Normani took a little music hiatus but she came back with a vengeance with the release of her new single “Wild Side” featuring Cardi B. The 90s vibe of the song paired with the spicy music video and of course a feature from Cardi had people talking, but a lot of fans also pointed out that the song seemingly pays homage to Aaliyah’s “One In A Million”.
As y’all know, it’s extremely rare that artists get their hands on an approved Aaliyah sample seeing as though her music isn’t even available on streaming platforms. Aaliyah’s uncle, however, showed support to Normani’s single while speaking with TMZ, noting that she should have gotten permission to use the sample beforehand.
Aaliyah’s uncle and manager, Barry Hankerson, told TMZ he believes Normani has been inspired by her music, and said Aaliyah would’ve been very supportive to her career. Hankerson noted that Aaliyah “always encouraged young women pursing their musical and entertainment careers, to achieve their dreams.”
“I believe that Aaliyah would be very supportive of a young Black women that chose to emulate her music and style,” Hankerson said.
He added that it would’ve been “more honorable” if Normani tried to get approval to sample “One In A Million”, but wished Normani well in her career regardless.
“I will not stand in the way of something that brings to light to incredible staying power of Aaliyah,” Hankerson told TMZ. “So in that light, wishing Normani well with the song and overall career. God bless. I think Aaliyah would be pleased.”
TMZ reports that an attorney for Blackground Records, the label founded by Aaliyah’s uncle, confirmed that the Aaliyah sample was not officially cleared for use. The site also reports that Normani’s team says “Wild Side” does not use a direct sample of “One In A Million”.
Check out a snippet of the “Wild Side” video below:
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