling no matter what hard times came though her way. Something which I admired about her the most. ♥
Repost from@sharoncarpenter. Thank you for sharing this rare gem! I wish I could of had the chance to of met Aaliyah personally! :o)
@sharoncarpenter: "I had the pleasure of meeting #Aaliyah just before her untimely death. She came across as very kind and humble - beautiful inside and out."
Repost via @mayabatra:“tbt to the time me and @amanbatraaawere chillin with Naomi Campbell and #Aaliyah at @zibabeauty”
Since a lot of rare pictures of Aaliyah crop up around this time every year, I am sharing all the ones I have come across, especially for those who have not had the chance to see them. So sit back, relax and enjoy! ;) ♥
Repost from @djlonnieb Thank you so much for sharing this! :o) @djlonnieb: "This @DanjaMowf freestyle over the, "Are You That Somebody” instrumental was the idea that created one of the 1st & Biggest Unofficial Remixes EVER. @MikeStreetShow played it 1st on@iPower921, then they started playing it on WOWI in the 757. When we got the call that @DJEnuff was playing it on @HOT97, I couldn’t believe it. [This was before we knew each other]. After that, @DJClue put it on one of his mix tapes. I was so hype… I told Danja & @SkiilzVA, “Man, I don’t care if we don’t make a dime off of this, it would be dope if we actually get to meet Aaliyah and possibly get a platinum plaque for the remix. #DreamsDoComeTrue One day we got a call, “Aaliyah is performing at the Tunnel tonight and since they play the remix that y’all made on @Hot97 she wants you guys here to perform it with her. My 1st time meeting her was on that stage and it was unreal to see her doing the ad-libs to my verse as we performed… Afterwards we talked for a second and took a picture. She was one of the most beautiful people that I had ever met [Inside & Out]. Not long after that we got our platinum plaques. On this day in 2001, @BigNatRadio was just starting his radio career and right before his shift started we got the news that Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash…I had to stay on the air with him to break the news and I was devastated…. I promised myself that as long as i was on that box I would keep her legacy alive…. Tune In Today at 5pm as we show love to our Angel #Aaliyah #RIPAaliyah #AreYouThatSomebody #Supafriendz #Remix #RVA #RIPJusto"
So as you all knew, yesterday marked 13 years since Aaliyah's passing. I was meaning to post this up yesterday, but here is my personal thoughts on what I wrote yesterday... Every year, this day always has me in conflicted feelings. On one side of the spectrum I celebrate the birth of my Father, and on the other, I remember a life of a beautiful, talented, young woman who's life was cut so short. I always find that the weather describes my mood best. And ironically all day, it has been raining tears from the heavens above. Words alone cannot fathom the amount of love and inspiration Aaliyah has had on me, but for those who know me well, already know that I've been down for her during the good old Timbaland days of the 90's. I still remember that very day of hearing the news of her passing. I refused to believe it. I couldn't believe it. My idol, the one who I looked up to the most no longer here? I was at home, saw the news on the tv, and felt my heart feel heavy and down. I turned away and looked outside the window, gazing at my back garden. I then looked up towards the clouds, contemplating in deep thought, and broke down in an ocean of tears. That day I will never forget, but I do know that although you are not here physically, you are with us in spirit Babygirl. To this day, I still see your influence in music, fashion etc... So I thank you for blessing us for those 22 years of your life. My thoughts and prayers shall remain with your friends, family and loved ones. As a personal tribute, I drew this in memory of our beloved angel. Rest in paradise. ♥
Happy August everyone! Hope all my readers out there are good! :o) Now, it's been awhile since I have posted any articles, but here is a very recent one I have come across which showcases some of Jonathan Mannion's unreleased and unpublished work of our Beloved Babygirl. Courtesy to Came To Give Love for sharing one of the rare, never before seen visuals which have been published in Wax Poetics magazine. I shall no doubt be purchasing this to add to my own collection. Anyone who wishes to purchase this article can do so via the link here http://store.waxpoetics.com/products/issue-59. Please click on the images to zoom in! Happy reading everyone! One love! :o) ♥
Happy Monday everyone! How are you all doing? :o) To brighten up your day even more, here is a rare photo of our Beloved Babygirl courtesy of Eric Seats who was one of the writers and producers on Aaliyah's self titled red album A A L I Y A H. Along with sharing the photo, he left a caption below saying... Eric Seats: #TBT #2000 #Aaliyah My homegirl Aaliyah chill'n at the apt before hitting The Pottery Barn with me. Rest in paradise Lil Dana, we miss you!!! #CollestEver #NY #Keybeats ES Thank you so much for sharing this rare gem with us all, no matter how many pictures I see of Babygirl, she was always smiling, and that is truly the best way to be remembered. We will always love you no matter what Babygirl. ♥
So photographer Jonathan Mannion posted this never before seen picture a few days ago via his Instagram page with a beautiful quote saying...
Jonathan Mannion: "A never before seen photo of the naturally beautiful Aaliyah Dana Haughton. Remembering how truly sweet she was on that summer day in New York. It was effortless for her to command the frame with grace and elegance. Aspire to understand these traits that seem to elude so many people today. I'm honored and blessed to have created these timeless images with her. I applaud all of her amazing fans for being inspired by her example, her career and talents! Thank you for enjoying my work."
Throughout all the drama that has been going on right now, I can truly say that these rare gems make my day, so thank you Jonathan Mannion for sharing this with everyone! :o)
