Aaliyah’s Uncle Approves Normani’s Alleged Sample
Normani released her new track “Wild Side” featuring rapper Cardi B last week and fans have noticed some homage to the late R&B singer Aaliyah, including an alleged sample. However, the late singer’s uncle says Aaliyah would have been “cool with it too” per TMZ.
As Aaliyah’s masters are sealed tight — her music is not even available to listen on any streaming services — heads began to turn when word got out that “Wild Side” had an apparent One In A Million sample. Barry Hankerson, Aaliyah’s uncle, told TMZ that his niece “always encouraged young women pursuing their musical and entertainment careers, to achieve their dreams.”
Hankerson added, “I believe that Aaliyah would be very supportive of a young Black woman that chose to emulate her music and style.”
Barry did mention that it would have been “more honorable” if the Motivation singer sought approval to sample One in a Million first, but ultimately, he approves of the sample.
“I will not stand in the way of something that brings to light the incredible staying power of Aaliyah. So in that light, wishing Normani well with the song and overall career. God bless. I think Aaliyah would be pleased,” he said. Normani reacted to a tweet from a fan when she also got the alleged approval of Timberland, the original producer of the song.An attorney for Blackground Records, the company in which Hankerson founded and holds Aaliyah’s masters, told TMZ that the sample was never cleared for use but Normani’s team denies that Wild Side includes a direct sample.
Autumn Hawkins is the National Hip-Hop and R&B writer for Beasley Media, currently residing in New Jersey. Prior to working at Beasley Media, she was in broadcast news as an entertainment producer. When she's not impatiently waiting for Beyoncé to drop new music, she is reading, shopping, or planning a vacation.
