Videos by According2HipHop
Former 106 & Park host Free recently opened up about a haunting “what if” moment involving the late Aaliyah. During a heartfelt recollection, Free shared that the R&B star personally invited her to appear at the now-infamous “Rock the Boat” music video shoot in 2001.
According to Free, Aaliyah’s schedule shifted at the last minute, moving the video shoot to new dates that conflicted with a TAMPAX event in Los Angeles that Free was set to host alongside Queen Latifah and Sista Souljah.
“I really wanted to go,” Free said, explaining how much she admired Aaliyah and had been looking forward to seeing her. “But I had a commitment I couldn’t break.”
Tragically, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas on August 25, 2001, after wrapping the “Rock the Boat” shoot. Reflecting on the timing, Free shared that she believes she would have been on that same flight had she gone.
“That invitation could have changed everything,” she admitted, noting how the experience has stayed with her ever since.
More than two decades later, Free continues to honor Aaliyah’s legacy—grateful for the friendship they shared and the twist of fate that kept her from boarding that plane.
Free from 106 & Park shares how Aaliyah personally invited her to the infamous “Rock the Boat” music video. pic.twitter.com/YIfWf7Z3mQ
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) October 21, 2025
