Category: Aaliyah

The Aaliyah Movie: Questions for Lifetime

11/16/2014

Alexandra Shipp as Aaliyah

By Eddie J., Contributing Writer

Dear Lifetime,

I know you don't know me, or care to hear a blogger's input on the new collection of moving images you’ve just released entitled Aaliyah: Princess of R&B, so I'm not going to critique your “movie” or call it bad. I just have a legitimate survey for everyone involved in the project, including the actors that helped make it possible.

1) Do you know what due diligence (AKA research) is?
2) If so, was it done for this movie?
3) *Tamar Braxton voice* Are we sure?
4) Why was there auto-tune?
5) Why did Aaliyah only own 2 pairs of sweatpants for the first 5 years of her career?
6) Why couldn't homegirl (i.e. Alexandra Shipp) dance, especially since she was, you know, portraying someone known for choreography?
7) Did the budget go over before a choreographer was booked?
8) Why did R. Kelly look like Treach from Naughty by Nature?
9) Why was the Eiffel tower in England?
10) Why didn't anyone, including "Aaliyah," know how to correctly pronounce her name? It’s not Uh-liyah. It’s Aa-liyah, like Muhammad Ali, which brings me back to question 2.
11) Why was her dad African?
12) Why did we get 2014 Missy Elliott portrayed in 1994?
13)...With Kelly Rowland's old lopsided hairdo?
14) Why did Damon Dash look like Shaun T with Sharpie tattoos?
15) Why was pedophilia praised and romanticized in the film?
16) Why was every character in the realm of light-skinned?
17) Why do I have a light-skinned friend AND a dark skinned friend that looks like Missy Elliott, thanks to your movie depiction?
18) Why was 2012's "Make a Little Room" by Jarvis, background music for a scene set in 1992?
19) How did Iggy Azalea make the movie score/trailer?
20) Did we REALLY need two "kiss" scenes between a depicted 27-year-old R. Kelly with a 15-year-old Aaliyah?
21) Why did Kidz Bop provide the backing tracks for these songs?
22) Why could we see the camera crew's reflection in several scenes?
23) So...Aaliyah's parents were WRONG for ending R. Kelly's pedophilic relationship with Aaliyah?
24) ...And Aaliyah was mad at them and heartbroken over it for 8 years?
25) Did losing some rights to Aaliyah's image mean losing rights to her talent as well?
26) When in the One in a Million era did Aaliyah grind on shirtless men and feel on their abs?
27) Was this a prank?
28) Do you know what Aaliyah's name means?
29) No? Well...look it up and then tell us the irony of the movie you made.

In conclusion:
Dear White People (yeah we're going there, briefly): this just in...Making a movie about a black celebrity solely for capital gain with no knowledge or care for their legacy is a form of racism.
Dear Black People: Even if the struggle is real for you as an actor, writer, producer, etc., think twice before you put your name on someone else's material as a blatant pawn. Money isn't always worth respect.

P.S.: I hope you fire the “genius” who saw Aaliyah trending on Twitter twice a year for the last 6 years or so and thought "We could make money off this! And show this film twice a year--her birthday and day of death!"

P.S.S: You tried it...and failed.

From the Twitter of Wendy Williams

P.S.S.S.: Before your EP starts live-tweeting, you might want to extend some of that due diligence to her. The song is called “At Your Best (You Are Love),” Wendy.

P.S.S.S.S.: Oh, and extend to your lead actress too, if no one else. “Try Again,” your alleged favorite Aaliyah song, was on the 2000 Romeo Must Die soundtrack, not from the One in a Million album in 1996, Alexandra.

Signed,

Eddie J.

Note from J.Says: I did not watch this “movie,” nor did I want to, especially after I learned that talk-show host Wendy Williams, who shamelessly makes her money spreading lies and festering rumors about public figures and jokes about their misfortunes, became an executive producer. After reading reviews, it’s confirmed I made the right decision to not support it with my ratings. Just the notion that Aaliyah’s life and legacy would not be done justice is severely unsettling and upsetting to me. I commend Zendaya Coleman, the film’s original lead, for having the courage to back away because she felt the same way. I hope eventually there will be a quality piece of work that will expose Aaliyah to those unfamiliar with her. This project coming to fruition just makes me miss her more.

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Aaliyah: 13 Years Later & Why the Biopic's a Big Deal

9/3/2014

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Aaliyah for James Patrick Cooper

Every year on or around January 16th and August 25th, I usually do something to commemorate the life of R&B singer Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash in 2001. Since I’ve had this blog, I’ve written tribute pieces, trying to describe and relay to my audience why Aaliyah was so important to music, to me and why losing her still impacts me to this day, but it seems there are never enough words to fully convey it. For those who adore and appreciate her as I do, I need not explain, but there are many who the significance is lost upon (for various reasons). These people were once again mystified when there was such a strong reaction to news of the production and casting of an Aaliyah biopic on the Lifetime network.

For years, there were stirrings that some form of a film was in the making. Fans were split about whether or not a movie should happen. Some were flat-out against the idea, saying “let her rest.” Others formed their opinion based on how Aaliyah’s family felt (the latest statement was given by Aaliyah’s cousin and record label associate, Jomo Hankerson, who said the desire was for a major studio release, not a TV movie). The remaining portion of her followers were adamant about seeing Aaliyah’s story onscreen, but only if it was done “right:” a non-salacious and quality script, brilliant actors with close-enough likeness and involvement with her family and/or close friends, like her primary creative partners, Missy Elliott and Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley. A similar reactionary effect would occur anytime there were rumors of posthumous music. Hankerson ceased development of an alleged duet album produced by Drake and Noah “40” Shebib that would pair Aaliyah’s unreleased vocals with various artists after a backlash from fans and disapproval from her immediate family. Despite Drake making his adulation for Aaliyah extraordinarily known, fans just weren’t comfortable with anyone touching her music but Elliott and Mosley. To put it lightly, there was a less-than-enthusiastic response in June to 17-year-old Disney star Zendaya Coleman being cast as Aaliyah for the Lifetime project, with complaints that she may not have the acting chops, didn’t resemble Aaliyah enough and wasn’t the proper race even (Coleman is half black and half white). Let me just say, though I didn’t think Coleman was the best fit, she is a very talented young lady and claiming that she isn’t “black enough” because of part of her lineage and sending her hate messages is divisive, ignorant and cruel. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program…showing how guarding of the Aaliyah brand Zendaya is herself as a fellow devotee, she pulled out of the film, stating “…the production value wasn’t there, there were complications with the music rights, and I just felt like it wasn’t being handled delicately considering the situation…I tried my best to reach out to the family on my own and I wrote a letter, but I was unable to do so, therefore, I felt not really morally okay with moving forward with the project.”

Why is it all such a big deal? Why are we so protective when it comes to all things Aaliyah? We have different ideas on how things should be handled posthumously, but it’s all for the same reason. It’s because her story is unfinished. We got 2 fantastic albums that left us terribly yearning for another. When Aaliyah took a hiatus to reportedly finish school (she was really a teenager, huh?), many begged “When are you coming back?!” There was so much excitement about the things to come (which included a budding acting career) once there was buzz she had returned to the studio. We were eager to be reunited with our princess, our “cool older sister,” our BFF in our heads. We were granted with a simply timeless self-titled record after 5 years in July 2001, but just 39 days later, Aaliyah died. She was only 22….22. Her style and musical contributions to the history of R&B are indelible and iconized (a little more on that in a moment), but there’s a heartbreaking sense of unfulfillment because we knew the carving in the wood would’ve been driven even deeper. That’s why there are dozens of articles from magazines and blogs hypothesizing how our musical lives would’ve changed or been enhanced had she lived. In “Rock&Rant: Hip-Hop Killed R&B,” I suggested that R&B lost its identity while meshing with hip-hop. Considering that Aaliyah was 1 of the pioneering figures in R&B’s hip-hop merger, could the influence of her ever-novel work with Missy and Timbaland have kept the genre from going off-course? We knew what she was, we knew what we had and we wanted the world outside of our own to see it, and since Aaliyah is not here to execute that dream, we circumspectly appraise anyone (or anything) that attempts to do it for her. We don’t want her narrative and definition to be altered or presented in a way that is not true to her essence.

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Share Memories & Photos of Aaliyah

8/25/2012

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Below is a gallery of some my favorite Aaliyah photos. Share your favorite photos by either commenting on this article & including a link, OR by posting a photo on the JSaysOnline Facebook wall. Also, feel free to comment here to share your memories or list your favorite songs. My favorite album is the last self-titled one, and my favorite song-HANDS DOWN- is "I Don't Wanna" (soundtrack single). It always makes me smile and I can listen to it over and over. See last year's tribute here.

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Aaliyah: 10 Years Arrive

8/25/2011

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Aaliyah Dana Haughton 1979-2001

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the death of R&B singer & actress Aaliyah. This might be cliché` to say, but it doesn’t feel like a decade has passed. Part of the reason why the memory is still so fresh is because…it’s still not ok. My heart has yet to accept that Aaliyah HAD to die. It’s still not fair to me and it still doesn’t make sense. It’s clear that Aaliyah was destined to leave, considering all of the ironic inter-connected factors that contributed to her plane crashing (the plane was overweight, she and her crew left earlier than planned, the pilot was inexperienced and suspected of being under the influence, etc.), but we still don’t know WHY a 22-year old on the brink of massive mainstream success in the entertainment industry had to lose her life. We don’t know WHY a couple had to lose their child and a brother had to lose his baby sister. One of my peers said a month after her death, “This is never going to be ok,” and 10 years later, he’s still right.

I turned sixteen 15 days before Aaliyah died, and on my birthday, I HAD to finish listening to “We Need a Resolution” on the radio before I entered the restaurant for my celebration dinner. I was so eager to hear Aaliyah’s new self-titled album, because before she went on artistic hiatus to finish high school, I was OBSESSED with her. I had multiple posters. I knew all of the words to her hit songs. I tried to mimic her style and her attitude (much to my mother’s dismay: “Why do you want to wear baggy pants and hood shirts all the time?”). She was my Miley Cyrus. And just when I got my buddy back…she died.

Like any other American teen, I religiously watched MTV. Sunday morning on August 26th, 2001, I had MTV on mute. Footage of Aaliyah kept playing, and I wondered why, but I didn’t look into it. I just said to myself “I hope she’s ok. She’s fine. It’s promo for her album.” While I was in the shower, my brother confirmed the worst: “J, Aaliyah died. She was in a plane crash.” Startled, I just stood still. When I didn’t respond, he said “Do you hear me? Are you going to be ok?” All I could say was “Yeah, I hear you.” When he left, I slowly dropped to my knees and prayed with fervor that it was all a rumor. It wasn’t. Church service after that was all a blur. I was...numb. For months, I had multiple dreams about her and almost everything reminded me of her. For example, the night of her death, Destiny’s Child was featured on Saturday Night Live. It was a long time before I was able to see that episode without getting emotional. Although it deeply affected personally, I wasn’t alone in my mourning.

In the days after her death, kids at school were constantly singing her songs and put posters in their lockers. “Aaliyah Dana Haughton 1979-2001” was carved into anything wooden. The art hall was covered in projects and drawings dedicate to her (a similar thing happened when we lost Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of TLC in April 2002). It has definitely been a process coping with her death. Only recently have I gained some type of resolve (click the photo above to read my article on coping with this loss). I’ve tried to dwell in the glow of her life versus her death (click the photo below to read her birthday tribute). Having this approach has given me some peace, but I often still wonder why she had to die. We’ll see if I ever get the answer. We’ll see if this will ever seem “fair.” See the music polls under the “J.Says Beyond” tab to vote for your favorite Aaliyah album. Tonight, the BET network will air an anniversary special at 8pm EST.

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Remembering Aaliyah (1/16/79-8/25/01)

8/25/2010

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Today is the 9th anniversary of Aaliyah Haughton’s death. For those of you who don’t know, Aaliyah was an R&B singer and actress who tragically died in a plane crash at the age of 22. Because I resolve to celebrate the gift that was her presence as opposed to focusing on her absence(http://jsays.weebly.com/9/post/2010/05/the-person-you-become-when-you-die-the-aftermath.html), I encourage you all to read the tribute I wrote for her birthday (http://jsays.weebly.com/2/post/2010/01/happy-birthday-aaliyah.html).

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The Person You Become When You Die-The Aftermath

5/31/2010

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In my post “The Person You Become When You Die”, which I wrote in November 2009 (check it out), I talked about my issues with grief, particularly with the deaths of singers Aaliyah and Michael Jackson. With Aaliyah, I was briefly consumed with grieving her and eventually avoided anything that reminded me of her. With Michael, I almost let the pain of the loss overshadow and transform the positive memories I had of him. Fast forward 7 months later, I’m in a different, better place. I’ve gotten to a point where I can be reminded of Aaliyah or Michael, and not fall into sadness thinking about their death. I focused on what their siblings, Rashad and Janet, had to say:

“…she is with me; if I allow her to be. I can smile again if I let the memory of her presence on this earth exist as a gift, and not a loss.”- Rashad Haughton, 2001

“You don’t have to hold on to the pain to hold on to the memory.”-Janet Jackson

It took me awhile to really understand and apply their concepts. After years of avoiding any Aaliyah material, I started watching old Aaliyah interviews on YouTube. I couldn’t help but laugh and smile at a lot of it; it reminded me of why I liked her so much. I was thinking “Man, she was hilarious and cool as heck. I remember seeing this and wanting to hang out with her.” With watching anything Michael- related, all of it took me back to a specific childhood memory. I was that 7-year-old kid again who didn’t have a care in the world. It all made feel so warm and happy inside. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. It dawned on me at that point, that because of both of them, I had all these happy memories to go back to that you can’t buy, take away or replace. There’s this safe place in my mind and heart that I can escape to whenever I just want to smile. Yes, I had them and lost them, but if I had to choose between having/losing them vs. never having them at all, I choose having/losing. I feel so grateful to have been a part of the generation that was there when their music was made. As Rashad noted, having them present was such a wonderful gift, and to remember that gift now as only a symbol of loss wouldn’t do them justice. It takes time to get to this point, I think. At the beginning, it’s indescribably hard to NOT focus on the loss. Some people don’t get passed focusing on the loss. But part of the reason why the loss hurts like it does is because of the beautiful things that person gave you. You miss having that. The loss itself will never stop being painful or sad, but you can choose what to focus on. It takes a lot of emotional energy and work, but you CAN choose. I hope this helps someone out there.

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Happy Birthday Aaliyah

1/16/2010

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It never fails. On January 16th or on August 25th, there is always something written in music media (i.e. blogs, music magazines, or music websites) about Aaliyah, her life and her music. To make sure I wasn’t being delusional about that fact, I googled “Aaliyah January 16” and “Aaliyah August 25” from 2002-2009 just for kicks. For every year, I found at least 10 articles from various places, like MTV and Global Grind. This year alone for her birthday, there were more than 15, and YouTube was flooded with tribute montages and videos. I think the outpouring of commemorations is a testament to how powerful music is and can be. It’s a testament to how just one song (or a few) can impact your life and carve out their own special, eternal place in your heart and memory. Think about it: With only 3 albums (and 5 years in between the last two), Aaliyah didn’t have that much material, and yet, she obviously is still on everyone’s mind. Aaliyah is a mainstay in the tapestry (particularly in the hip-hop community). All it takes is one song to make your mark. Several of Aaliyah’s songs are attached to specific personal memories for me, and every time I hear them I have the wonderful privilege of reliving those moments. Thank You Aaliyah for providing those pinpoints and giving me a pathway to the happier times in my past.

While listening to Aaliyah’s music, I noticed how TIMELESS her sound is. “Back in Forth” still gets you crunk. “Rock The Boat” is still sexy and alluring. “Are You That Somebody” still brings out the wannabe dancer in you, and “One in a Million” is still the truth (and Timbaland’s finest). Her self-titled last album may have come out in 2001, but the material is so potent that it would murder the competition if it were released in 2010. Her sound was so stylish, sleek and innovative; it really makes you wonder how different things would be in R&B if she were still with us. Everything she did seemed to be unique to just HER; from her trademark style, to her sound, to her mysterious nature. So much to the point that any slight imitations or resemblances seen in other artists ruffle feathers (i.e. Cassie’s “Official Girl” video, Ciara’s dance style and Kiley Dean’s “Make Me a Song”). It’s clear that while we may feel her absence, we don’t want ANYONE to even TRY to take her place. She’s carved out her space in our hearts and minds forever.
I encourage everyone to take some time out and watch a few of Aaliyah’s interviews on YouTube. In watching them, I was reminded of why I loved Aaliyah, “the person” just as much as Aaliyah, “the artist.” She was so freakin’ cool, hilarious and likable! OMG! You can’t hate her, she’s just awesome. I imagine that if I knew her personally, I would’ve wanted to be around her all the time. She just had an attracting glow to her. I have one of her interviews attached to this blog post.

Here’s to our “Baby Girl” Aaliyah, the “street, but sweet” artist that was the epitome of sensuality and femininity and had just as much swagger as the boys. The artist who seemed to only compete with herself and always delivered memorable music, the girl who always kept us guessing and intrigued, the girl you either wanted to date or hang out with, and the girl that always made you smile when you put on one of her records.

Dear God,
Please let her know how much we miss her.

Happy 31st Birthday, angel.

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The Person You Become When You Die

11/30/2009

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So my mother calls me on September 3rd, 2009 to let me know that Michael Jackson was finally buried. I get on MSN’s homepage and there they were: links to photos and video from the burial. With my iPod ironically on depressing music, I browsed through the photos. You could feel the somber mood through every photograph. Everything felt so still. Frozen. Quiet. Pictures of brothers, sisters, friends and children whose slew of happy memories must now always end with this moment. The golden casket, the white flowers, the green “grass” carpet, eulogies, tears and tombstones.

I saw more burial news footage on YouTube. Associated videos were clips of other celebrities who had passed, like the R&B singer and actress, Aaliyah. I hadn’t seen footage of Aaliyah alive in years, and there were several videos of her being interviewed. I watched one interview that was few minutes long and, for those few minutes, I literally forgot she was gone. I got so wrapped up in the interview; just like I would if she was alive and I was seeing it for the first time. She was alluring, witty, sassy, coy, cool, and beautiful; just like I knew her to be before she died and I met the “new version” of Aaliyah: the “version” of her that’s no longer here. Minutes after reacquainting myself with the “old” Aaliyah, I got confronted with “new” one in a hard, cold, icy way. There was footage of someone visiting her burial site. They were completely silent as they walked into the mausoleum and arrived at her gravesite. It’s been 8 years, and I had never seen her gravesite. Pain hit my stomach and I instantly burst into tears. I cried on and off for hours.
I just got her back. It was the 1st time in 8 years that I had seen (or remembered) her out of the context of her death; the 1st time I ever FORGOT she was gone. For a moment she was alive, well and here with us, and seeing that gravesite was like someone ripped her away from me all over again. Like she turned into dust and fell through my fingers. It was a sudden, harsh reminder that she was DEAD. GONE. That interview wasn’t current. All that’s left of her is a marble wall, encased by a golden gate with her name on it, with a bunch of pretty flowers in front. I started to cry even harder as I thought about Michael. I was angry; so upset –I didn’t want to know Michael in “that way.” I didn’t want to know this “new” version of Michael.

The Person You Become When You Die.

Michael was a symbol of something true and special to me: the magic, the wonderment, the innocence and the bright rose-colored glow that was the happier memories of my childhood. Once a symbol of the aforementioned, he was now a symbol of loss, sadness and hurt. He was now one of those “gone” people. One of those people who would now be memorialized every time he’s mentioned or thought about. One of those people who would be featured in a “gone, but not forgotten” painting.

It’s a fascinating thing, the person you become when you die. No matter how eventful and full your life was, all that matters is the fact that you’re gone. You’re a tombstone now. How you died is the most notable or memorable thing you did, or what anybody talks about. Even if people reflect on the highlights of your life, it’s always gotta end with some depressing statement like “they were gone too soon”, “I can’t believe their gone”, “too bad they’re not here anymore, or “where were you when you got the news?”
Perfect example: when I saw “This Is It”, I was on a high. He felt so alive to me. I thought I’d be depressed, but instead I felt uplifted. The movie reminded me of why I love music so much in the 1st place, and why Michael Jackson is the blueprint for how to be a consummate artist and a master of your craft. The Michael I knew- the 1st and only version I ever knew before June 25, 2009-was with me. That “new” version didn’t exist. And just when I got comfortable in my high, my friend says “It’s so sad that talent isn’t here anymore.” There was the reminder.
The 2nd example: I was watching the “Dangerous” tour DVD with my mom, and just as my heart smiled and my eyes glimmered with awe, she says “It’s just hard to believe he’s gone.”

Just as I said before, the sweet memories keep ending with this “new” version of him. It hurts so bad. I don’t want to get to know this “new” version, the person he became when he died. I want to keep my friend Michael just the way he was. I don’t want all my happy memories to turn into reasons why it’s sad he’s gone. I want my memories to stay as reasons why I love him. My friends keep telling me that my memories and everything else can stay as they were, and that a person’s death does not define them. Sometimes this makes me feel better. Other times, I feel like I have no choice but to accept and think about the “new” version. It’s like I don’t have an option. How can I NOT think about their death? If I were reading a book about their life, the book would always end with their death. That’s where it all stops, where it all ends. IT’S NOT FAIR! I don’t want to have to think about this. I don’t want to read that chapter. Why does that even have to be a part of the book? Why do we ever have to die in the 1st place?

To avoid pain and preserve a person’s memory (and their place in my heart) the way it should be, I won’t read that last chapter. I’ll just read the chapter before it and stop. Call it denial if you want. It’s how I’m going to survive this. Oh, but wait. Denial doesn’t work. Denial is what got me crying for hours once I saw Aaliyah’s gravesite to begin with (I avoided ever seeing it, and frankly, avoided thoughts of her as much as possible). You apparently have to “deal” with the death and address it to cope successfully. My problem is that I don’t know HOW to “deal” or “cope” with it in a way that’s “healthy.” Either I’m in stone denial and I avoid thinking of the person altogether (Aaliyah), or I let my grief and the memory of the death overtake my joyous memories (Michael). Grief is even harder when it involves something or someone that has ALWAYS been there. I came out of the womb knowing Michael Jackson. A world without him is an unfamiliar world to me. It’s a world I have a difficult time adapting to because I don’t know how to be here. It doesn’t feel good. It’s a new, different world, with a new, different life. A life that runs the risk of being consumed with grieving him and keeping his memory respectfully and lovingly intact. For a second, my life was consumed with grieving Aaliyah. It was like “How do I go back to the life I had before this? How do you come back from hurting so bad, or losing something that feels so essential to your life?” I don’t like all of these “new” issues. I obviously have a hard time reconciling the 2 versions of people that have passed away. Maybe I shouldn’t be trying to reconcile them at all. Maybe the problem is that I think they become a different person when they die. Does anyone have “healthy” grieving down to a science or have it figured out? Please let me know what your theory is if you do. Maybe I’ll figure out something that works for me as I go through process of grieving Michael. Perhaps when it’s the 8th anniversary of his death (Aaliyah’s was August 25, 2009), I won’t see his gravesite and burst into tears because of denial. Maybe it won’t take me 8 years to look at the gravesite. For now, I’m going to focus on the words of Aaliyah and Michael’s siblings, Rashad and Janet. Rashad and Janet both testified to be extremely close to their siblings; perhaps I’ll find my way to solace by listening to them.

“…she is with me; if I allow her to be. I can smile again if I let the memory of her presence on this earth exist as a gift, and not a loss.”- Rashad Haughton, 2001

“You don’t have to hold on to the pain to hold on to the memory.”-Janet Jackson

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The Aaliyah Movie: Questions for Lifetime

Aaliyah: 13 Years Later & Why the Biopic's a Big Deal

Share Memories & Photos of Aaliyah

Aaliyah: 10 Years Arrive

Remembering Aaliyah (1/16/79-8/25/01)

The Person You Become When You Die-The Aftermath

Happy Birthday Aaliyah

The Person You Become When You Die

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