I Care 4 U is a posthumous compilation album by American singer Aaliyah. It was released on December 10, 2002, by Blackground Records and Universal Records. Following Aaliyah's death on August 25, 2001, Blackground decided to release a posthumous record in collaboration with Universal Music Group. The album included some of Aaliyah's singles and previously unreleased recordings discarded from sessions for her eponymous third and final studio album (2001).
I Care 4 U received mixed reviews from critics, based on the assessment of the previously unreleased songs and the compilation's breadth in general. Commercially, the album was a success, debuting at number three on the US Billboard 200 and being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also reached the top ten France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The album produced four singles—"Miss You", "Don't Know What to Tell Ya", "I Care 4 U", and "Come Over"—and has sold over six million copies worldwide.
Background
Between October 2000 and February 2001, Aaliyah filmed her part in the vampire film Queen of the Damned (2002) in Melbourne, simultaneously recording what would become her eponymous third and final studio album. The album was released in July 2001 to widespread critical acclaim. It became a commercial success as well, debuting at number two on the US Billboard 200 and selling 187,000 copies in its first week; it marked the highest sales week of her career to that point.
On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat". The pilot Luis Morales III was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah's family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Following Aaliyah's death, Aaliyah reached the top of the Billboard 200, spending 69 weeks on the chart, and had sold 2.6 million copies in the United States by December 2009.
Recording and production
I Care 4 U features both album cuts and previously-unreleased tracks and demos, recorded between 1993 and March 2001. The title track was written by Missy Elliott and Timbaland, who also produced the song, and was recorded at the Magic Mix Studios and Music Grinder Studios in Los Angeles in 2000. Aaliyah began to record the song for her second studio album One in a Million (1996), but it was completed after that album had finished post-production, thus she saved it for Aaliyah. Timbaland also wrote and produced "Don't Know What to Tell Ya", which was co-written by Static Major and recorded at the Manhattan Center Studios.
Originally crafted for Ginuwine's second studio album 100% Ginuwine (1999), "Miss You" was written by Ginuwine, Johntá Austin and Teddy Bishop, while being produced by Bishop. In 1999, while Aaliyah was recording her eponymous third studio album (2001) at the Manhattan Center Studios, she requested Austin and Bishop to play her a couple of tracks they had produced with other artists, including "Miss You", for which Ginuwine had already lent his vocals. Bishop later commented: "She was like, 'I want to cut this record' [...] She got on the phone, called him and said 'Hey I know you cut this record already, but I would love to cut it'." Ginuwine allowed her to cut her own version of it and the same night, Aaliyah re-recorded the whole song. Though she reportedly wanted to put the song out herself, her label Blackground Records felt the song was no "smash record", thus it was left unused until after her death.
"Come Over" was written by Johntá Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox, Kevin Hicks and Phalon "Jazze Pha" Alexander, while being produced by Cox, Hicks and Alexander. It was originally recorded for Aaliyah at the Sony Music Studios in New York City, but did not make the album's final cut. When the song was left unused, it was given to American duo Changing Faces, who included their version on their third studio album Visit Me (2000); however, Aaliyah's original version ended up being included on I Care 4 U. Altogether, Natalie Nichols from the Los Angeles Times categorized the albums material as a "minimalist blend of hip-hop, funk, soul and dance-music".