This past weekend saw one of the years biggest festivals take place in Philadelphia; Curated by Jay-Z and sponsored by Budweiser the 2-day ‘Made in America’ event saw performances from the likes of Jay-Z (full performance above), Kanye West & G.O.O.D Music, D’Angelo, Jay Electronica, Janelle Monae, Drake, Jill Scott, Run DMC, Odd Future and others. Take a peep up top and after the jump to see some of the highlight performances…

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Could this be the album cover for Aaliyah’s much debated posthumous album? The cover above which uses the iconic image of Aaliyah swimming during her ‘Rock the Boat’ video, along with her famous ‘A’ symbol, was was tweeted by Barry Hankerson, the founder of the late singers record label Blackground Records. Accompanying the image was a message that read: “Aaliyah posthumous 2013 16 unreleased tracks produced by @Drake @OVO40 Enough said #TeamAaliyah”.

Sounds pretty official to us. What do you think of the cover?

Listen to the albums first single ‘Enough Said’ featuring Drake here.

Shlohmo marks the 11th anniversary of Aaliyah’s passing with an enigmatic remix of her (controversial) posthumous single ‘Enough Said’ featuring Drake. Originally produced by Noah ’40′ Shebib, Shlohmo’s version uses bellowing subs, electronic embellishments and screwed vocals (from both Aaliyah & Drake) to build a dramatic new alternative.

Following on from his rougher, tougher on-going work with Madlib, this a seperate and wee bit radio friendlier offering from another forthcoming project by the sturdy Indiana spitter Gibbs. Whilst not ‘Bout It Bout It’ in the No Limit sense, it’s still got a proverbial rider virtue and is sprinkled in Kirko Bangz’ mini-Drake cupcake recipe. Gangsta Gibbs’ Baby Face Killa tape will follow soon.

Star Slinger’s consistency is kind of staggering considering his output over the past year or so; His reptutation quickly established him as one of the go-to British remix producers, lending his talents to a diverse selection of artists that includes Mount Kimbie, A$AP Rocky, Jessie Ware, Drake, to name but a few. Time and time again he’s been able to apply his love for colourful 2-Step, Soulful Hip Hop and golden-era R&B onto often unsuspecting and unexpected songs. And now, following on from their dramatic Shlohmo remix last week, the LOL Boys employ the Mancunian beatsmith to again deliver a light, tropical, for-the-dance re-imagining.

After months of heated speculation, Drake and Blackground Records have separately confirmed the release of a new posthumous Aaliyah record. In a video interview with MuchMusic, Drake authenticated rumours that he and producer Noah ’40′ Shebib are exec producing the late singers first original album since her passing in 2001. Drizzy excitedly shared: “People should be really excited… A lot of people thought ‘Enough Said’ was my single. It’s not my single. It’s all off of an Aaliyah project that me and 40 are commanding… We’re gonna pull in some classic people… Anybody who used to work with Aaliyah or that was essential in her career, we definitely hope to have them involved”.

The drama doesn’t necessarily end there though. In a statement to Billboard confirming the project Blackground Records refuted claims that Drake & 40 were executive producers, but instead confirmed that they would be “heavily involved”. Their statement was then shockingly retracted hours later and in another embarressing twist, were forced to acknowledge Drake & 40′s roles as “co-executive producers”.

… The mishandling of this album has certainly dampened my hopes. The unfortunate slew of public contradictions and premature announcements from all sides is enough to unsettle even the most optimistic fans. But it does beg the question – what on earth happened in the hours between issuing their statement and refuting it, that prompted such a radical 360? What is clear at this point however is that all sides look contentious, not least of all Drake – who to some may appear a little ruthless in his quest to control the project.

Read more album details after the jump, including info on the producers involved, how many songs it’ll feature and why Blackground feel now is the right time to release it…

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And the story continues. After weeks of reports of a postumous Aaliyah album and with the release of a new single featuring Drake, the late singers brother, Rashad Haughton, has taken to facebook to denounce any involvement or support in any upcoming project(s), saying: “there is no official [Aaliyah] album being released and supported by the Haughton family”.

This is a particularly strange development considering ‘Enough Said’ was released officially via Aaliyah’s record label Blackground Records (a company set up and run by her uncle), whose logo is also featured on the official artwork. To further fuel the confusion a source close to Miss Info has confirmed that a new album is underway and will feature at least two songs from Timbaland. She also confirms reports that the majority of the project will be produced by Noah ’40′ Shebib, but that so far Drake isn’t featured on any other songs.

Rashad also commented on the on-going rumours of an Aaliyah biopic, saying: “No female I’ve seen can play my sister”.

At this point, who knows what’s going on but it’s safe to say, regardless of which side of the fence you’re on, any project released without the support of Aaliyah’s immediate family wouldn’t feel right.

Oh my god. After all the rumours and the speculating…

Shut the internet down – now.

… Picking our brains from off the wall and our hearts from off the floor – it’s probably important we share our thoughts on this. Not only because it’s a pretty seismic event, but because it’s transformed into a huge topic among music fans and Aaliyah admirers over the past few weeks…

Well, it’s here. A brand new Aaliyah single has arrived a decade after her last. But what to make of it? Well, produced by Noah ’40′ Shebib, it uses previously unheard vocals from our beloved Baby Girl and features a guest verse from Drake. Slyly titled ‘Enough Said’, it opens with the expansiveness 40 has become known for creating well: a sound that cunningly fits in near-perfect harmony beneath the clean, airy vocals that Aaliyah so effortlessly commanded (ahem, as said here). Honouring the love Houghton had for her sensual, time-capsule ad-libs, he builds his moment slowly… Respectfully. The beat slow burns before swelling into crisp snares, trademark filtered drums, sustained synths and guess what? Aaliyah sounds f*cking incredible over it. Her voice drifts like some spiritual seance, her ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’s’ are tear-inducing and her melody so classically sexy I could cry. Her heartfelt lyrics are brought to life because Shebib is a master of creating such a strong sense of widescreen, studio-polished ambience and atmosphere, while still ingeniously paying homage to the essence of staples like ‘One in A Million’.

… And yes, those dues are riddled everywhere within this. Listen to how much space is created between each breath Aaliyah takes; listen to the off-kilter production she’s singing over; listen to how the beat shows restraint and irrevocable cool. ‘One in A Million’? 2012 updating.

‘Enough Said’ is not faultless though. It has one unfortunate downside. And despite (seemingly) popular opinion, it has nothing to do with the exclusion of Timbaland and Missy Elliott. The main issue with the record, rather unfortunately (god bless him, we do love him, but) is Drake. His “feature” isn’t the issue, it’s more to do with his overall presence. What Drizzy did on Thank Me Later worked because Aaliyah’s voice was sampled around what he created – she was very much the feature artist, he the star.

But this is supposed to be Aaliyah’s record, she’s the star and Drake should have harnessed his efforts to respect that; instead his verse becomes overbearing and intrusive. His appearance jolts the composure and instead of complimenting, self-indulges. Perhaps Drake needed to employ that emotional, grown man steeze he’s become noted for by approaching this more tenderly: consider how sensitive the issue’s been and listen to the fans. This song shouldn’t have been about anyone but Aaliyah although it’s understandable, taking into account she is one of his musical idols, and that he may have even wanted to use his superstardom in this era to introduce the R&B deity to a younger Pop generation, that he’s opted to make his mark on it. I feel though, he should have stepped back slighly and either not featured at all or delivered his vox more appropriately – softer, more baritone, more complimentary. Even the inclusion of the OVO Owl on the cover-art could be argued as a little indulgent…

That said – I’m so very happy this has materialized, that it’s even in existence. Some generation’s have their Edith Piaf’s or their Janis Joplin’s – for us here at PinBoard, as school kids in the 90s, we were self-raised on this figure. It’s an emotional, heart warming, respectable tribute to an icon and her legacy. We’ve championed our case and expressed our opinion as to why we felt Drake & 40 were the right team for this (near impossible) task of taking the Aaliyah sound ahead and after hearing ‘Enough Said’ – I’m hoping you’ll agree we weren’t wrong. We’ve lived through So Far Gone, ‘CMYK‘, House of Balloons, The xx… times change, technology changes, as do the sonic interpretatives.

After all, the expectation that Timbaland and Missy Elliott would be able to recreate the magic they once produced with Aaliyah is both unfair and unrealistic. In fact, lets not forget (because most seemingly have) Aaliyah’s final, biggest and most revealing album before passing at the dawn of the millennium was not produced entirely by Timbo (two tracks out of fourteen). She made a very strategic and deliberate move to work with relatively unknown, new producers – a sign that even amidst her commercial and creative peak, she was an artist wanting to evolve, adapt and think forward. The greatest thing about Aaliyah was her fearlessness to try new things and that’s why this works, that’s why fans need to support it and look beyond their own interpretation of her legacy.

In a time in commercial R&B music when we need more than just bandwagonry, as much as we support the authentic effort and the best intentions of that output – we also need legitimate iconography to inspire the next wave. We need a new album. Who wants Aaliyah circa 1996, if you can have Aaliyah circa 2012?

And breathe.

P.s For those curious, listen to ‘Enough Said’ without Drake’s verse here.

The news that Drake will reportedly executive produce an upcoming Aaliyah album has sparked debate across parts of the blogosphere and twitter. But despite the fact that these reports remain very much unconfirmed, they seem to carry enough merit for the man behind the sound Aaliyah forged her legacy on, to speak out about it. In an interview with Power 105, super-producer Timbaland said: “I know they trying to drop some Aaliyah records, but if he do it, it should be with me and Missy.  The proper way for him to do that would be for me, him and Missy to be all on the record.  But to put it on his record, would just not be right”. 

Now a couple things need be addressed here. Firstly, “I know they trying to drop some Aaliyah record…” is pretty exciting – it gives some legitimacy to the spreading rumours. It’s worth mentioning Aaliyah’s family / label have not released a posthumous album of original songs thus far (greatest hits with unreleased bonus songs don’t count). Secondly, I think most would agree with Timbo’s sentiments – an Aaliyah record without the inclusion of him and Missy Elliot wouldn’t feel right or totally authentic. However, the fact that he has suggested collaborating with Drake on the project is (in my opinion) a sign that even he thinks Drizzy is up to the challenge of curating (an executive producers main job) an album of genuine legitimacy. It’s ultimately not enough at this stage of Aaliyah’s legacy to simply “recreate” what was in 1996, which is essentially what Timbo & Missy may do if left to their own devices. With that they run the worrying risk of failing to recapture the magic they once created together – not really worth thinking about. What’s needed, to truly honour an artist so completely ahead of her time, is to craft her voice and style around something that she could (probably would) have released today. And with that, who better to trust than Drake and his producer Noah ’40′ Shebib?

The main issue some seem to have with Drake being involved is largely due to the misunderstanding as to what an “executive producer” really is. It isn’t someone who composes music, it isn’t someone who produces records (some do, obviously) – it’s someone who curates and manages the direction and execution of a record. And if an Aaliyah album is truly on the horizon, who better to entrust than a man not only passionate about the artist, but also one who has a definite understanding (both musically and intellectually) of the cultural landscape from which she comes and represents.

Not to mention – how truly awesome would it be to hear Aaliyah over a 40 beat? C’mon! And let it be known (as if it wasn’t already) we are die-hard Timbaland, Missy, Aaliyah purists. Those beats, those songs, those albums, that entire era quite literally shaped our formative (y)ears and are among some of the most important records of our lives. But lets not let traditionalism get in the way of pushing art forward.

Whether it’s a full album or just a single feature, lets hope we hear something new from our beloved Baby Girl soon.

Drop us a line with your thoughts.

Drake’s obsession affection for Aaliyah is no secret – his admiration for the late singer reflects many from his generation. But now some news has emerged that could see his fandom taken to the next level. According to HipHopDX (via VIBE), a “reliable source” has revealed that Drizzy will be executive producing Aaliyah’s upcoming (still unconfirmed) postumous album.

Moreover, their sources also reveal that Drake will be debuting his new single which will feature Aaliyah at the upcoming OVO Festival 2012. Potentially marking the second time her vocals have featured on his record.

Information on this is still very much unconfirmed but reports of an Aaliyah feature have been rife since Aubrey appeared on Tim Westwood’s radio show back in March during which he divuged “I have some great Aaliyah news coming soon. Just some special things. Just gave you that, just a little, because I said, I’m wish Westwood, so I can’t not. But great things, great things for music period”.

The feature seems plausible. It’s obviously happened before. And although it’s certain to ruffle some fuddy duddy feathers, could (if done right) be dope – hopefully it involves some previously unheard vocals. The “executive producer” report would also be interesting but after producer Jeffrey ‘J. Dub’ Walker prematurely tweeted that he’s contributing to a new posthumous project, Aaliyah’s brother quickly quashed sentiments, tweeting: “there is no official album being released and supported by the Haughton family”.

It’s worth noting – “executive producing” is very different to “producing”.

Time will tell.