This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
When musicians die these days, it’s just a matter of time until the posthumous albums start appearing. Exactly how much time, though, is often what separates the earnest tributes from the exploitive travesties.
Case in point: I Care 4 U, the first new album from Aaliyah since her death in August 2001. In this era of quickie cash-ins, it’s a pleasant surprise that the soul-pop phenom’s record label waited more than a year to release this compilation of hits and unreleased material. That respectful approach is also reflected in the disc’s track selections and format. I Care 4 U casually shuffles seven tracks from Aaliyah’s three albums — including Back And Forth, One In A Million and More Than A Woman — along with six new tracks and one remix. Over the course of an hour, these boudoir-soul ballads and contemporary R&B joints (many produced by crunkmeister Timbaland) provide both a solid overview of her too-short career and a glimpse into the future she was denied. As legacies go, not bad.
