25 years after her passing, Rello, Kunda & Miss Angie give Aaliyah her flowers — Star Search debut, One In A Million, and the Beyoncé debate.
This week on Circle The Block, hosts Rello, Cunda, and Miss Angie mark the 25th anniversary of Aaliyah's passing with a full tribute episode. The crew opens up about exactly where they were the day they heard the news of the fatal 2001 plane crash, and reflects on how differently that kind of breaking news traveled before smartphones and social media.
From there, the episode traces Aaliyah's career from the beginning — her 1989 Star Search debut at just ten years old, going up against future stars on a show that famously "never found a star" — all the way through the One In A Million era with Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and Static Major, which the hosts call one of the most influential R&B albums of the 90s. They dig into her cover of the Isley Brothers' "At Your Best (You Are Love)," the making of "Turn My Music Up," and the videos and routines ("Back & Forth," "One In A Million") that shaped a generation of Black girls growing up in that era.
The episode also tackles the debate fans still have today: would Beyoncé still be Beyoncé if Aaliyah had lived? The hosts break down the different lanes each artist carved out vocally, stylistically, and in film — and give an honest, no-disrespect comparison of two icons who came up in the same era.
As always, the crew closes out segments with odds on the 2026 Leagues Cup, the WNBA Championship, and an upcoming boxing card — before Bishop Cunda delivers a closing sermon giving Aaliyah her flowers, 25 years later.
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00:00 – Intro & warm-up with the crew
03:32 – The anniversary of Aaliyah's passing: where were you?
05:38 – Life before smartphones: how the news actually traveled in 2001
07:59 – Miss Angie's memory of hearing the news on TV
10:13 – Breaking down the flight & the pilot's impossible position
12:36 – Aaliyah in her own words on how she wanted to be remembered
15:43 – Her lasting influence on artists 25 years later
18:04 – Her last interview: 106 & Park, four days before she passed
20:25 – The Matrix sequels she never got to film
22:49 – "She wasn't trying to impress nobody, she was just impressive"
22:49 – 2026 Leagues Cup winner
25:44 – Back from break: her 1989 Star Search debut
26:53 – Aaliyah performing on Star Search at age 10
29:44 – The wild list of Star Search "losers" (Beyoncé, Britney, Justin Timberlake & more)
32:09 – The One In A Million era & growing up with her posters
34:26 – Breaking down the "One In A Million" video and routine
36:49 – 2026 WNBA Championship
37:47 – Back from break: diving into the One In A Million album
39:39 – Ginuwine's "Final Warning" and the Aaliyah feature
40:37 – Aaliyah on going double platinum, in her own words
41:46 – One In A Million album stats: 8M+ copies sold worldwide
44:08 – "If Your Girl Only Knew" and 90s letter-writing nostalgia
44:37 – Missy Elliott's story behind "Turn My Music Up"
46:57 – "Up Jumps Da Boogie" and the crew's favorite lyrics
49:23 – The big debate: would Beyoncé still be Beyoncé without Aaliyah?
54:02 – Comparing Aaliyah's and Beyoncé's vocal styles
57:33 – Upcoming boxing card (Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn)
59:47 – Bishop Cunda's closing sermon
1:01:51 – Final thoughts & tribute
1:03:54 – Outro
ABOUT CIRCLE THE BLOCK
Circle The Block is a culture and nostalgia podcast hosted by Rello The Saya, Kunda, and Miss Angie, where hip hop history, throwback pop culture, and current entertainment news collide. New episodes weekly.
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