The late Aaliyah, born Aaliyah Dana Haughton, was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She was one of the most influential female artists of her era and continues to be an inspiration to many today.
Her music has been sampled by some of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B including Drake, Jay-Z, Beyonce and Missy Elliott. Despite her tremendous influence on modern music, her catalog remains largely unavailable on streaming services such as Spotify.
Since her untimely death in 2001 at the age of 22, Aaliyah’s music has been controlled by her uncle Barry Hankerson and Blackground Records. Hankerson has since become notorious for his hardline stance against digital distribution of his artists’ music which is why it is so difficult to find Aaliyah’s music online. In fact, only two albums were released digitally prior to her death; the critically acclaimed Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number and One in a Million.
There have been some efforts over the years to make Aaliyah’s music available online but they have all failed due to disagreements between Hankerson and potential streaming partners. There were rumors that Spotify would be releasing a special playlist dedicated to Aaliyah in 2018 but those proved to be false. In addition, there had been talks about Tidal potentially releasing a collection of rare tracks from Aaliyah but those also fell through.
In conclusion, it appears that Aaliyah’s catalog will remain largely unavailable on streaming services for the foreseeable future due to her uncle Barry Hankerson’s hardline stance against digital distribution. While this is disappointing for fans who want to experience her music in its entirety, it should not stop them from appreciating her legacy as one of the most influential female artists of all time.
Will Aaliyah Ever Be On Spotify? It seems unlikely at this time due to disagreements between Barry Hankerson and potential streaming partners.