Suge Knight Reveals Tupac’s Desire to Sign Aaliyah

Suge Knight’s Claims About Tupac and Aaliyah

Suge Knight asserted that Tupac was interested in signing Aaliyah to Death Row Records.

The co-founder of the iconic label shared this revelation in a recent interview with The Art of Dialogue. Speaking from prison, Knight recounted how Tupac first became aware of Aaliyah during a visit to see Gladys Knight perform.

“We had a thing,” he said. “I always listened to the old men, and Tupac would listen to rap. He didn’t have an appreciation for the old artists, so I told him: ‘I must show you what the old are.’ So, I took Tupac to witness Gladys Knight’s performance in Vegas.”

Aaliyah’s Impact on Tupac

Knight mentioned that Aaliyah attended the performance. “Tupac said, ‘Don’t get up! Don’t get up!’ recalled Knight. ‘I asked, ‘Why?’ He replied, ‘Because Gladys Knight knows you, you are going to talk to Gladys Knight, and then you are going to chat with this little girl. And the next thing you know, you are going to make an album.’ He insisted, ‘I’m going to talk to her; you will come later because I want to make an album with Aaliyah.’

Knight added that Tupac had no interest in anyone else. “He viewed her as the biggest star, possessing the best voice. I spent countless hours with him, and I’ve never seen him so excited about an artist.”

“He was completely enamored with Aaliyah. He spoke about her for days and days. I grew weary of hearing about this little girl. He said, ‘I received these songs that I want to do with her. I’m going to make this song with her… He was super, super, very excited.’”

Tupac was shot in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, and died six days later on September 13.

Current Developments and Aaliyah’s Legacy

In 2023, Duve “Keefe D” Davis was arrested and charged with the shooting. Authorities believe that Davis’s nephew, Orlando Anderson, was the shooter who allegedly procured the weapon to seek retaliation against Tupac.

Davis made a loose request for one count of open murder with deadly weapons, augmented by gang enhancements. Following the news, Knight claimed he “would not testify” for anyone in Tupac’s murder case and advocated for justice for Davis, asserting he was not the shooter.

Davis previously stated that his earlier comments about Tupac’s shooting were merely “entertainment,” and in January of this year, he filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Currently, Knight is serving a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter in a fatal incident in 2015.

Aaliyah tragically passed away in 2001 at the age of 22 following a plane crash in the Bahamas that claimed the lives of the pilot and seven members of her entourage.

In 2012, music featuring Aaliyah with Timbaland and Missy Elliott was released, while a rumored collaborative project between Drake and the late artist in 2014 was canceled following objections from her family.

In 2021, The Weeknd included Aaliyah posthumously in his single “Die for You.” The following year, her uncle confirmed that a posthumous album titled “Unstoppable” featuring Drake, NE-Yo, Snoop Dogg, and Future was planned, although it has yet to be realized.

In 2023, fans campaigned for the late singer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Last month, a tribute to the late singer included the launch of a new Barbie doll in her honor, coinciding with the 46th anniversary of her birth.