From Drake's reported tattoo of 阿丽雅 on his back to Timbaland's admission to being in 爱情 with her, the late singer has been the talk of the blogosphere recently. Aaliyah, 你 recall, died at the age of 22 in a tragic plane crash with eight others weeks before 9/11. Unlike other 名人 who have died young, drama hasn't really overshadowed Aaliyah's legacy. Perhaps that's because she kept her family close.

From 日 one, they were extremely involved in her career. Her mother's brother, Barry Hankerson, who managed R. Kelly and had also been married to Gladys Knight, initially managed...