Who Signed Aaliyah? Complete Record Label History & Journey
Aaliyah was signed to several record labels throughout her career, with her most notable affiliations being with Jive Records and Blackground Records.
She began her professional music career at age 12 when she signed with Jive Records in 1991. This partnership resulted in her debut album "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" in 1994, produced by R. Kelly.
In 1996, Aaliyah left Jive Records and signed with Blackground Records, which was founded by her uncle Barry Hankerson. This move proved to be significant for her career development. Through Blackground Records, she released two more studio albums: "One in a Million" (1996) and her self-titled final album "Aaliyah" (2001).
Blackground Records had distribution deals with different major labels during Aaliyah's time with them: - Atlantic Records (1996-1999) - Virgin Records (2000-2001) - Background Records/Universal Records (2001)
It's worth noting that after Aaliyah's tragic death in 2001, her music remained under Blackground Records' control. In 2021, Blackground Records 2.0 was launched, making her catalog available on streaming platforms through a partnership with Empire Distribution.
The label changes throughout her career played a crucial role in shaping her artistic evolution, from her early R&B sound with Jive Records to her more mature and innovative style with Blackground Records.
These record deals helped establish Aaliyah as one of the most influential R&B artists of the 1990s and early 2000s, selling over 30 million records worldwide.