Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah

by Kathy Iandoli

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The definitive biography of the R&B singer who died tragically in a plane crash at the age of 22. She was already doing films and other creative projects, along with her hit records, which made the timing of her death so hard for so many to bear. She had already worked with the best in the industry who saw her precocious talent firsthand. Aaliyah's music will soon be available for streaming 20 years after her death.

In a definitive and “excellent homage to a star who left this planet too soon” (Questlove), the life, career, tragic death, and evolution of Aaliyah into a music legend are explored—now updated with new material featuring in-depth research and exclusive interviews.

By twenty-two years old, Aaliyah had already accomplished a staggering amount: hit records, acclaimed acting roles, and fame that was just about to cross over into superstardom. Like her song, she was already “more than a woman” but her shocking death in a plane crash prevented her from fully growing into one.

Now, two decades later, the full story of Aaliyah’s life and cultural impact is finally and lovingly revealed. Baby Girl features never-before-told stories, including studio anecdotes, personal tales, and eyewitness accounts on the events leading up to her untimely passing. Her enduring influence on today’s artists—such as Rihanna, Drake, Normani, and many more—is also celebrated, providing Aaliyah’s discography a cultural critique that is long overdue.

“There’s no better way to pay your respect to R&B’s true angel than to lose yourself in the pages” (Kim Osorio, journalist and author of Straight from the Source) of this “dazzling biography” (Publishers Weekly) that is as unforgettable as its subject.

This book was written without the participation of Aaliyah’s family/estate.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781982156855
Publisher:	Atria Books
Publication date:	08/23/2022
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,081,056
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Kathy Iandoli is a critically acclaimed hip-hop journalist and author of God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop. She’s written for numerous publications including Billboard, XXL, Teen Vogue, Vibe, The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, and many more. A professor-in-residence of music business at New York University, Kathy routinely serves as a TV and radio panelist for discussions on hip-hop and gender. She lives in the New York metropolitan area.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xi

Introduction: Good-bye, Summer xv

Chapter 1 Get Your Motor Running 1

Chapter 2 Age Ain't Nothing but a Number 13

Chapter 3 R. Kelly's Lost Survivor 37

Chapter 4 Tabula Rasa 59

Chapter 5 One in a Million 79

Chapter 6 Tommy Girl 93

Chapter 7 Baby Steps 107

Chapter 8 Romeo Must Try 125

Chapter 9 Take It Personal 137

Chapter 10 Things Fall Apart 155

Chapter 11 Life after Death 189

Chapter 12 Please Don't Stop the Music 199

Chapter 13 Came to Give Love 211

Chapter 14 4-Page Letters 223

Photo Outro One: Shooting Your Shot 245

Photo Outro Two: The Perfect Shot 249

Photo Outro Three: The Final Shot 257

Acknowledgments 265

Bibliography 273

Editorial Reviews

07/26/2021

The short yet remarkable life of “R&B princess” Aaliyah is paid a moving tribute in this dazzling biography from journalist Iandoli (God Save the Queens). “Unlike other tragic deaths of young stars,” she writes, “we haven’t been given a clear, linear story about who Aaliyah was... and why she was so special.” Weaving together exclusive interviews and in-depth research, Iandoli succeeds in vividly capturing the artist whose work became a “fantastical silhouette that hangs over music.” Raised in Detroit, Aaliyah performed in concerts with her “Auntie,” singer Gladys Knight, before overcoming scandal and a sham marriage with musician R. Kelly, who produced her Double-Platinum album Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number in 1994. Though she was reluctant to include Kelly, Iandoli explains that disregarding him would rob Aaliyah of “another title she so greatly deserved: ‘survivor.’ ” After “elevat the entire genre” with her “airy vocals” alongside Timbaland and Missy Elliott on her second album, One in a Million, Aaliyah continued to impact pop culture, serving as a muse to designer Tommy Hilfiger, costarring in the 2000 film Romeo Must Die, and releasing her critically acclaimed third album, Aaliyah, all before dying in a plane crash at 22. Still, a decade later, Iandoli writes how fans “new and old... are keeping her legacy alive.” In highlighting her influential career, this promises to do the same. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"There has never been a real, comprehensive story on the life of Aaliyah and her impact on music, until now. Baby Girl takes you on the journey with Aaliyah—through her ups and downs—while showing how she influenced the generations of Hip-Hop, Pop and R&B artists that followed. An excellent homage to a star who left this planet too soon."—Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson

"Aaliyah was one of the rare artists that made everyone feel like she was their sister. She felt familiar — like family — even though we didn't really know her story. Baby Girl changes that by shedding light on the promise and pain of someone who meant so much to the culture. After reading it, Aaliyah and her legacy mean so much more."—Robert Glasper, Grammy Award winning artist

"Baby Girl is filled with insights and details into a too short life filled with profound controversy, dynamic collaborations and iconic hits. Iandoli does a deep dive into a much discussed but too little understood life." —Nelson George, author and filmmaker

"There's no better way to pay your respect to R&B's true angel than to lose yourself in the pages of Kathy Iandoli's Baby Girl. Aaliyah's tragic ending has so often been documented, but this book breathes new life into her story. It's a deep dive into her person, her music and the resolution for anyone who has questions about her impact." —Kim Osorio, Hip Hop Journalist

“Iandoli dutifully honors the life and the indelible imprint and influence Aaliyah left on the music industry. A fond tribute to the enduring legacy of R&B’s greatly missed 'Queen of Urban Pop.'” –Kirkus Reviews

"The short yet remarkable life of 'R&B princess' Aaliyah is paid a moving tribute in this dazzling biography....Weaving together exclusive interviews and in-depth research, Iandoli succeeds in vividly capturing the artist whose work became a 'fantastical silhouette that hangs over music.'" —Publishers Weekly

"[T]his book is written for all readers: fans will cherish it, and those who haven’t heard of Aaliyah will be fans by the end of it." —Booklist

From the Publisher

07/01/2021

Iandoli (God Save the Queens) writes a heartfelt love letter to Aaliyah (1979–2001) in time for the 20th anniversary of the singer's death. The engaging narrative follows the life of Aaliyah Dana Haughton, starting with her birth in Brooklyn and childhood in Detroit, where her music career was launched by her uncle, record producer Barry Hankerson. Drawing on interviews and primary sources, Iandoli sensitively details how Aaliyah was abused by R. Kelly, her former mentor and producer of her 1994 debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The well-written, fast-paced chapters come alive when recounting Aaliyah's efforts to find producers for her second album, One in a Million (1996), which led to influential collaborations with Missy Elliott and Timbaland. Iandoli covers the unexpected success of Aaliyah's song "Are You That Somebody?," her iconic partnership with Tommy Hilfiger, her move into acting, and her self-titled third and final album, which was released in 2001. The author also carefully traces the last day of Aaliyah's life, when she and members of her crew died in a plane crash in the Bahamas. VERDICT Combining the passion of a longtime admirer with the investigative skills of a journalist, Iandoli pays homage to Aaliyah with a work that will delight fans.—Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal

Library Journal

2021-06-19
A posthumous biography of a young musical powerhouse.

Aaliyah’s rapid ascension in the contemporary R&B ranks ended tragically at age 22 when an overloaded Cessna crash-landed in the Bahamas in 2001. Music journalist Iandoli, a professor-in-residence of music business at NYU, culls together archival material and interviews with music industry insiders to re-create her dramatic life story. Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born in Brooklyn in 1979; after her family relocated to Detroit, she began dominating talent shows and musical productions by the age of 10. A few years later, her uncle and producer, Barry Hankerson, introduced her to R. Kelly, and together they produced Aaliyah’s first album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, which has sold more than 3 million copies. Her agile sound was considered a fusion of hip-hop and “R&B without being too niche.” She recorded two more studio albums and received acting roles and awards alongside Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Lil’ Kim, and others. Just like God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop (2019), this book amply displays the author’s impressive knowledge of her subject and ability to capture telling details. This unauthorized chronicle is richly detailed and thoroughly researched but also carefully edited to avoid tarnishing her subject’s reputation and enduring legacy, particularly concerning the “shockingly palpable” romantic chemistry between Aaliyah and R. Kelly, who is currently on trial for sex trafficking. Iandoli writes about why she chose to chronicle Kelly’s abusive role in Aaliyah’s life: not to give him any credit but to show Aaliyah as a “survivor.” Readers unfamiliar with the R&B industry—or Aaliyah’s impact on it—are in for an immersive read as the author covers all the insider particulars of her red-hot career. Iandoli dutifully honors the life and the indelible imprint and influence Aaliyah left on the music industry.

A fond tribute to the enduring legacy of R&B’s greatly missed “Queen of Urban Pop.

Kirkus Reviews