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New Aaliyah Biography Book Will Release For 20th Anniversary Of Her Passing
Much like her lyrics in the title track off One In A Million, Aaliyah’s legacy has continued to live on and on and on. With her music finally expected to hit streaming services in the near future, plus the 20th anniversary of her passing arriving next summer, it goes without saying that now is a very special time for fans of the late music icon. That’s why it comes as a glorious surprise that veteran music journalist Kathy Iandoli has officially announced that she’ll be releasing an official biography book on the life of our eternal “Princess of R&B,” fittingly titled Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah.

Image: KMazur/WireImage/Getty
A play off Timbaland’s classic line during his verse on the 1998 smash hit “Are You That Somebody?,” Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah promises an in-depth look at her life like never before, including never-before-heard stories, personal recollections from the people that knew her personally and fan accounts from those who were around when she was alive and the many across the world keeping her legacy alive in 2020. According to Billboard, the book will be distributed under Simon & Schuster/Atria Books, and cover even the touchy subjects such as the investigation behind the plane crash that took her life on August 25, 2001, as well as the infamously illegal marriage to R. Kelly.
In regards to Kellz, here’s what Kathy wrote about his addition to the book:
“For all the Aaliyah fans out there, I just want to make something very clear: with regard to R. Kelly, I have chosen to discuss how despite his abusive patterns, Aaliyah survived and became an icon. The book in no way glorifies his predatory behavior, nor does it take up a large chunk of the book. Quite frankly, he doesn’t deserve it. I know news outlets have chosen to make that tiny piece their whole headline, but trust that’s not what the book will reflect. This book is about a musical genius who is the reason most artists of today even have a career, but in order to discuss her enduring strength, I had to discuss a little bit of what made her so strong.”
Peep the cover reveal for Kathy Iandoli’s Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah biography book below:
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Kyle Ashen’s sun-drenched recollection with new release “That Local Girl”
Kyle Ashen’s latest release, “That Local Girl,” is a gorgeous trip down memory lane, a country single that explores that golden glow of memory, like flipping through old photographs touched by salt air and summer sunlight. It’s warm, cinematic, and deeply relatable, a song about the kind of love story that never quite goes away, even as time moves on.
“That Local Girl” is filled with imagery that quickly takes the listener into a world they can walk right into. You got a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl on a boardwalk street by the ocean, a souped-up truck driving through town, neon lights reflecting off the ocean breeze, and the electric innocence of young love burning in the background.
But under all that cutesy trapping is something more than that, longing. Some people, some places that leave permanent marks on Kyle Ashen and us know that. What’s so brilliant about this song is that it marries those two ideas, making love and hometown memory feel beautifully inseparable. Sometimes you miss a person. And with that person, you miss an entire version of life. “That Local Girl” is more than a country love song from Kyle Ashen. He is a living postcard from the past, sun-faded, bittersweet, and glowing with feeling. A reminder that summers pass by, but some memories stay with us forever.
Connect with Kyle Ashen on Spotify || Instagram || Facebook || Youtube
Artist Spotlight
ECHOFLIP inspires faith and fire with triumphant anthem on “Kingdom Rise”
ECHOFLIP marches forward with commanding purpose on “Kingdom Rise,” a single that not only demands attention but also commands it. Driven by pounding drums, soaring melodic textures, and full-conviction lyricism, the song arrives like a battle cry with the heart of worship. Bold and energized and spiritually charged from beginning to end.
“Kingdom Rise” is street realism meets kingdom vision at its heart. It’s got grit in its pulse but grace in its message as well. Each bar rings with resilience with ECHOFLIP, a record that embodies struggle, perseverance, and steadfast faith in the face of adversity. The result is music that is rooted in reality while reaching for something much larger.
What makes the single particularly compelling is how seamlessly it combines high-energy Christian trap with uplifting spiritual themes. The hard-hitting production has edge and urgency, and its faith-centered focus gives it soul. It’s motivational without being pushy. Worshipful without momentum loss, without losing authenticity. Ideal for trap gospel, inspirational rap, and urban playlists that aim to uplift as much as energize, “Kingdom Rise” delivers on all fronts. It moves the body, it sharpens the mind, it stirs the soul.
Connect with ECHOFLIP on Spotify
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