Aaliyah's Uncle Says He's Supportive Of Normani Using "One In A Million" Sample

Aaliyah's uncle says she would've been supportive of Normani sampling "One in a Million," and wishes her well.

BYCole BlakeJul 20, 20211.7K Views

Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, who also managers her catalog, says it would have been "more honorable" if Normani asked permission to sample his niece, but that he is still supportive of the track, "Wild Side."

Speaking with TMZ, Tuesday, he explained that Aaliyah "always encouraged young women pursuing their musical and entertainment careers, to achieve their dreams."

"I believe that Aaliyah would be very supportive of a young Black woman that chose to emulate her music and style," he added.

Jerritt Clark / Getty Images

Though it has not been explicitly confirmed by Normani herself, many believe the song contains a sample of Aaliyah's "One in a Million." Normani did respond to a video of Timbaland, who produced "One in a Million," singing along to the track, and didn't deny the use of an Aaliyah sample.

Normani's team, on the other hand, has told TMZ that it is not a direct sample of Aaliyah's iconic track.

"I will not stand in the way of something that brings to light the incredible staying power of Aaliyah," Hankerson added. "So in that light, wishing Normani well with the song and overall career. God bless. I think Aaliyah would be pleased."

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Cole Blake

Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.