Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio.
Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to another episode of West Love Supreme.
I'm your host Quest Love with Me his Team Supreme. Today. We have Fine tick Alo in the house. We have Sugar Steve. Hey, everybody ranged into the Sugars and laya.
Vote, motherfuckers. Okay, how I'm feeling.
Some curios this morning.
I believe on paid Bill is either on Sesame Street right now or dealing with the first day of school, so he's not with us right now. All right, I will try to make this as brief as possible. Hey, man, we by the numbers. I think this is the most accomplished guest that we've had on the show. Our guest
today clearly needs no introduction. This awesome aquarium is a fifteen time Grammy Award winner, seven time BT Award winner, eleven time Soul Train Award winner, Combination Ladies Soul Soul Trained, seventeen times NAACP Award winner, eight time MTV Award winner, twelve.
Time as Cap, eight time bm My.
I don't even know you can be on both sides of the fence with that, six time Billboard Award winner, Time Oh none time Billboarder winner, get it Right, a mirror, five time American Music Award winner. I think I mentioned all of her accomplishments. She's probably still the record holding Brooklyn Huxtable household bucking Horse champion, not to mention philanthropist, actress, producer, activist mom. She'll probably own this podcast by the end of the episode. I'm talking about no other than the
incomparable Alicia Keys. Welcome to QLs.
Hello Hell.
That might be my top intro of all time.
That's my side hustle. I'm selling.
I'm trying to be like, who's Danny Ray James Brown's intro person.
That's the vibe. Thank you for all that. I'm so glad to be here with y'all. How you doing, We're good.
I actually want to know, how are you? You know?
Usually the format of the show is kind of like in the Actors Studio, where we like break down the science of the creative process with the artists, but being as though we are living through what you know, the history books will probably show as a crucial milestone and or at least on Earth, things are a little different now. So I want to know as a creative or just as a person like, how are you adjusting to this road called twenty twenty right now?
Like, how is your day this morning?
My day was pretty good? Okay, well I think I have I think I need to back up and then I can come to today because I think that's how you take it time.
So it's like what kind of cereal did you have this morning?
But it's like, right, I had a macro bar? Okay, so you hume, okay, yeah.
I'm starving too, right, okay, So what so a macro bar is what? What does that entail?
It's like, you know, it's like one of those kind of bars that fill you up enough and give you a little bit of protein and then if you have to run out of the house and didn't really have anything to eat, you good for like a good couple of hours and you have some tea and some water in you straight and then hopefully you can eat soon.
That I'm on that time one right now, I get you, you know what I mean? So both of that home, I'm doing my one meal.
I can't wait for wow, oh my gosh, word. But you know what I mean. Through this road called twenty twenty, it's definitely been some ebbs and some flows. You know, at first, I was like so confused. I just didn't know. We all didn't know what to expect or where it was leading or what was going to happen, or like were we even safe or was anybody safe or you know,
it was like a paranoia. And then you know, I think as a as a parent, it became really ill because you know, suddenly it was like, well, okay, we're going to do that part of the thing. And then as a as a mother and a human and a woman and a businesswoman and a human being, I truly lost the plot of how to find my own space in the world. I just I just didn't I didn't even know. I was like, I don't even know how to carve out any time at all.
I was going to ask, does that now mean that you as a creative is now in third place? Because it's almost like, yeah, you you have to be a person to your your kids, but then you have to be a person to yourself. And then and I know, you have people that you have to care for and make sure they're cool and all that stuff, and then like do you still get fits of inspiration where like, Okay, I'll carve out four am to seven am to write these lyrics down or that.
Sort of thing.
Yeah, I mean I again, at the beginning, nothing nothing, literally nothing. I didn't feel even the desire to create. And I think that's almost because it was all such a shock and I had completed the whole Alicia project already, so I kind of put I put all this creative energy into something already, and then everything just kind of ceased, so right, I was just like, wait, wait, now what now?
What? So?
I think I think it gave me some space to not feel the pressure of having to create, because as a creative you do tend to want to enjoy creating, but also know that that's like that's your wheel.
You got to.
Oil it, you know. So I think that it gave me the energy to not feel the pressure of it and be able to kind of lean into the unknown of everything. But then I did start heavy meditating, which I've always done, and I would do that heavy meditation probably about five and then five point thirty, and then I would do a workout, and then i'd get the kids up for school and then I'd have a good day. But anytime I didn't do that and that I would
feel like off all the way off off off. So that's kind of what happened for the first bit.
There's one thing that I forgot.
I forgot that my Spotify playlist is public is public, And so Frante kind of out of me last week because he noticed that I've been putting a lot of hours into like my my binarrow beats and my my meditation.
At I'm checking it out though. Yeah, it's it's heavy stuff, right, and so help I got paranoid so changed it before. No, but I put my on like n graces, f.
Like, let me get my mess So hold on, I need that. I need that playlist whatever, that playlist, as you said, I didn't, Yeah, no, no.
I freely share it with everyone like that that literally.
Has Thompson page on Spotify.
Leah, I'll send it to her. Yeah.
But the thing is is that I think what we all have in common is that, you know, this forced us all to take arrest or pause at least from what our lives were, you know, like sort of worldwide, at least for a period it was like that. And in the beginning, I think I felt guilty for like not picking up a drum set like for these four months I didn't do anything right, Yeah, no music, no nothing, And you know I could. I mean, I DJ because that relaxes me.
But it's not the same. Yeah.
Yeah, I felt hella guilty for like having not sat at a drum set for like five months and all that stuff, and I feel you. Then I started to find out that everyone was kind of doing that, like I haven't been on my piano yet or that sort of thing.
So no, honestly, my piano funal so so neglected. I was like, what's the matter with you? Why don't you just go sit me and while I be there, Like my son has to practice, I sit there with him. We're playing duets. I'm like, read these notes, make sure you practice this, all this tyff of stuff. But I would not sit down you're teacher. No, But I practiced
with him. I practiced with him. He has a teacher, and then I practiced with him during the week, and then he has a class, you know, he has a lesson with the teacher once a week.
So so yeah, so you still actively practice, Like do you still practice, you know and daily weekly, you know, even though you've been playing.
For so long.
Yeah, I do, And but I do find I going seasons, like you know, I have. I have moments where I'm like fully invested because i really want to learn this new classical piece, and I'm like, I'm doing it and I'm gonna and I'm gonna make sure I'm learning it.
And then there's moments where I'm like, Okay, I got a show in you know, a month, so i want to put together this thing for it, and I'm going to be practicing all the time for it, or or I'm like alright, I'm carving out the time just to do whatever, or I'm just like I just don't do anything at all. So it kind of goes in the seasons. There's moments from when I'm more and then moments where I'm less.
Maybe maybe you already said this and I missed it, but where were you on this album when when March happened?
Or you know, actually when March when March happened, I remember the last thing was I was I was creating the so Done video with Khalad and we were actually shooting the video. Oh my gosh, you thank you so much. I love it too, and we were shooting the thing and we were looking at each other like is this happening because we were getting you know, remember at the very beginning of getting all these crazy updates like this sports person is positive, Tom Hanks is and we were like, wait, is.
The world right now? Yeah?
It was totally crazy. So so I remember we were looking at each other like is this really happening? And we were singing and were doing a video and we're like, I think it's gonna be cool. And literally that next day it was all like no one's going anywhere and no one's doing anything. And that was the last thing in that March moment. So at that point, I was definitely mostly finished with the project. I knew that the
majority was already completed. Maybe there was one or two things to finish or like a couple mixes or things like that, but I wasn't a place where I knew what it felt like, you know.
So you and your team were able to finish it up over the quarantine, Yeah, I.
Mean we mostly you know, we mostly didn't do anything because we were trying to figure out like, wait, what are we doing and how do we even do it? And then where do we go and how do we get there? And so we kind of figured some stuff out finally to make things at least fluid and to be able to create and be able to have a place to like get content and just just create, just
have some a little bit of a hub. But at the very beginning nothing, And then finally, maybe a month ago, at the end of the summer, I put the last finishing touches on the project and just said, Okay, this is it. Everything's done. And that was kind of the flow. But it was a moment where it was just nothing.
Yeah, and you're planning.
You're planning a tour for twenty twenty one, right, so man, I'm.
Just going out right, But what was twenty twenty? Obviously everything was twenty twenty. That's the that's like the theme of twenty twenty. It was twenty twenty, right, Alicia had to drive in right, Oh yeah, I'll be there. Everybody's at the drive in now. Hey it's okay.
Oh mind, So, Alitia, I want to know. I believe that you were born in Hell's Kitchen, correct, in Manhattan?
That's right, that was going and raised.
I want to know what was the first album that you purchased?
Okay, the true story is that my first album. True story is that my first album I purchased was Bell Bivdevaux Poison, and it was Poison, and I remember that it was definitely the cassette, like it was officially a cassette. And then I don't know what happened, but somehow I must have loved the song but missed the lyrics. And then I got home and put the song in, and then I actually heard that that They were like, never trust a big button a smile, and I was pissed.
I was like, she mean, never trust a big button a smile. That's that's messed up. I don't like that, and I brought the tape back, brought the tape back.
Wait why, I don't know why I felt like that.
I don't know why I felt so strongly like that, but for whatever reason, since they said never trust a big but smile, I was offended.
I don't know why, Mom, and listen to it.
They don't do that even send the thing back. I don't even know how you can send a concept that doesn't even make no sense, how you can send a concept back or maybe that's I don't know if I made that up in my head or what, but I really remember that clearly.
Wow, So you were the kid and the parent at the same time.
You know what that is a that is a true fact of my childhood because.
Question, I've had the pleasure of hanging out with your mom before. I remember the first time you came to Philly and we took you guys to the Black Lily, and it seems like, yes she did, and while your mom was partying, you was kind of chilling. So in my mind, I was like, she wasn't as much of a police on stuff like that as you were for yourself.
No, she is the party and everybody be like, you know, if we go because if we go to wherever we go, so people be like always that Alicia Mama Key, like they always have Alia, like they love her so much. She is definitely the life of the party. She's she's wilding, she's having a ball, she's dancing, she's no holding back, So they everybody loves Mama Keys.
She was like, why are you taking that tape back?
That's a jam right exactly? What's worm with you?
After Poison?
What was probably the next album I guess that you didn't take back because something.
That you remember that you like, really enjoyed and it stuck with you.
Oh. Then the next the next I didn't buy this one, but this was like a treasure was the cassette okay, which was a double cassette of What's going On Marvin Gaye? Wow, that was crazy. I mean, I never I'll never forget. It was white. It was a white cassette. I'll never forget it, and I will never forget how that music landed on me. I never heard anything like that in
my life. I was never exposed to that. Of course I've heard tons of music, but listening to that blow where everything connected to each other, and even with the cassette, like you had to flip it over, you know what I mean. But it was so crazy. It changed everything for me that that, particularly.
At that young of an age.
Yeah, because I guess I was like maybe eleven or twelve.
That's crazy.
Growing up, well, no, just growing up, I always saw Marvin Gaye's like my aunt's music. So it really wasn't until I mean he died on April Fools when I was thirteen. So then kind of the aftermath of his death and how it affected all my aunts.
Like they were crying like saying I remember, and so.
Yeah, it was like they took it hard, and I think I heard his like you listen to people's music differently when they die, like when Prince died, and suddenly everything felt different to me. So but unfortunately it took his passing for me to like really absorb it in
a way that I didn't. You know, this is way before I mean, eighty four was way before you know, sampling technology came in, whereas like you know, once sampling came in to play, then it's like, oh, your your your parents or your grandparents' record collection comes to life. Then you recognize like, oh that's where I know they're from.
There.
But you know, just straight up like it took me so long to get into Marvin.
Gaye that did it, Like you mean because you just didn't have an access point or you heard like all the Singly ones and it was like not as interesting or you know why.
It's just I mean, you know the thing is is that me growing up.
See my thing was I grew up in that don't touch my stereo household. So all the education I got was education, but it was like under durest of if you touch our stereo, then you're in trouble, like that sort of thing. So I had to listen to stuff that I thought was boring then right, and then once hip hop started sampling it in nineteen eighty eight, then I became the smartest kid in school.
Like, right, I know where that came from. You know know what it is?
So are you are you that person? Now? Are you like the don't touch my stereo person, like don't touch.
My Oh no, no, not at all, Like I don't ask.
For no request though, right, okay.
Yeah, I'm the.
I'm the new request guy, like I'm the you know, I prepare my meals. I see it as preparing, like cooking. That's how I see it. And then it's almost give me a cheeseburger, like that sort of thing. You remember your first concert that you went to? Yep, who did you see?
My first? I don't remember. My first concert was I can't even believe this. Michael Jackson and I had to be like five, oh not bad, and and all the brothers were out, oh lucky, and they did like the routine, and and and on my way into the whatever stadium arena, I don't I was little. I don't know where I was going. There was like a hundred ambulances and I was like mommy, who's sick? And who's who's sick? Why they's sick? What's the matter? And I didn't understand what
those were for. And that's what I remember. I remember that was that was my first concert.
That's crazy.
Yeah, that's crazy. That's a crazy one. That's a very good first concert. Somebody did me right.
Assuming that you didn't grow up in a well, I don't know, like did your introduction to music?
Was it via church? Via school?
Like how what was the moment where you know, the sort of the epiphany hits you that hey, wait, I'm interested in this, Like how how is it introduced to you?
It was I was four, four years old and I was in you know, whatever, kindergarten or whatever, and I had this crazy teacher who was so eccentric and like so like she just wanted to do everything for the kids. And she was like this little powerhouse woman, beautiful brown skin, and her name was Miss Hazel, and she was going to get everything done and she was going to move out her way and she decided to do a version of Wizard of Oz.
It's always a Wizard of I know, right.
It's always so anyway, everybody had to go home and practice a song and this and that. So of course I go home and I practiced some of the rainbow and I come back in and she's like, you know, someone was playing the piano. It was like this little room, this little piano. And then I sang it for her because she you know, so I sang it for her
and everybody had the audition. I sang somewhere over the rainbow, and she ended up making me Dorothy and I sang had to sing that somewheer of a rainbow song, you know whatever. The two times we performed it, however it goes. You're like a kid, you know. And I remember that I was so nervous, so terrified, so scared. I hated that all these people I knew were right there in the audience. I never wanted to sing in front of them.
And when I opened my mouth to sing the song, I remember feeling like, Okay, I like this, and then I went back to being terrified. And that was the first time that it hit me that I like this.
And that's when it hit you.
That was the moment I knew it. I felt it. I just it felt like comfortable, felt good.
So how does that lead to this as a career choice, like do you how o were you you wrote your first song.
I was eleven years old when I wrote my first song. My my grandfather had just passed away. My mother raised me, you know, and so in the building that we lived in, it was some weird situation that if you had a girl, like if the parent had a girl, you could only get a one bedroom, but if you had a if you were a mother with a son, you could get two bedrooms.
Wait what.
It don't sound right at all too now, but whatever the case, we had one bedroom as they figured.
The girls and what the mom and the daughter could sleep together. Wow, that's like.
Before they were gay people.
So we had this one bedroom and sometimes the bedroom was hers. Most time it was her, sometimes it was mine. So I don't remember if it was my bedroom or her bedroom at the time, but I do not. I was sitting on the bed and she came in and she had to tell me that my grandfather had passed away, you know, and it was it was terrible. I never experienced that type of news before. And you know, that was like the love of my life. I loved him so much. He was like my biggest fan. He would
come to every piano recital. And he was like my little Italian mafia.
I was just about to ask where was he from?
What do you know? Like he was just like he always wroted for Dora. He was a detective. He was x NYPD. He had the he had the trench coat all the time. He always carried every time I gave him my hug. It was like the gun. I mean, it was just this was this was he was like detective, old school Italian.
Yes, that was.
Yeah, that's kind of dope because especially your grandfather who's Italian, who based on because my dad's from Hell's Kitchen too, and based on and he's eighty one, so based on what he told me about what Hell's Kitchen used to be in the d D and stuff, the fact that he got his little his favorite person is his little brown granddaughter.
That's like yes, yes, no, it was deep. It's very deep, you know. And and but he was. He would drive from Long Island, and my grandmother lives in Long Island. He would drive from Long Island every weekend to help my mother. He'd be the first one there. He'd lean up against the car, put his hat on and his trench and his arms fold and he'd be waiting for me to come out of the building, and every time I came out the door, he'd be like, that's my girl,
Like every time, that's my girl. And so so anyway, I can't even remember what the question was because I'm so wrapped.
Up in my grave ad.
You literally don't know what you even asked me? What did you ask me? Again?
The song?
Oh, the first song you ever wrote, and you said that the passing of your grandfather inspired it.
So that was my that was my heart. And she had to go on his bed and tell me this news. And I was just so devastating. I never felt like that before. I never felt that raw, unstoppable, like torrential emotion before. Like I just never felt that. And so somehow I was so sad. We went to see a late night movie. We went to see a late night movie of Philadelphia. Oh watch ever, I'm not sure, Like I don't know when don't we want to go see something funny? I don't know what happened. I'm in there
crying in my eyes out. I mean, it was like literally just the most emotional day of my little life. And I came home and we went to a late movie. Had to be nine pm or something, and by the time we get home, it was like eleven o'clock. And I came home and it's the first time I just immediately sat at the piano and I played, and I sang, and I sang everything I felt, and I wrote it
down and she just left me alone. I was just in that you know, the apartments super small, so she did not much places go, but she was just she just left me alone. And I wrote this song. And that was my first time I wrote. And that was like the beginning of me recognizing how you could turn like a pain or an emotion into something.
It's funny you say that.
Someone Someone asked me this summer if there's a song that you hear and it could trigger like near tears emotion and I don't know why, but for some reason, and you can't find it streaming nowhere because you know, Neil Young is is hella against UH streaming service as well, and I tried to start his own Yeah, yeah, the ponent.
But wait, see if you still have your pono.
Yeah, but the Philadelphia song that Neil Young sings on the closing credits of that thing song, Yo man, I don't know what it is.
It Is it because of the movie?
Is it before?
After this?
This is literally why I'm obsessed with sort of the the at least the scientific study of synesthesia and how I believe that scientifically. And this is why I think, uh uh, you know, the idea of your chakra, like certain tones affect parts of I don't know what it is.
I don't know it's the tone.
Of his voice or the or like it's a regular ass song, but for some reason, there's something in that song that.
Just a I can't get through it without filling up.
And usually if I feel sad about some shit, okay, example when okay, when Dyla died, I found it hard to cry and I was struggling with that, Like it took me like three weeks to really process that ship and I couldn't cry. And then I didn't want to create no more. And you know the time, the girls days like, well, you need to cry, you need to do it. And I was trying everything and I was nothing was coming, and then I put that ship on and then boom it happened. Yes, not the Springsteen song, but.
Young John.
Yes, it's just I don't know, it's just something scientifically sonically in that song that I don't know that's the breaker for.
Some reason, I love that and I'm going to listen to that now.
Well then you'll be boohooing.
I don't know so this at this point, Well, I also wanted to know what was the first song you ever learned to play, Like, what was your go to your go to karaoke mover, the song that you like committed to learn.
The first song I ever learned to play, you know, outside of like the basic classical piano things like, you know, because because I did this with Zuki methods, so it all it progresses, and so you start with the super simple ones and then you keep going and it progresses and progresses, and so the first ones are like roll your bolt and married a little lamb and London Bridge
is falling down and they're teaching me to think. Besides all those, my first song that I learned to play was called this One's for the Children by New Kids on the Block.
Wow, am stand up?
What?
And that was my first one that really that was the first song that I learned that I actually figured out how to put my hands and my voice together at the same time. Because Prior to that, I had played and I played cool and then I had sang, but I never did them together. And that was the very first time that I kind of figured out what did that feel like? And it was hard.
I was gonna say, how long does that process take? Because people take that for granted.
It was hard. I felt like I would never get it. I felt like I would never get this rhythm of like how to play one thing and how to sing another thing. And I but once I got it, which I mean, I don't know how long it takes, but it was considerable. It took time. I you know it really like that was that started the thing, amir?
How long did it take for you?
Because you know you'll be up there doing fifty dozen things and drumming and singing and talking and giving cues.
How long did it take you to master that?
What to learn a song or to.
Learn how to do multiple things at one time like that?
You know?
Again, similar similar to Alicia coming into knowledge of meditating and whatnot.
Well, we learned early.
Remember when Quincy Jones taught us about the alpha state and whatever I learned, Well, I'd studied that and realized that there's four parts of the brain, the alpha, the beta, the data, and the theta. And the reason why you're supposed to practice ten thousand hours is that you know, you do it so much that it becomes when they say, it's second nature, you do without thinking. So I too,
that's my alpha state. So when you see me on stage, like on my phone, eating a sandwich, talking to somebody whatever, that's the equivalent of Greg fill and Gains doing a silhouette two in the morning Quincy Jones. Basically he makes them eat, get the itis, get tipsy, and then start recording them at one two in the morning. Yeah, because they don't debate with them, they don't argue with them, they don't overthink it.
They just do it naturally and so a fire.
Yeah, you know, because again the second I start thinking of left, right, left, and then I start messing up right right even to this day, like I can't. I'm not aware of what I'm doing. I'm thinking of like cereal or I love some cereal.
That's the second cereal mentioned. It's only been like twenty minutes. What kind of sery you have?
Missing cereal? That's what.
My favorite cereals, honey and cheerios. What's your yeah, yeah, team Captain Crunch, Oh, crunch peries.
Oh crunchberries is good. The things they tear up the roof, all.
Of them, Captain Crunch tear it all up, so it no matter the crunch berries in there, y'all.
I know y'all asked me.
But I've spent a lot of time with pops lately, Like I circle back to them and let me just tell you, milk or not pops.
Will oh the cereal, yeah, sad good.
And the other one that I used to love sentimentals crunch Oh.
Yeah, automatically apple and the best thing with the milk after the cinnamon to c that was like the.
So good the bowl drinker, Oh yeah.
Sell that at at a milk part.
Now milk, oh they put they do the fruity pebbles them. They put the milk in it, drain it and then resell the milk like there's milk cereal.
But that was my old life.
So you look great, really, you are shining?
Do that?
No, no, no, no, take this compliment, stating in a last he will act like he didn't hear you.
I said, enough life, coaches, I'm good, Thank you.
Your moment never taught you to say thank you.
All right. Yeah, I'm learning to I'm still.
Get it together. You're welcome.
Yeah, yeah, they are get on taking compliments.
Take longer to this the compliment.
Just say we.
Have somebody accomplished on the show. It's not about me. Let's get to it. When when do you decide.
That you would like to do this as a profession Because I met you what I assume is the first stage of your career when I believe that you were still an artist on Columbia. I believe so I met you.
What do you do you remember that?
What we do? It's the funny, all right.
So the story of me first meeting you is the roots are working on our fourth album, Things fall Apart, Steve. Actually, you're connected to the story.
I'm connected to the story. Yes, yes, all right.
So the preface is, do you remember when Foxy Brown threw a tantrum at Electric Lady and she sent that poor intern.
Wait were you the intern? Yeah? I was the Wait a minute, she sent you to the Bronx to go get those those Krispy kremes. No, No, that was a different she was. I was the assistant.
She was screaming at me because she couldn't find her headphones, and she excuse me stealing them at the live rooms.
Okay, well yeah, all right.
So just during the during the whole Electric Lady period of voodoo and like water for Chocolate and all the stuff that we recorded, Foxy Brown came in for like a month to work on her second record. She threw like a temper tantrum because they didn't get back.
Then.
You know, everyone was catching Krispy Kreme fever in New York City. I remember where like the red light comes on and you get you know, hot at right, everyone knows the deal. So Foxy sent this poor intern who was clearly not from New York City, like all the way up to the Bronx to the twenty to the twenty four hour Krispy kremespot.
I don't know, did he get mugged or anything like that or no, he got the donuts, well he got.
The donuts, but like within the ench of his life because he had to take the subway up there or whatever. And so I was kind of angry that she put him that position. So to be an asshole, I went and ordered Foxy like what was it?
Like?
I ordered like seventy five dozen. I ordered seventy five boxes of Krispy Free donuts and there were a dozen each. So basically when she went in the room, there was nothing but amountain of donuts and she.
Was actually flattered, like, oh my god, you kid me.
And I was like, oh, she missed the whole point.
Yeah, shave fire backfire, right. So now we're BFFs.
But at the same time, I still have to work on the Roots record at Battery Studios, and so I was there to record Most Deaf on our album and Most be and Most was like twelve hours late, so I was chill, and I went in the hallway and I saw Jerry Brown, who worked on Who's raepha elsa DIEKX engineer for our last album, and Jerry Brown's, uh, kind of his trademark is that it's Christmas anytime he's in the studio, and so Jerry always sets up Christmas lights in the studio like he wants it to look
like it's Christmas inside the studio. And I'm like, that's weird, Like what if your artist doesn't want this? Like he's like, well, that's mine. I got to make it look like Christmas.
So then I came in and you were sitting in the back, and I realized that, oh, this is the same person that I saw on I think either So So Deaf or definitely that Columbia had a like a BT Christmas Special or something like that, right, And I remember at the time, you were the probably the only figurehead that I knew that had her hair and corn rolls. So I instantly recognized you as, oh, that's a girl
from the pt Joint. And then, you know, just out of boredom, I was probably in your breakroom more than my own breakroom, because you know, most would be like, yeah, I'll be there in a second and then be like nine hours later, I'm still waiting.
No no, no, Notorious.
Yeah, So basically that yeah, that's that's how I first met me. So, I mean at that time it was nice. Well it was nineteen ninety nine though, so I guess you're working on songs in a minor at.
That point or because it came out in two thousand.
So how what was that first period?
Like I never knew the story behind that, like because I would figure that between Jermaine and his dad, who you know, was Notorious at Columbia. Yeah, yeah, Michael Maldon Modon that they would, you know, roll out this rare diamond of a moment and take advantage of it. Like, so, what was that experience in getting the record deal and recording that first record?
Uh? Oh, I'm getting quasi I roll nah.
No, I'm just trying to I'm trying to, like.
Come you try to remember what it was.
I'm trying to come back, all right. So I was about fifteen, and my manager at the time, Jeff Robinson, he was like, you played piano, you sing, you know, you have to show people the whole thing. Some set up these showcases. We're going to bring a couple of labels down blah blah blah. So we did that probably at like I don't know what that was at the time,
some like little rehearsal studio for forty whatever street. And so I did these kind of small showcases and many different labels came and it was just me on my little, you know, not that fancy keyboard, and I wrote my few songs that I'd written at the time. I had butterflies. I had a song from that first album called The Life I Had, and I sang that Brian McKnight song.
Never felt this way, well Brian McKnight at the time, and and so I sang my few little songs and all the and and so he created this bidding war and and so then Columbia was the one that, uh that that that that did the first piece. But then so I created a I created a lot of the music with Colombia while I was at Columbia, and that's when I was with Michael and and that's when Michael set me up with the opportunity to have that, to
be on that Social Deaf Christmas thing. That was like my first you know moment, my first performance, all of that stuff. I remember my homegirl Nisia dressed me. She brings herse up to this day. Remember when I tressed you for bet you remember how cute you look. I was so good at that which she was. She was cute. She had me in like I don't know what, but hey,
whatever I was wearing, Tanisiha got that for me. So so so yeah, so that's when I So, that's when I performed there, and that was like a big deal. It was my first time I was in a recording studio really, you know, it was my first time really. I remember sitting at home playing those kind of chords because I wanted to flip the Christmas song which was Little Drummer Joy, which I changed to Little Drummer Girl, and I played those kind of jazzy chords on it.
And as the first time I went to the studio and really you know, produced the thing, like created it said this is what I hear, this is the piano, this is the this is the drums. I want all that type of stuff, and and so and so that was the That was the beginning of that. But after that, Jermaine wasn't really a part of my project that you know. That was kind of a one time thing that him and Michael put together for the Christmas thing, and outside of that, he wasn't really a part of my project
until the end. That's when we wrote the song Girlfriend together. He was a part of that. But other than that, it was myself and my my music partner, Crucial, who did all of my first album with me and my second album exactly, and and we were really were We recorded everything out of a Harlem apartment on one Hunt thirty seventh Street. Wow, it was like straight, I mean, we had like the straight little you know comforters on
the wall straight raw. We used the We used the closet as the vocal booth, which was a terrible idea because it made everything sound like super small obviously what I know now and never do that, But we did that.
We swore that was what it was.
Bathroom would have been bad. Ever, we didn't then do that. We we recorded on on d A eighty eight. I remember we got d we had the first The bed was in the like it was the bedroom, So the bed was in the room and we were like recording around it and if we get a bass player to come, they'd be sitting on the bed and I'd be standing in the closet and he'd be chill. I mean, it
was like so tight. I remember. We used to sit there and and and and research all the favorite records, Like we listened to Smokey Robinson and we listened to Isaac Hayes, and we'd be listening to ROBERTA. Flack and Donnie Hathaway and we'd be like, what makes the record sound so full? Like why does their music sound so full? And like when I just put a piano and a drum and a thing, what am I missing? And we scoured it and was like, oh, there's roads in there.
Oh there's you know, there's like pads in there. And it really started to teach me the process of production and what creates like those those sonics and how they go together, and especially Isaac Hayes, especially Isaac Hayes, because he was just such a unique producer, you know, one of my favorite favorite favorites. And so we did all that in the crib and then probably towards the end we would bring a few things to the studio, but barely. I remember I did the intro the Young Moonlight Sonata
that I played as the intro. I did that at the studio, and other than that, everything came from thirty seventh Street. And there was a kid out on the block because I've we've been recording all types of night and they'd be a kid on the block that every time I walk down the street, he'd be like, there go hit a high note, because I know he was outside on the block every night, and I was recorded and he heard me reaching and trying to find my way,
reverberating through thirty seven between Fifth and Lenox. So that is how songs in a minor came to life.
What is what is your relationship with songs? I noticed that you're probably one of a handful of artists that still creates songs that are are in twelve.
Eight meter.
Yees six eight three four.
Yeah, so you know that's that's traditionally like fifties sixties ballot mode, which is you know, original, old school. But yet you still keep that that tradition alive and that that torch alive. What is your relationship and love for that, because that's that's something that you've kept consistently on most of your albums.
That's true on this one. I have one called Gramercy Park and it has continued the vibe. But it's my favorite time signature, my favorite you can play I can play right now, luck you're on piano right now. I could play anything, anything in sixth eight, and it makes me want to sing. I don't know what happened. I don't know what time. I know I was alive in the sixties and the seventies for sure, anyway, and it
just sparks me. It will spark me every time. I don't have to try, I don't have to think about it. I know what to do, I know where it belongs. I don't know, it's just my perfect time signature.
Also, in the beginning, when you first got your deal, at least with with with both Sony and with Jay Records, they didn't try they didn't try to sign a producer to you first, or at least like someone that they felt like, are.
You kidding me? They assigned me so many damn producers. I was in the studio with so many ridiculous idiots that just you know, they had no respect for me as a young woman. You know, I was, I was, you know what, I was sixteen, what you know, sixteen. They didn't They didn't think I could play anything. They didn't think I could write anything. They you know, they figured they could do it all. They didn't even care
what I thought. I didn't care what I brought, They didn't care what my you know, it was like they were whack. I remember, it was super trash. And I felt so disheartened because I would go home and I'd be like, is this what is going to be like? Because I don't feel good, you know, And I would go travel and I remember we used to go to Maryland to work with this one guy, and I used
to dread it. I would be in the car, like my stomach would just be like that feeling when you just don't feel good, that stomach would always be there because I was just terrified. It didn't feel comfortable. I felt like, I don't know, I just did not feel comfortable.
And so at the time, Crucial and I had been connecting and he was doing music and we you know, we we would connect about different songs and we'd always meet and have ciphers in the village and it was like a vibe and and I remember one time I was like, well, wow, we just like work on some stuff together. And and that was the time that it finally we tried some stuff and that was the first time that I actually felt like comfortable.
Collaborsten to you and work for you.
So was Girlfriend the first song that you and him work on?
And if not, could you just tell us the story behind that song and how it came to fruition because for me, that's the most like, that's one of my top ten. Alicia Banger is consistent. You can play it and it always sounds fresh.
I love that you asked me that, you know, Girlfriend hmmm is one of my favorites too, because I am a super wul tang fanatic.
Yes you are wait story, yo, I nothing will describe the in a good way. The anger I felt when I heard the opening chords to the Sands song on On Here, Yo was Yo, you know, like but this this is actually a compliment for the artists, Like when when j tells the story when he first heard Who Shot You for the first time, he sitting in the car and Harlem outside the Apollo and big a placement who Shot You?
And it just lit it fire.
Him just asked, like, my favorite who joint that's not a hit single is the sane ods Uhang John. I thought, no one's ever going to think to bring this John back, so me and to me always talked like one now we're going to bring.
Back it's so hard and you.
Open man, And I heard your record the night before we did that thing in Times Square.
Yes, yo, I was that whole night man.
I was just it was I can't the last time I felt that, seeving jealous rage that someone got to an idea before I did. It was probably spotioly dope alicious where I wanted to do with Joran when Tarik just talked and didn't rhyme, and I was like so yes, I know you're a wu tang head.
The fact that you even can pull that out and even understand that and speak on that right now is why record is that. It's on the here album, right and it's called the Gospel.
Okay, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it.
You're actually spitting hot fire.
But even was like, oh ship, she's spitting like huh, that's probably all time Alicia Key's favorite song. Like you listen to it maybe probably five times a we're high five leaders.
Fifteen year old okay, but with girlfriends.
Yes, right, So you know you're right though, And so you know, at the time, I'm trying to flash back there because at the time, writing was such a beautiful new experience for me. It was like a real discovery for me, and I and and and you know, I was I was learning at light speed how to tap into these emotions. And I remember, you know, listening heavy
to Mary J. Blige, heavy to Mary. I used to rip Mary melodies so frequently just so that I could like feel what it felt like to feel like her, you know what I mean, Because she was so she was so New York for me. She was my own the only girl that I could actually relate to the best Merry album right now, at least I keeps saying one. Actually, my favorite is what's the full one one remix album?
The remix album not My Life.
New York Life. My life is definitely my favorite. It is because it's but what's the full one remix album? Is it? You got to ride out to that tomorrow or tonight on your way home. Guess you're already home or whatever? You know? You will remember.
The thing was before one one remix album was basically the dress rehearsal for My life because exactly was that just them her singing over the loops?
I mean, that was That's.
Pretty much what it was. Hold on, let me tell her what the girlfriend thinking is. We keep trying to say it and all right, so so I'm gonna be fast fat. So anyway, I was figuring out how to write these songs, and I did stuff like Troubles, and that was the first time that I like felt this lost emotion, and so I was starting to learn how
to craft. I was starting to I worked with one guy who he's please forgive me that I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but he's the other writer on girlfriend, and he was like a
really awesome songwriter. And it was the first time that I worked with because I had started getting my own skills together, and so I was starting to get more comfortable collaborating once in a while with other people, whereas originally it was just I didn't like it because they didn't understand, they didn't care.
And so I collaborated, not Brian michael Cox.
Not Brian michael Cox. His name was something Thompson or he was. I co wrote with him, and I really started to understand. And I had this concept of being this idea of being jealous of your girlfriend even though she's just a girl that is your friend, and it's like this feeling that you know, you know, you know, you notice she don't like you.
But close.
It's just so so and I remember trying to put that together. Sorry, I was just she filmed MS Thompson.
By the way, sim again Joshua Thompson.
Joshua Thompson, Yes, big up to Joshua Thompson. Excellent.
Might be my relative and I don't know it, of course.
Okay, I gotta ask you, like I've heard, I've heard stories before that you know when you're when someone's.
The apple of Clive Davis's eye.
You know, all the stars aligned, everything works and everything's perfect.
What's it like to be in the whirlwind?
I mean, you know, and I don't know the story of the beginning development at Jay Records, but you know, looking throughout history where his work with Janis Joplin, even Phil Simon, Whitney Houston.
Of course it didn't work, Jimmy cozyer.
I was just.
Let's see.
No, no, no, you know, for every for every Whitney, there's there's gqu and there's Dom Blackman, there's other artist or an Arista Records that didn't fare as well.
But what is it like? Or at least were you aware of.
This is a major lottery ticket for you, like the fact that probably the most powerful set of ears and businessman in the music business is now at the Helm and I'm certain he came out the gate like We're gonna make you a star overnight, Like how do you.
What is what is that like?
This is so de Thank you for asking me that question because I've definitely never been asked that question before.
So we're not this is the stuff we.
Love, right, this is why I'm loving this so basically, you know. Right. So, so I was at I was at Columbia and Michael Malden and that was my guy, and he was the head of music and it was a thing, and we started this whole project. And then as time happened, they you know, he ended up moving on. And I remember they brought the track masters in after Michael Maldon, and the track masters like totally didn't get me. They did not They was not trying to get me.
And I remember like I was just like looking at them, like what what do you want me to do? I just I couldn't understand. And they just, you know, they just didn't they didn't get it. And it's all good, you know what I mean. And Donyina and all all them folks over at Columbia, they just they just missed the plot. And and so, you know, I looked at I looked at Jeff, and I was like, man, what are we going to do? Like I've been working so much on this music, and like, what are we going
to do? And he was like, I got to try to get us out of here. And of course they you know, they're in the business of buying, not selling, so they weren't trying to sell me back anything, no music, no nothing, other but you don't like the shit, Why do you want it? You don't even what do you want it for? You don't like it. So that took forever. And the only reason why I got out of that was because we went to Clive. Clive, you know, got the vision and and he brought me out of my contract.
You know, he really did. And I would have never been able to leave Columbia, not with my masters.
They would have just left you sitting like me.
They would have shoved me straight upright, called Frank maccombeer.
That's what they would have done. Oh sorry, more names, right.
So I was forever. I had a certain love for Clive that I could never ever express because I you know, as a young artist, I just was like he you know, he gave me this opportunity. And not only that, he was like the guy that was like, well what do you see for yourself? And how do you see your career going? And you know your your I see you as a Joni Mitchell. When he compared me to Joni Mitchell, that was it.
I was.
I was finished. I was like, did he just call me Jonnie Mitchell? Like this? Is. So his point was he never had to be you know, he didn't have to He didn't have to hover over me. He knew that I was an artist, you know, I created my own music. He was, He knew I was a producer, he knew I was a writer. He knew I did it all. I was a one package thing, and he was he loved it. So when times happened, and obviously he was at Arista, and then things shifted and they
moved Clive out and moved la Read in. There was like a whole thing where Clive could choose like five five he could choose a certain amount of established artists and a certain amount of up and cooming artists. And I was one of the up and coming artists that he chose. But he couldn't offer any more money. La Read could ask me to, could have me stay, and he could offer me anything he wanted to offer me. So he did. And at the time, my man, it was just like, what's the thing to talk. We're not
talking about nothing. Let's stay with la We good, Let's get a little extra paper, we straight what we're doing. And I was like I can't because Clive, like is the reason why I'm even able to be anywhere, you know, right,
and so I was. I was so so I went with Clive, not even realizing that straight out of loyalty, not even realizing that because of the circumstance of the situation and him starting this, you know, this instant major which you remember he did with Jay, that he by me going with him, he had to win because he had to prove not knowing his story. I was a kid, I was freaking you know whatever, seventeen years old. He had to win. He had to win because they tried
to doubt him. And because he had to win, he had to win with somebody, and that somebody happened to be me. But I didn't know that. I just went off of like ethics, like you know, you know, just because it's the right thing to do, and so and so I never knew how hard he went for me, which not was not only because he's one thousand percent believed in me, and he really did, but because he had It was like when he when I won one, and that's what that was, and it was a whole
other animal. And nobody is like Clive. When he's focused, nobody can do what he does.
So then let me ask you a year later, February of two thousand and two, when you win your your five Grammy Awards. Jesse Jeff has a similar story where you know, they had a situation with Jive Records and thought that okay, well you know, y'all, y'all washed up, y'all done, And then of course Will comes back like
a monster. They let him go because they thought like, well, you know, after summertime, there's nothing left, so you're good, and then we'll be you know, And so they kind of had their their revenge moment in the elevator with.
The staff of Jive Records. As you know, Will and.
Jeff are are, you know, like they had words with the president and oh no hard feelings Will and everything. You know, it was like the great is feeling of revenge. I'm not saying that you know, there were any sights on Tommy or Donnie or anyone at the label, but surely they had to know shit they found up.
Yeah, we done fucked up.
I remember when I found out that Aretha Franklin was on Columbia Records. Remember she made all those jazz records.
In Columbia, and then she had to go to Atlanta and they got.
It right and they didn't get her on Columbia and I remember feeling like, see, then never get the good ship, you see? And I remember that actually felt validating to me. When I discovered that, I was like, I felt like I just it covered over any type of like feeling I might have held on to for them not understanding me. And you know, I'm like, man, because if you don't get Roretha, then you you you. I don't know what to tell you. I just don't know what.
On the flip side, did you feel like you had started an amazing trend with Clive? Because I us after that and you know, we all watch what goes on at the Dinners. It's like every year there was another powerhouse female. It felt wait, I felt like it was females being announced right from like Fantasia or I feel like, was it Jennifer Hudson.
It's just been consistent.
It was the other girl.
What was her name, Leona Lewis Lewis she was a voice too. Yeah, there's a lot of strong, strong voices for sure.
Right, but you were the first the jay, first Jay records strong.
Yeah, it was like.
The thing is from from my from my observation, because the first album sold so much, it was still gargantuan. You did something that a lot of your contemporaries in your particular field because of course, you know, I mean it's hard to categorize an artists or whatever, but you know, you were pretty much the pinnacle of commercial success for quote unquote leftist center artists. It wasn't it wasn't like you were in you know how the bad Boy Stable
or whatever. It was considered super mainstream. And you did something that no other artists in your field did, which was you had your sophomore record kind of ready and timely within a two year period, whereas this type of success could have easily been crippling. You know, everyone else takes five years, maybe a decade. One particular person is still waiting twenty two years him.
Oh yeah, exactly.
Right, exactly. So what in making a diary like for you? Is it even a thought of shit, what do I do now? How can I top this?
You know, you know I was so yeah, I was just so itching to do new music. I remember, like, because I mean, who would have expected you know, songs in a minor to have that that that vibe. I went on my first tour. I did all these things for the first time, and and I was you know, I remember I had to sing so many cover songs because you know, I only had what the ten and so, and so I was just so ready to do new music.
And it was quite a long time I didn't. I'd never been on tour before and and I've always been blessed to be a touring artist like I can. I mean, I can tour for two years. I can tour so long just because of how it flows. So it took so long to be off the road and that was totally worldwide, and that was a whole new experience for me. And so when I came back, I was just dying to be in this. I just wanted to sing new songs. I was like, please, I need to sing new songs.
So I didn't. I didn't. I remember we camped out at this one place and and called Campo down downtown, and I had the little there's like a little bedroom upstairs, and we we pretty much, you know, slept there every night and just woke up. And at that that was at the beginning where you know, we we'd done the we did you know, we did you don't know my we did you know my name? Kanye came in and we created that whole thing. And you know, I remember Easy Mob came in and racked in me and I
was like a dream. I was like, ooh, Easy and I was I had the soul vision of doing the warning sample over if I was your woman. It's like it was a whole thing. And and so it was Dranva Dow.
Did they get is this just the album that Dranva Dow?
Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, Dry and Verda And that was what It was so cool because they did so simple. They did another one too, that's kind of I forget about and I'm like, oh yeah, but so simple as the one. We had such a ball that time. So I just couldn't wait. And so I definitely didn't recall being conscious about the time span. I just knew that I had to. I definitely knew It's like it'd been a minute, and
I knew I was ready to sing new songs. And I knew that they were pushing me because they always pushed me to release Fourth Quarter, which I never understood until way later.
It's important. It's the most important quarter, is it not.
It's Christmas they would push me and push me and push me at a fourth quarter and it would drive me. I was like why. And I remember we finished the whole the whole album in France because we were touring and we were we were doing international promo before I even finished the record. And I would they were, they were, they knew when I needed to release. They were pushing it. They were like, this is when we're coming out. Good luck finished the record. You're promoing while you're finishing. And
I would, I would, I was. It was the worst experience of my life, the end of the end of Diary album. I was never more tired, exhausted. I remember, I I remember I you know, I would do get up and do interviews, you know, getting ready at six, first interview at at eight, interviews from like eight to six, one hour break, jump to the studio, be at the studio from seven to one, get back home, sleep until
like five. And that was like it. And I had to finish the whole record and all the stuff, and and and be promoting you don't know my name at the same time in French tune on Nick Palmer Jon or something like that. That's the way I remembered it. They taught me it in French, and remember it is tuna, corn and parmisan, which is the French translation of you don't know my name.
Yo can? I don't mean a backdrive.
But I always said if I got a chance to talk to you, I wanted to ask you this, especially now that a lot of time has passed. I was always curious that first album, those Grammys that are mere mentioned. I remember that time also being kind of I assumed it was a little emotional for you because I remember a kind of pit against with India.
I read, right, and.
I remember you know that whole right. But it's interesting because like twelve fifteen, let's act like it's ten twelve years later, right.
Later?
No, please, I know, but I'm like, we young, know, we're young, No, right, I just wonder if you ever think about that?
Did do you think differently about how that happened and how y'all were pitted against each other like that?
Like, what do do you ever think about that?
You know what?
You know what? That's super deep that you asked me this, and now that I am an awakened, you know, adult woman, That's why I'm asking you, know, I think that's I think thank you actually for asking me that, because I really didn't understand what was happening at the time. I
was so excited for both of us. First of all, you know, Indy IRI's music is so dope, and I was I continue to be a huge fan of her energy and her style, and she always had such a presence and we crossed past all the time, all the time, and even on that Oprah show. Right, she was on that Oprah show.
I forgot about that.
That's right, the Oprah there was you, Jill, because I remember Jill was on that show as.
Well, India Mary Mary, Oh.
This is the brunch? Is this the brunch?
Now?
No, I had a big episode and it was Alicia Jill Scott, like she just had the black women of the moment and that like that was a very crucial moment for everyone. Like Jill's record started selling triple and.
Its huge for us. It was so big for us, and I loved I loved her so much, and when we were both nominated for so many records and the Grammys, it was like, shit was amazing. I was like, yo, this is crazy, Like look, I couldn't believe it. Whoever
thought ever? And I know she was super excited, and I think in a way, you know, everything is such a blur and it's all so emotional, and it's all so like you you literally feel like you're on planet Mars when you the first time you're doing something like that. I mean, there's no way to explain it, there's no way to rationalize it. It's not normal, totally crazy, and.
There's a little colorism in there too, like right fast forward.
I mean, I think, you know, so what I was saying was I think that the night was so unbelievable that I when I ended up walking away with five Grammys, and I think, you know, she walked away with none. It was a shock. And I never even thought about what that would feel like for her, because you know
she did, I don't. I mean, I know that she definitely verbalized her her feelings, but I think mostly she was brand new, you know, you you that's you don't even know how to internalize that when that happens, especially when you've worked so hard at what you're doing. And then this this this this idea of there being colorism involved with the reason why, and and that's so much
that's so layered and deep and deep. Who controls that shit and like who can It's it's like so and I think that as time has passed, you know, I often actually hear her reference that experience for her, and it was it was hard for her. It was like a real you know, it was like an emotional, difficult moment. And I really now clearly understand what she means by that. I don't think I understood the depth of that during
that time. And I actually would love to connect with her just on some like I mean, whenever I see her as super love. I love all her posts. We definitely have beautiful energy and connection. It's never been like anything she's held against me personally, but I would love to just like one hundred percent, like let her know a billion percent how amazing it has been to be able to grow up in this world with her incredible music,
you know, because it's been a soundtrack for me. So I would actually love to connect with her on that. I just saw some woman a woman shit. So I'm really glad that you are super good. Go you says, you know what I mean, Thanks, babe.
You know something this tour, I think with this record also, I got to see the I believe you Beyonce and Missy did a tour together or whatever? What was was that your first like major stadium tour? Like did you were you doing stadiums in during the the a minor period or was this the first time? Like I want to know the difference between doing mid level theaters versus stadiums and how because I feel like the piano is such a personal kind of intimate instrument.
What was it like adjusting to bigger venues?
Oh man, I remember, like, wow, what an amazing tour that was, Like wow, me be and Missy like come on, what is that? Like what is that? And I remember, you know it was. It felt so good and equally terrifying because every night was kind of like whoa, what what am I supposed to do with this? And like what happens? And why are all these people here? What are all these people doing here? But it was it was way way because I am I'm truly like you see me in a theater and I will blow your
brains out. Nobody can touch me when I'm in a theater space period, I saw that, I saw that tour. It is my strength. It is something that is just a place that it works for me. The piano, the conversation and intimacy.
It's just dancing.
It's just my world, you know. And in transitioning into transitioning into the arenas and stadiums was a huge difference because it just was way different way. So I remember it took me a while to kind of understand, and I didn't. I never had like a bunch of stuff, you know, like things falling from the.
Sky, technics and stuff.
Who I just I was like, here, go to the piano and hit go my band, and I'm like that was always my thing, which was totally good. But I didn't even have like killer lighting. It was like just early you don't you start now. Obviously I know how to kill a thing in my style, but it was a whole new world and I probably felt like I was drowning a little bit.
Meanwhile, I'm still mad we didn't get service that Beyonce record that y'all did together the way we should have.
I feel like it was like you're.
Right, you know, you know you're right, and it's just I just wanted just form of those things. I know. It was so sick. It was so I actually wish I could just find it so I could show her now and be like, why don't we just put this out now? Because it's like who cares?
Now?
It goes with you know, black.
Is coming, like who cares? Now, let's just do it? So I might need to try it, honestly, I have to actually see if I can find that thing's crazy? That was a vibe though, that was that was the something.
I can go through your entire discography, but I do want to jump to your newest album.
What are you still learning?
Things like what while you're making records now? Are you
at a place where it's now just not coasting? And I know that coasting sounds like a lazy term or whatever, but you know, I also believe that, well, if something works, and don't mess with it too much, But like, what else can you What else can you learn that you're going to bring to the Alisha record that you haven't done before, or you one of these artists that you know, get out of my comfort zone and try something I never tried before, or just an evolution.
I am always always learning, like always, I am always uncertain of what I'm going to create always, and I never want to know. I never I never want to get to that place where I say, oh, I know what I do. I add this thing, and you know, then if I put this and I add a hook, like this is gonna be us, It's gonna be normal's gonna be then let's go. I don't want it to be formulaic. Ever. I never want to feel like I know how to write. Every time I get in the studio,
I'm like, how do I write a song? Again, like, how do I write a song? And what kind of song am I gonna actally? Every time? And I love that feeling because I always want the magic, and that's what we're chasing, right, That's what we're chasing, that like thing that we never knew would come. And I always want to feel that. So for me, I'm always learning. I never exactly have a formula. I never know exactly
what I'm gonna do. I'm always trying something new in this particular album for Lesia, I'm always learning something new about myself. It's been a very deep self discovery for me in these past two three years and really like getting to know and be comfortable purely clearly in my skin, in the different sides of me, not trying to be something and no, here's me. This is what that sounds like, Here's me, that's that side of me. Here's vulnerable. I'm
cool being vulnerable. Here's angry, pissed off heated, I'm cool being angry, pissed off, E said the press down blue. I'm cool being that. It's like I finally feel comfortable just being how I am without trying to fix it and change it or whatever. So for the first time, you're getting the officially uncut real me because I'm able to be that. And if there's one thing that I learned this time that I'm actually gonna take them to my next project, which is already three quarters of the
way done, and you're gonna go bananas. I can't wait for you to. This next one is bananas. Is never to forget to be alone with myself. Because on my very very first Alisha of songs in a Minor, I was a lot alone, very much alone. I rolled alone all the time. Besides crucial, that was kind of it.
It was my thing, my world. And over time I've gotten used to collaborating with people and it's been fun because I can create different sonics and places and sounds, and it's like feels less lonely and it's just a world. But when I'm by myself, and I reminded that when I wrap this Alisha album, when I'm by myself, it
brings out something that I have to always cultivate. And that was my most most recent reminder slash lesson and what I will you know, be taken forth through this next project that I can't wait to be on the show again talking to you.
About promise because we got more to talk about.
Can I ask one last question before we were out?
Yes, okay, So I gotta say, probably one of the most impressive things that I've seen you do.
Okay.
So I was there this year at the at the Grammy Awards, and because we were playing with Garrett Clark Junior, so you know, I was pretty much there throughout the duration of the rehearsals and sit in the background and you know, watching you camera block and all these things and prepare for it, and then of course, uh uh Kobe passes away, which totally changes uh every absolutely the
entire just it's a paradigm shift like no other. And you know, the the last time I saw them in a moment of panic was kind of I guess in what two thousand and seven, two thousand and six, when the quote unquote Rihanna situation happened and they had to readjust with like three hours left and they had to really readjust the show. I gotta say, man, that was like I wouldn't have been able to pull that off how you handled it, And it was a thing where you kind of had to wing it a little bit
and readjust it for the show. And I you know, some people are good under like come to your head pressure and that Jordan game six, this shot better go in the basket moment. But I've like I was out of everything at night. I was really impressed with.
How you.
Hosted the show and how you handled the words for Kobe and didn't let it rattle you or whatever.
Like you did it with a very very smooth with the.
Strength of fifty black women on your shoulders. That's how you did it. You know, woman doing what she does.
Come on.
So yeah, like what when you got the news that that happened and I'm certain that you know there was five hours left before showtime, Like what what was running through your like what pressure was running through your mind that we now have to readjust the show? Like you did something with boised men with a quick that's so funny. Boys to Men was also used for the quote Rihanna period, Oh my god, no literally literally they were kN kN was running in the audit because they that was the
year they decided to like double up on performances. So between Rihanna and Chris, there were like five performances that no longer existed and they needed to fill time, and so they were just running in the audience like.
Oh no, no, no, Al Green, Steve, like Stevie, one of the.
Jonas brothers, can Y'll do super And they were just running in the audience, grabbing people, learning songs with like hours left, which was really like seconds left. So I know that, like what was going through your mind that I now have to rise to the moment and be the words of comfort for grieving nation.
I can't even tell you how crazy the whole experience was before it even became the gravitized that it did when with Kobe's and gig and.
Yeah, so like that on top of what I was seeing you go through already.
No, So what I mean is, and I'm bringing that up because the crazy thing is, you know, planning for that particular thing and this was my se and time back, and you know, I was extra in my head, like I kind of killed it the first time. I'm going to really have to figure out like what I'm gonna do. And I was like, am I crazy for saying yes? Who would say yes and compete against themselves? Dude? What
type of idiot move was that? So by the time it was close to actually doing it, way before this news, I was already like just trying to crack the code because everything that I had planned for for my performance and for hosting nothing came through. Every artist that I reached out to, every particular big idea that I had, even those that said yes, slowly dropped out, and I could not figure what was happening. I was like, please, Universe,
what do you want from me? What is happening? I'm you asking me to step into this moment, you asking me to be great, but I can't lock anything in. Why what is the matter? And so I finally had to this moment with myself and I was like, Okay, Alicia, look, it's it's you. You. You don't have to depend on anybody else. You you don't need this and that and that person that person to be great. You are you
are you, and you can do it by yourself. Your Yeah, you're enough, So go out there and just be great and stop. And so I was like, okay, all right. I tried to get the things, and the things okay, boom. So we're working through everything, got all the pieces, put it all together, had on the thing, had an entrance,
how the whole thing. And I was already dressed because we planned to be dressed for run through, because I had maybe an hour an hour before the show starts, so that I could be dressed quick, touch up, meditate, cool, get myself together, be ready to kill. It had to be it had to be thirty minutes before the end of the show, which gave me one hour and a
half max. Before showtime. Truly, I mean it was like that close and Ken I remember I saw them shuffling in the corner and I was like, what's going on And he was like, a Lisha, I really have to talk to you. And I said, what's going on?
Oh, you didn't even know?
And it was backstage that I was like halfway between one thing and the other and he was like Kobe, and I was like what and he was like and I was.
Like what how much time before show time?
An hour and a half and I was and I wasn't like what because it was an hour and a half. I was like what because what Kobe No Way? Never not Kobe no Way, of course, And I remember causin Swiss called me and he's like, Babe, what's going on? And I was like, oh my god, I just got the news. He was like, I need to know what's happening. And I was like I don't. I don't know. I need to know what you're doing. I was like I don't know what I'm doing. He was like, you don't understand, babe.
People are out here hurting. You can't be up there at some fucking Grammys like this is Kobe. And I was like I know, I don't. I was like I don't know. He was like I need us talk about this and this has to be right, and I was like I know, and I was just like whoa. I was just trying to catch the But it dawned on
me in that moment. That's why nothing worked, because I was supposed to be ready for that, and so when that landed on me, I was like oh, and I felt like a different type of calm that I didn't even know that I had, because I realized all this anxiety, all this pressure, all of this feeling like I wasn't enough, all of this whatever it meant nothing. All I needed to do was show up for us because I needed it just as bad as everyone else needed I didn't know what. I just like, shit, what do we do
with this? And what if it was me and my son? And what happens with House Vanessa? And what must I feel? I was like I couldn't even fathom. And so I remember the whole team came backstage and was like, I was like, what are we going to do? And they were like, and A call Swiss and I'm like, okay, we could maybe. He was like, you gotta sing something. I was like, I gotta sing something. What could I h? Can I sing? Maybe I could sing Eyes on a Sparrow? I was like, what could I sing? Let me think?
Let me think? And then I remember seeing Boys to Men with Tyler the Creator and I remember Omar one of my MD's. He was like, it's so hard to say goodbye. I said, Oh, Boys to Men is here. I was like, can we can they come? Would they be willing to do it, we should do it. And they came to my room and we were like on the piano, and I was like, key key key, or should we do key key? And I and I started
to think about what the words were. And I had been working on the scripts of what I was saying anyway, so we, you know, we quickly pivoted about like what did it feel like in that moment? And that was it and we had to go. And I just remember that I walked it that stage and I felt so clear, I mean so clear about what I was there for and and that and then that was that was that.
But honestly, it's you know, it was divinity, and it was God and it was you know, God holding me and protecting and just the way that it was however it is supposed to be that I never would have imagined in my life. But whoa, I.
Mean, yeah, I recognized that moment and was really beyond impressed with how you handled.
That because so the people at home, we knew nobody could do it better than you. I don't know who else to have done it like that and made it seem since here and not scripted, to be honest.
So no, I mean, we all meant it. We were all like still mourning man, So thank you for so thank you for that. And and I loved this interview, guys. I love it. I know everybody probably come on tell them tell you how much they love you. But this is so good. I love it.
This, This is nerd paradise like our Jimmy jam episode is damnling near seven hours.
So yeah, that's believe. If it wasn't nobody on the line, we be holding you all along.
Thank you for doing this.
And of course you know we'll have you on the show again so we can nerd out some more.
I can't wait. Man, y'all, thank you. You're so blessed, You're so beautiful, you're so amazing all of y'all quests. I'm a super fan. Man. You are very very very very important to us and to me.
Thank you.
And I will I will text you guys, row Yes, I will. I'll text it to you after meditation playlist. I will meditation please.
All right, thank you, Steve. I wish you talked more because I'm interested in.
Alisa Keys, ladies and gentlemen. My name is quest Love be after Team Supreme. Like fan take a little sugar Steve and I Hate Phil. We will see you on the next proround.
Thank you very much.
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