Throughout her career, Aaliyah was signed to multiple record labels, with her most notable affiliations being Blackground Records and Atlantic Records. I'll break down her label history chronologically.

Aaliyah's primary record label was Blackground Records, founded by her uncle Barry Hankerson. She signed with Blackground when she was just 12 years old in 1991. The label served as her home base throughout her entire career.

However, Blackground Records operated through distribution deals with major labels. Initially, Blackground partnered with Jive Records for the release of Aaliyah's debut album "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" in 1994.

In 1996, Blackground Records switched its distribution partnership to Atlantic Records. This new deal resulted in the release of her second album "One in a Million" (1996) and her final self-titled album "Aaliyah" (2001).

The label structure worked like this: - Blackground Records was her direct record label - Atlantic Records handled distribution and marketing - Both labels worked together to promote her music globally

After Aaliyah's tragic death in 2001, her music continued to be released through Blackground Records. However, due to various legal disputes, much of her catalog became unavailable on streaming platforms for many years until 2021.

Today, Blackground Records 2.0 (a relaunch of the original label) owns her master recordings, and her music is now distributed through Empire Distribution, making her complete discography available to fans worldwide.

The most important thing to remember is that while Aaliyah worked with different distribution partners, she remained signed to Blackground Records throughout her entire professional career, from her first album until her untimely passing in 2001.

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