Aaliyah: 'I Can Be' Files & Loose Rap Remix from Bud'da

🔁 via @buddamann1: "#anniversary #Aaliyah
Remembering Babygirl wow 19 years ago today #rip we miss you #Aaliyah @buddamann1 #redalbum @therealtank"

OMG!! The original sound files from producer Bud'da from Aaliyah's 'I Can Be'. That guitar riff was always mad dope to me!! 😍😍😍❤🔥🔥🔥 I remember when my brother first heard me listening to Aaliyah's red album for the first time, he was like woahh.....what is this!??? 😱😱 Pure genius in the making right there!! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙏🏽❤

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A post shared by Aaliyah Archives (@aaliyah_archives) on Jul 17, 2020 at 3:36pm PDT

Bud'da also shared another snippet of his 19th anniversary tribute using an unheard mix of Loose Rap. Watch below and enjoy! 😊

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A post shared by Aaliyah Archives (@aaliyah_archives) on Jul 17, 2020 at 3:39pm PDT

Aaliyah: Rare Photos

🔁 via @ericseats: “#Aaliyah 

YOOO @raptracks @buddamann1 @dubzworld @timbaland @therealtank @blackplaya502 @staticmajor_ y’all remember the panel we had @ Jimmy’s Uptown NY when babygirl went down the line introducing us & talking about the records?

#memories

#ES3️⃣3️⃣3️⃣”

My heart!! 😭😭😭❤ Thank you so much for sharing Eric! 🙏🏽❤

Aaliyah: 'Those Were The Days' Official Bud'da Remix (17th Anniversary, Red Album)

🔁 via @buddamann1 “#Aaliyah #RedAlbum 🎶
Happy 17th anniversary Red Album! #RIPAaliyah&Static @timbaland @raptracks @buddamann1 @segalmixmaster @missymisdemeanorelliott @blackplaya502 @staticmajor502 @staticmajor_ @therealtank @dubzworld @ericseats @zenmix @hispeedhorns #KeyBeats #Classic #anniversary” | OMG!!! 😭😭😭 Thank you so much for sharing! We definitely need a full version of this #ThoseWereTheDays remix! And can I add that the bass on this is 🔥🔥🔥🔥😍😍😍😍👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 

A post shared by Aaliyah Archives (@aaliyah_archives) on Jul 17, 2018 at 8:08am PDT

Aaliyah: Loose Rap (Official Bud'da Remix) Snippet

🔁 via @buddamann1: “Happy Birthday Baby Girl! You will forever be missed. I’m so grateful for the experience of working with such a beautiful person. #Rip #Aaliyah #Legacy #Music #Bouttime” | OMG!!! How did I miss this?! 😍😍😍😩😩😭😭😭 Such a heavenly delight to the ears! Another one of many posts I will be repeating on heavy rotation! 😂😂😂 Thank you so much for sharing! 🙏🏽💚 

A post shared by Bud'da (@buddamann1) on Jan 16, 2018 at 9:19pm PST

Aaliyah: 15th Anniversary Of The Red Album (Producers Look Back On A Masterpiece)

Happy 15th Anniversary to Aaliyah’s self titled #RedAlbum which was released on 17th July 2001! 🎉👑 To me this album was way ahead of it’s time. You could truly see Aaliyah’s growth into womanhood, and how she was not afraid to experiment with different types of music genres/productions. This explains why to this very day, how this #masterpiece holds a lot of longevity. The fushions from Arabic, salsa, rock, classical, soul to name a few really pushed the boundaries for the R&B genre as a whole, bringing a whole new moden twist to the term ‘neo-soul’. A lot of which paved the way for other female R&B artists to take notes and be inspired by our Queen. Aaliyah was never afraid to try something different and to her, (as well as all those who worked on this album) I thank you for all the hardwork and effort you put into your craft. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about what direction she would of possibly taken her music. All I do know is that her sound would of definitely been striving to achieve originality! 🙏💚

I was very busy on the day, so I was unable to post anything on my main blog , however...as a special treat, I happen to come across a lovely article courtesy of fuse.tv, who had the pleasure of interviewing the producers of this timeless masterpiece. So for anyone who missed it, you can read the full article below here...

Fuse spoke with J. Dub, Bud'da, Eric Seats and Rapture Stewart about the red LP, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this month.

Aaliyah flawlessly transitioned from tomboy teenager to confident woman with the release of her third and final studio album, released on July 17, 2001. While her previous LPs (Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number and One in a Million) leaned more toward R&B and soul, on Aaliyah she steered away from predictability and put forth a fresh sound with the help of a new production team. Along with longtime producer and friend Timbaland, Jeffrey “J. Dub” Walker, Stephen “Bud’da” Anderson and Key Beats (comprised of Eric Seats and Rapture Stewart) were the masterminds behind a record that has remained timeless. 

The album was recorded in New York, Los Angeles and Australia, where Aaliyah was filming Queen of the Damned. Along with writers Stephen “Static Major” Garrett and Benjamin “Black” Bush of R&B/hip-hop group Playa, the team shut out the outside world and worked on the LP for about two years.

“She was very sweet, very giving and open to suggestions. There was a lot of stuff that didn’t make the record, but she wasn’t scared to try new things,” Bud’da tells Fuse. Seats also reflected on Aaliyah’s personality in the studio, saying, "She’s low-key and not really animated. She’d just be in a corner pacing, popping that gum. Her and Static would talk about how a track made them feel, and they would go from there."

The LP found Aaliyah stepping far out of her sonic comfort zone. As she says in the second track, “Loose Rap,” “It ain’t just rhythm & blues.” The murky downtempo, produced by Key Beats, experimented with late-night underwater vibes before the sound was made popular by Drake’s right-hand man Noah “40” Shebib. It still remains a favorite for Key Beats and J. Dub. The song's title came from a slang term used by the producers and Static. 

"The saying 'loose rap' was something we always used to say in our regular talk," Stewart says. "We were joking around in the studio that day and that track was on, and Static just said it on the hook. A lot of the songs happened like that."

He also reveals that “Loose Rap” was almost going to be the album’s first single, and that the popularity of “Rock the Boat” called for a change of plans, and for a video. 

"The only reason they shot 'Rock the Boat' was because the radio was already playing it, so that kind of forced it to be the second single [instead of 'More Than a Woman']," Stewart says. "They went with Timbaland’s song for the first single because that was her sound at the time, but he was actually the last person to work on that album."

It turns out it was Aaliyah’s favorite song to record. “'Rock the Boat' hit her real hard," Stewart recalls. 

"She was the one advocating to make that a single, because [the label] was trying to make sure whatever Timbaland produced were up to be singles. But she gave them hell and refused to let them do things. Even Timbaland loved it."

“Loose Rap” was quickly programmed by Seats (in five minutes, to be exact), but his fast-work mentality almost got “Rock the Boat” deleted. He tells us, 

“Static heard it through my headphones. I took a break and went to the rest room, and by the time I got back he had already written a hook." Stewart continues, “I wouldn’t say it was an accident, but we weren’t vibing with it as much. It was one of those things like if he had came 10 minutes later, he probably would’ve never heard it."

Aaliyah’s strength is its diversity, as the album counteracted vibrant uptempos like “More Than a Woman” with the heart-wrenching “Never No More." Produced by Bud’da, it found the singer flexing her tender upper register over a beat that mixed old-school soul and hip hop.

"I wanted to create something that had a soulful feel with the classic instruments. After she laid the vocals, I had the idea to add the live strings and other elements around her voice to emphasize the words," Bud'da explains. "With the topic of the song being about abuse, I wanted you to feel that musically and hear the emotions. I wish everybody could’ve seen the emotions as well."

“Never No More” is his favorite track, due to the lyrical theme of domestic violence. 

"There's so many people quietly dealing with abuse and it’s just an unheard thing. I thought it was pretty upfront for that song and it was bold on her part to do it knowing that she has a great influence," he says.

Listeners were already familiar with Aaliyah’s delicate vocals, but the red album found her digging deeper into a low register that was grumbling, fierce and downright sexy. It can be heard on songs like the bass-heavy “Extra Smooth” and “Read Between the Lines.”

From the brass instrumentation to the chopped vocals, the Latin-influenced song is one of the highlights of Aaliyah. Bud’da recalls the fun recording experience:

"[There was] not only live horns, but I used a midi grand piano. Since I gave it a Latin feel, I decided to add the horns to go with it as an accent. Another thing I had done that I hadn’t heard before was adding certain stutters and echoes [to her voice]. There weren’t too many people doing it back then. Initially I had a longer version with more cool stuff, but for the sake of radio we decided to chop it down some."

While it wasn't planned to be a concept album, Aaliyah touched on different phases of a long-term relationship. Tracks like “U Got Nerve” are filled with aggression, where a fed-up Aaliyah sings to a no-good lover. “I Refuse,” one of the more experimental moments, builds on that frustration over a haunting cinematic beat. J. Dub, who loves film soundtracks, reveals he wanted to make the song big and orchestrated. 

“I started off with a basic piano and everything else I just built off of that. When she finished the vocals, I went back in and added the orchestra,” he says. 

The album continues to flip into different sounds, as breezy track 11 (the Key Beats–produced “It’s Whatever”) crashes into one of the LP’s most daring songs, “I Can Be.” It finds Aaliyah singing about infidelity and being the other woman. The risky move was made more in-your-face with the song’s intense rock and hip-hop influence. 

"It had such a great melody and I wanted to add something dark to go with it," Bud'da remembers. "So you’ve got your sweetness on the top but down below you just have this menacing thing that’s just pounding your speakers."

What most didn’t know was that Aaliyah was a fan of rock music, and Nine Inch Nails was one of her favourite acts. “I Can Be” was inspired by the genre, but it was the album’s closing track, “What If,” that ripped her familiar R&B sound to shreds. J. Dub says he never thought she would pick it, but it became one of the album’s defining moments with its menacing industrial production.

Aaliyah met her untimely death on Aug. 25, 2001 at the age of 22. She was gearing up to write for the first time and there are still five completed songs remaining in her vault. 

"I was her music director, so we were talking about doing a big tour and the whole nine. It was sad none of that ever happened. Even as big as that album is, to me her live performances were crazy," Stewart says.

Aaliyah went on to be certified double platinum and has influenced artists like The Weeknd, Tinashe, Rihanna and FKA Twigs. The producers agree that without the album, most singers won’t be as relevant to this day. 

Stewart points to one of the biggest performers of our time: 

"Say how Beyoncé is very innovative in her thinking now, to me that was Aaliyah. It’s absolutely no shade to her because we’ve worked with Destiny’s Child on Romeo Must Die [the soundtrack] and 'Survivor.' But her lane opened up so wide because there was a void left from Aaliyah. When we were in the studio with Beyoncé, she would praise her and the stuff we did with her. I wouldn’t say she looked up to her or anything like that, but she was definitely paying attention to Aaliyah’s growth."

(Source: http://www.fuse.tv/2016/07/aaliyah-self-titled-final-album-15th-anniversary-producers-interview)

Aaliyah: 'More Than A Woman' Celebrates it's 13th Year Anniversary Single Release

On 13th November, 2001 marked the day Aaliyah released her single, so in honor of this special day, I thought it would be nice to share with you all some unreleased scenes from the music video, synced with the Bud'da remix called Still More Than A Woman  (which is one of my favorite remixes!) Special thanks to Maximum Aaliyah for the footage and LewSpally87 for making this video! This is too dope beyond words! I hope one day we can get to see these scenes in HD! Enjoy! :D :o)

Aaliyah Archives: News (EXCLUSIVE)

So as you guys know, I recently shared with you all some video snippets from producer Eric Seats who worked with the red album crew. He was kind enough to share his original working files from Aaliyah's Rock The Boat and It's Whatever, plus and added bonus of a never before heard official remix of Rock The Boat, which was created back in 2001! Wow! All I can say is that this sounds really current! Hardly surprising considering how Aaliyah's last album still sounds fresh to this day. All the producers on this album really knew what they were doing, and it shows since they have created longevity within their body of work. 

Now we all know that this year has been a tough one for all TRUE Aaliyah fans out there, with everything that has been going on with this 'film drama'. I refuse to even acknowledge this ignorance on my blog anymore, since I just wanna keep it drama and negative free. I began this journey of blogging through positivity and it shall remain that way! :o) 

With every bad moment, some good always tends to prevail over, and I am so excited to announce that all the producers from Aaliyah's self titled red album, will be uniting to make a special tribute on her 36th Birthday next year! How dope is that right? :D I have already shared with you a couple remixes which have come to surface already, so my guesses are that a remix album might be in the works. Ok, so I am not one for blowing my own trumpet, as I am humble as they can get, but I remember ages ago speaking to Eric Seats and mentioned the idea of a remix album and how all the producers from that album should come together. Here is the conversation we had which you can view below...

As you can see Eric agreed :o) I was also being a little cheeky towards the end! Lol! Can't blame a girl for trying though! ;) To hear Aaliyah's accapella on her red album would be amazing though! :D With that being said, I am glad the man has stuck by his word, because now, he's putting everything into action! Woooo! :D Seats also mentioned that he is planning to put the Rock The Boat (remix) version on his Sidooo Vol 2 album. So be sure to peep that out in the near future. If you still need more convincing, here's another conversation with the likes of J-Dub, Bud'da and Smoke E. Digglera talking about this special Birthday tribute :o)

And here's another one where Eric Seats himself, confirms this with one of my favorite Aaliyah fan pages Maximum Aaliyah ;) 2015 definitely plans on being a good year for all Aaliyah fans! Are you ready? #TeamAaliyah ;) :D

Aaliyah: Snippet Of 'I Can Be' (Bud'da Remix)

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
 

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Aaliyah: Bud'da Tribute (Snippet)

Bud'da: Gone but not forgot often imitated but never duplicated #Aaliyah #Nevernomore #thankyou #legacy #Babygirl support http://www.aaliyah.com/aaliyah/aaliyah_memorial_fund.html

This is truly beautiful! I can't wait to hear the rest! :o) :D

Happy 13th Anniversary to Aaliyah's Self Titled Red Album!

Jamming the 'old skool' way! :o)

My personal collection.

Drawing I made especially for the 13th Anniversary.

The whole album artwork! (My Edit)

So today marks the 13th Anniversary of Aaliyah's self titled red album! So as a special tribute today, I have showcased some of my personal collection, along with a drawing I did. Something which I am starting to get back into again, since I have always been quite a creative person! :o) Now...I have been showing love everywhere else, but my blog is the main spot where I should be showing majority of my love. I did have a few issues before, but hopefully they should be ok now, so I do apologise if I have replied back late to emails, and not posted as much, so just letting you all know that I am alive and not just a ghost page! lol!

It's hard to believe that it's already been 13 years since Aaliyah's 'baby' as she called it, came out, and after all these years her music still continues to sound so fresh to this very day. I can honestly say that this album was way ahead of its time both musically and lyrically, with the likes of Timbaland, Missy, Static Major, J-Dub, Bud'da, Black etc... It's no surprise why this albums longevity has still remained over these past years and counting.

I can only wonder if she were still around today, what kind of music she would be coming out with, since Aaliyah was always a trendsetter and one step ahead of the game. You can definitely see her growth from her tomboy 'street yet sweet' days to the beautiful woman she had become, and it's sad to know that her life got cut so short in such a tragic way. I always felt that it was never her time to go, since she had only reached her peak and had so much more to offer to the world. No words can fathom or comprehend the day she went away, but I shall forever and always be a fan. A huge thank you to all those who contributed to this album, it truly is a classical masterpiece within it's own right. One love. <3

Static Major: CEO (Demo Song Originally For Aaliyah) EXCLUSIVE

Ok I am completely hyped right now because guess what? CEO has officially been uploaded by You Know I Got Soul. If you remember from one of my last posts, we were left with a teaser, with just the lyrics and no backing track or vocals to go together, but now we finally get to hear what would of been something that Aaliyah would of released had she still been alive. Below you can listen to the track produced by our man Bud'da. The demo itself was done by Static Major back in 2000, and seeing that the 25th of this month will mark 6 years since Static Majors passing, You Know I got Soul felt that it was the right time to release the track. All I can say is that this sounds so hot and fresh! Definitely would of been a hit for sure! I'm am in such awe right now, I can actually imagine Babygirl singing this! Now you can all enjoy this track with the lyrics too! Happy listening! :o)

CEO Lyrics

Verse 1

Being in love is hard (it’s like a job)
That’s why I make it a point to step to, each issue we go through (it’s always something new)
I gotta keep up my guard (being in charge)
Can’t let no one give me heart breaks
It’s one thing when you explain (minds do change)

Pre-hook

Who you fussing with?
I’m the only boss that can boss around here
I’m the CEO, Stay on your job, Or you can be replaced
Don’t you order me, Cuz I’m calling the shots that go on around here
You can’t tell me no, I send you home
Thought I’d let you know that

Chorus

I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show
I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show

Verse 2

I’ve got to wear the pants in a true romance,
That’s the only way we’ll ever stand a chance
So I ain’t taking orders from a man, You got to understand
See I can work with you, long as you are true
Change out the blue and I’ll start taking interviews
Let me give you a list of my demands, never raise your hand

Pre-hook

Who you fussing with?
I’m the only boss that can boss around here
I’m the CEO, Stay on your job, Or you can be replaced
Don’t you order me, Cuz I’m calling the shots that go on around here
You can’t tell me no, I send you home
Thought I’d let you know that

Chorus

I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show
I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show
I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show
I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show

Bridge

I’m gonna keep handling my business baby
Cuz I’m a real lady
And I hope you take care of your business baby
I wanna be your lady

Aaliyah: Unreleased Song Titles From 'Down Under'

Now, some of you may have already come across this like myself, but for those who have not, here is the official track list of songs which Aaliyah recorded whilst working on her self titled 'red album' in Australia. In 2010, Tim Barnett decided to share this with everyone, which I am truly grateful for so thank you so much for that! You've made a lot of Playa/Static Major/Aaliyah fans very happy! :o)  

Now some of you may be wondering hmm...where are all the other joints from the red album like We Need A Resolution? Most of the other tracks which were produced by Timbaland, were done after the trip to Australia. From what I have already shared with you, we can confirm that all of the tracks on the CD are most definitely Aaliyah songs, some of which we have yet to find and discover. I shall no doubt be on the hunt and look out for these when they do arise, so watch out! :o) 

There is however one particular song from the bunch titled 'CEO' which Static Major wrote, and Bud'da produced on. On this occasion, Bud'da kindly shared with everyone, insight into this particular track.

Bud’da: “Aaliyah was super close to [finishing] the song. We cut the hook and Static finished a couple of other things on there and then we ran out of time, and then she just never got back around to cutting it. I think that was a big song though. It was a girl empowerment song. It was pretty cocky honestly, but the way it was done was great.”

Even though we do not know what this joint sounds like, we do have the actual lyrics which gives us a little taste as to what exactly Aaliyah was trying to aim for. Knowing that this song is a female empowerment song, shows us that she was definitely way ahead of her time, and ready to change the game. Songs like Destiny's Child's – Survivor & Independent Woman and Kelis's – Bossy immediately come to my mind. All I can say is that thanks to Aaliyah, who has helped paved the way for many female artists out there to this very day. Anyhoo, peep the lyrics below and imagine Aaliyah singing these verses and chorus's. I can honestly say, that the lyrics alone are just fire! I can only imagine how this sounds! Enjoy my lovely's! :o)

(Source – You Know I Got Soul)

CEO Lyrics

Verse 1

Being in love is hard (it’s like a job)
That’s why I make it a point to step to, each issue we go through (it’s always something new)
I gotta keep up my guard (being in charge)
Can’t let no one give me heart breaks
It’s one thing when you explain (minds do change)

Pre-hook

Who you fussing with?
I’m the only boss that can boss around here
I’m the CEO, Stay on your job, Or you can be replaced
Don’t you order me, Cuz I’m calling the shots that go on around here
You can’t tell me no, I send you home
Thought I’d let you know that

Chorus

I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show
I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show

Verse 2

I’ve got to wear the pants in a true romance,
That’s the only way we’ll ever stand a chance
So I ain’t taking orders from a man, You got to understand
See I can work with you, long as you are true
Change out the blue and I’ll start taking interviews
Let me give you a list of my demands, never raise your hand

Pre-hook

Who you fussing with?
I’m the only boss that can boss around here
I’m the CEO, Stay on your job, Or you can be replaced
Don’t you order me, Cuz I’m calling the shots that go on around here
You can’t tell me no, I send you home
Thought I’d let you know that

Chorus

I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show
I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show
I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show
I’ll be running the show, I’m CEO, I’m in control, that’s how it rolls
If you didn’t know the scenario, I run the show

Bridge

I’m gonna keep handling my business baby
Cuz I’m a real lady
And I hope you take care of your business baby
I wanna be your lady