A radiant and glowing Alicia Keys attended Manahttan’s 92Y on Monday to sit down and chat with Loews Hotel Chairman, and host for the night, Jonathan Tisch. For about 1 hour and 30 minutes, Tisch, ran delicately through the pit stops in her magnanimous career which boasts multiple Grammy awards, over 30 million records sold, movies, production and philanthropy.
Keys sat relaxed, center stage, rocking waxed skinny denim, a cropped blazer and some funky cheetah print heels along with a new asymmetrical haircut. As fly as she was, her aura and words were just as commanding. Her career started out at the tender age of 4, on the Cosby show riding Bill Cosby’s lap and now, after a marriage to Swizz Beatz and a 2-year-old son named Egypt she’s all grown up.
A popular sentiment of 92Y is celebrating New Yorkers. Tisch mentioned that all of these accomplishments were done by a young woman from our own backyard, in Hells Kitchen. According to Key’s, Hells Kitchen, wasn’t always the “Disney Land” that it is now recalling the times she had to walk around with a “shank.” It seems as though Keys was almost destined for her success. She reflected on growing up in an apartment building with her mom and wanting to play the piano at age 6. A friend of the family was able to give them one and a guy who lived in her building, a classically trained pianist, taught her the basics.
The audience laughed as she recanted tales about her first stage name choice, Alicia Wylde, which she picked after skimming through the dictionary. Her mom told her the name “sounds like a stripper.” And the time she tried to balance both Columbia University and Columbia Records, only to drop out of college within 6 weeks to continue with the label.
Although, her tenure with the record company didn’t last either, she doesn’t blame them wholeheartedly. “ I was there first artist like me. They didn’t know what to do with a girl who played the piano, who had braids and wore jeans,” she digressed. “I just wanted to represent the everyday girl.”
It’s a quote that resonated with the audience, filled with an array of women from all different spectrums of culture. All of this translates to her current club-ready single with Nicki Minaj, “Girl On Fire.” When asked about bringing both Olympic Medalist Gabby Douglas and Nicki Minaj out on stage during the recent VMA’s she responded, “ I feel that in different ways, we’re all girls on fire.” The audience sighed in agreement. She wants her audience to know, especially women, how powerful they are. “As women we have to value ourselves and demand respect,” she later said.
During the Q&A portion of the show, a member from the audience submitted a question, asking about the inspiration for her hit single “No One.” Key’s responded, “Life,” citing that conversations, and even commercials influence her music. Another asked for advice on getting into the industry and keys advised, “Never do it for the money. It doesn’t work.” In just a short time, Alicia Keys has grown up in front of the world. Hopefully her fifth studio album will embrace her maturity and bless the people with something to get them through. She’ll never have to dim her lights for any of us.
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