Aaliyah Biopic Trailer Released By Lifetime; Teaser Slammed For Using Iggy Azalea Song In Soundtrack!
The Aaliyah Biopic trailer recently released by Lifetime is being slammed for using an Iggy Azalea song in its soundtrack.
According to a report from Billboard, the already-controversial Aaliyah biopic could be criticized even more as its trailer showed clips set to the music of new rapper, Iggy Azalea.
The Aaliyah biopic trailer showed lead actress Alexandra Shipp as Aaliyah with Iggy Azalea's song "Goddess" playing on the background.
Using the Australian rapper's song for the Aaliyah biopic trailer could possibly be due to the fact that Lifetime was unable to license the late R&B diva's song for its promotional video.
Billboard added that the "Fancy" rapper reportedly had a 2013 song named "Backseat Trill Shit" that sampled Aaliyah's hit song, "One In a Million."
According to a report from The Wrap, the Aaliyah biopic entitled "Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B" will air on November 15 at Lifetime. The project was produced by Howard Braunstein, Debra Martin Chase and Wendy Williams. It is expected to share the life story of the late singer before she died on a plane crash at the age of 22.
The TV special first gained controversy after its initial lead actress Zendaya Coleman backed out from playing the late R&B star. She was replaced by Alexandra Shipp, who is best known for playing KT Rush on the Nickelodeon series "House of Anubis", said The Wrap.
The Aaliyah biopic was also criticized for its cast choices, namely Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith. The late singer's fans took to social media to complain that the two, who will play rapper Missy Elliott and producer Timbaland respectively, were too "light-skinned for their roles".
The "Rock The Boat" singer's family reportedly disapproved of the Aaliyah biopic. Nonetheless, Rachael Crawford and Sterling Jarvis will still play the roles of Aaliyah's parents, said The Wrap.
Aaliyah's cousin and president of her label Blackground Records Jomo Hankerson even told The Wrap that his family plans to withhold from Lifetime the rights to using Aaliyah's music for the biopic.
However, Blackground reportedly does not own the publishing rights Aaliyah's songs. As a result, the team behind the unauthorized TV special was still able to gain rights to re-record Aaliyah's songs for the biopic.
