In 2012, Drake and his producer Noah "40" Shebib started hinting that they were working on a posthumous Aaliyah album. Though the beloved R&B performer passed away in 2001 at the age of 22, the duo were piecing together new material with plans to release a new album. It was controversial, to say the least, and now the project has been scrapped.
In a new interview with Vibe, 40 explained that the project has officially been dropped after the public's negative reaction to early single "Enough Said."
Though Timbaland and Missy Elliott were initially rumoured to be involved, they denied any involvement. As 40 explained, Timbaland hesitantly gave his blessing. "I think that was Tim taking the position of, 'I'm not going to stop you. If you're not going to do it, that's your decision,'" he said.
Once he started work on it, he said that Drake asked to be involved. "Aaliyah's label Blackground — the Hankersons, her uncle and cousin — came to me and said if she was around she'd want you to do this project," 40 recalled. "I've been obsessed with Aaliyah forever, and I know Drake has his relationship with her. But that opportunity was mine. Drake said, 'Can I do it with you?' and I was like, 'Of course, we'll do it together.'"
The two released "Enough Said" in 2012, at which point the backlash started mounting. According to 40, he "wasn't comfortable and didn't like the stigma" of Drake's involvement. "The world reacting to Drake's involvement so negatively, I just wanted nothing to do with it," he said. "That was a very sad experience for me."
Finally, the project was cancelled in full when Aaliyah's mother told him she didn't want him to do it. The producer says that moment "was enough for me.... I walked away very quickly."
Relive what could've been with a stream of "Enough Said" below.
In a new interview with Vibe, 40 explained that the project has officially been dropped after the public's negative reaction to early single "Enough Said."
Though Timbaland and Missy Elliott were initially rumoured to be involved, they denied any involvement. As 40 explained, Timbaland hesitantly gave his blessing. "I think that was Tim taking the position of, 'I'm not going to stop you. If you're not going to do it, that's your decision,'" he said.
Once he started work on it, he said that Drake asked to be involved. "Aaliyah's label Blackground — the Hankersons, her uncle and cousin — came to me and said if she was around she'd want you to do this project," 40 recalled. "I've been obsessed with Aaliyah forever, and I know Drake has his relationship with her. But that opportunity was mine. Drake said, 'Can I do it with you?' and I was like, 'Of course, we'll do it together.'"
The two released "Enough Said" in 2012, at which point the backlash started mounting. According to 40, he "wasn't comfortable and didn't like the stigma" of Drake's involvement. "The world reacting to Drake's involvement so negatively, I just wanted nothing to do with it," he said. "That was a very sad experience for me."
Finally, the project was cancelled in full when Aaliyah's mother told him she didn't want him to do it. The producer says that moment "was enough for me.... I walked away very quickly."
Relive what could've been with a stream of "Enough Said" below.
