New Aaliyah Biography Announced For 20th Anniversary Of Her Death

Aaliyah's legacy will be examined in a new book titled Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah, which will drop August 17, 2021 via Simon & Schuster/Atria Books.

Per Billboard, the upcoming book, which will arrive a week before the 20th anniversary of her death, will dissect the late R&B icon's life and career dating back to her early beginnings in Detroit. Penned by journalist and author Kathy Iandoli, the release will "will focus on the span of Aaliyah's life and career -- from her earliest beginnings singing in Detroit all the way through to her game-changing musical era with Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and the late Static Major." It'll also include her "tumultuously abusive entanglement with R. Kelly and an intense investigation on the crash that ended her life."

Iandoli spoke about the biography in a press release, saying, "I wrote this book as an Aaliyah fan. This is for all of us who for the last twenty years can spot her influence everywhere, while wishing she was still here. I left no stone unturned, and I hope I’ve added to her legacy properly."

While Aaliyah's estate isn't involved in the release, they did recently announce that they're working on making her music readily available on streaming platforms. "To our loyal fans: We are excited to announce that communication has commenced between the estate and various record labels about the status of Aaliyah's music catalogue, as well as its availability on streaming platforms in the near future," an August tweet from Aaliyah's Twitter account read. "Thank you for your continued love and support. More updates to come!"

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