Aaliyah (album) - Background and Development

Background and Development

Preparation for the album started in 1998, but with the filming of the martial arts film Romeo Must Die (2000), Aaliyah postponed the recording of the album. Artists Timbaland and Missy Elliott, who were both major contributors on the previous album One in a Million, were involved in disagreements with Aaliyah's label Blackground Records at the time and did not work on the project. Blackground owner Barry Hankerson envisioned another label similar to Bad Boy on the West Coast, and consulted lesser known writers and producers signed to his publishing company. These artists included Bud'da, Jeffrey "J-Dub" Walker, and Rapture, and E. Seats of Keybeats. Stephen "Static Major" Garrett of the R&B trio Playa, who had penned the singer's previous hit singles "Are You That Somebody? and "Try Again," became involved in the project.

Much of the album was completed in various studios throughout New York City prior to Aaliyah's trip to Australia for the filming of Queen of the Damned (2002). While recording process lasted more than a year, most of the tracks were completed by early 2000, when the production team and songwriters had secured recording time at New York Sound King Studios to work on the album together. In September 2000, Virgin Records flew the group out to Australia, where they spent a month recording the majority of the album at the Sing Sing Studio in Melbourne with Aaliyah. With three recording studios going simultaneously, producers J-Dub, Bud’da and Keybeats each worked in separate rooms. During the sessions, Garrett and co-writer Digital Black would move from studio to studio to check each producer's progress. At peak periods, they would work on 10 songs at the same time. With filming ending in Australia in December 2000, production of the album went into full-force in America and Europe.