Aaliyah Birthday Tribute Mix Created by Hot 97’s Mister Cee
Today (Jan. 16) marks what would've been the 35th birthday of R&B queen Aaliyah, who tragically passed away on Aug. 25, 2001, in a plane crash in the Bahamas. To add to the countless social media tributes and tunes surely spinning on playlists, Hot 97 DJ Mister Cee put together a dedication mix for his 'Throwback at Noon' hour.
The mix consists of a little bit of everything, from "Babygirl's" most well-known songs like 'Are You That Somebody' to 21st century classics like 'Rock the Boat' and 'We Need a Resolution,' to her recent posthumous records with Chris Brown and Drake. This is 45 minutes of the best of Aaliyah.
Drake and frequent collaborating producer Noah "40" Shebib were planning on expanding the late singer's legacy by working on a posthumous effort. The plan caused quite a bit of controversy when announced in 2012, and Shebib decided to call it quits due to the surrounding negativity. "We released ['Enough Said'], but I was seven songs deep," 40 shared. "[Aaliyah's] mother saying, 'I don't want this out,' was enough for me. I walked away very quickly."
Mister Cee's mix shows that it's fine if more new Aaliyah-related material doesn't exist; the strength of her completed body of work and the undeniable passion she exuded through it is timeless.
Listen to Mister Cee's Aaliyah Mix