Alicia Keys

What don't you know about Alicia Keys? This episode of Questlove Supreme gets into the many answers to that question. As Alicia releases her seventh studio album, Alicia Quest and team Supreme dive into her beginnings, the lessons learned by the music business and her continuous evolution through it all.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Quest Love Supreme is a production of I Heart Radio.
Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to another episode of Moss Love Supreme.
I'm your host Questlove with me his Team Supreme. Today.
We have Fine Tikolo in the house. Up what we have,

(00:21):
Sugar Steve, Everybody to the sugars and vote. Motherfucker's That's
how I'm feeling sound curios this morning. I believe I'm paid.
Bill is either on Sesame Street right now or dealing
with the first day of school, so he's not with

(00:44):
us right now. All right, I will try to make
this as brief as possible. A man, we buy the numbers.
I think this is the most accomplished guests that we've
had on the show. Um our guest today clearly needs
no introduction. This awesome aquarium is a fifteen time Grammy

(01:04):
Award winner, Sun Time Beats the Award winner, eleven times
Soul Train Award winner, Combination Ladies Soul Soul Train, seventeen
time uh Double ACP Award winner, eight time MTV Award winner,
twelve time as Cap eight time b and mine. I
didn't even know you can be on both sides and
fence with that UH six time Billboard Award winner nine times,

(01:26):
nine time bill Boarder winner. Get it Right, amare five
time American Music Award winner. Um, 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,
activists mom. She'll probably own this podcast by the end

(01:50):
of the episode. I'm talking about uh, no other than uh,
the incomparable Alicia Keys. Welcome to QLs. Hello. That might
be my top introll. That's my side hustle. I'm selling.
I'm trying to be like, who's Danny Ray James Brown's

(02:12):
intro person. That's the vibe, that the vibe and thank
you for all that. I'm so glad to be here
with y'all. How you doing good? Ye'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 signs of

(02:33):
the creative process with the artist. But being as though
we are living through what you know, the history books
will probably show as uh a crucial milestone and at
least on Earth, UM, things are a little different now. Um,
so I want to know as a creative or just

(02:55):
as a person, like how are you adjusting to this
road right now? Like how is your day this morning?
My day was pretty good? Okay, well I think I
think I need to back up and then I can
come to today because I think that's how So like
what kind of cereal did you have this morning? But

(03:16):
it's like, right, I had a macro bar? Okay, okay, yeah,
I'm so so a macro bar? 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 the house and didn't really have anything

(03:37):
to eat, you're good for like a good couple of
hours and you have some tea and some water and
you're straight and then hopefully you can eat soon. That
right now I get you know what I mean, I'm
doing my one meal. I can't wait for it. Wow,
Oh my gosh. Where um but you know what I mean?
Through this road called it's definitely been some ebbs and

(04:02):
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

(04:27):
like whoa, Okay, we're gonna 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

(04:48):
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 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

(05:11):
of inspiration where like Okay, I'll carve out four am,
two seven am to write these lyrics down or or
that sort of thing. Yeah. I mean 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

(05:32):
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 I was just like waiting, wait, now,
what now what? So I think I think it gave
me some space to not feel the pressure of having

(05:53):
to create, because as a creative you do tend to
one 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. Um. But then
I did start heavy meditating, which I've always done, and

(06:14):
I would do that heavy meditation probably about five and
then five 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 all the
way off off off. So that's kind of what happened
for the first bit. There's one thing that I forgot.

(06:36):
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 checking it out though. Yeah, it's it's heavy stuff, right,

(06:57):
and so help I got paranoid. So no, but like
hiop me when I'm running the graces, like like, let
me get my mess So hold on, I need that,

(07:18):
I need that playlist whatever that playlist is. Yeah, no,
I freely share it with everyone like that that literally
has Thompson page. I'll send it to her. Yeah. But
the thing is is that, um, I think what we
all have in common is that, you know, this forced

(07:41):
us all to take arrest or a 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, no music, no nothing,

(08:03):
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 then I started to find out that everyone what's
kind of doing that, like I've been on my piano
yet or that sort of thing. So no, honestly, my

(08:25):
piano funnel so so neglected. I was like, what's the
matter with you? Why don't you just go sit me
while I'll be there? Like my son has to practice,
I sit there with him, We're playing duets. I'm like,
read these nose, make sure you practice this, all this
type of stuff. But I would not sit down. No,
but I practice with him. I practice with him. He
has a teacher, and then I practiced with him during

(08:47):
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 I but I do find out going seasons, like
you know, I have I have moments where I'm like
fully invested because i really want to learn this new

(09:08):
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. I'm gonna be practicing
all the time for it, or or I'm like all right,
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 into seasons. There's moments where

(09:29):
I'm when I'm more and then moments where I'm less.
Maybe uh, you already said this and I missed it,
But where where were you on this album? When when
March happened? Or what you know? Want actually when March?
When March happened? I remember the last thing was I was.
I was creating the so Done video with Khalid and

(09:49):
we were actually shooting the video. Oh my gosh, you
we 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 remember at the very beginning of getting all these
crazy updates like this sports person is positive, Tom Hanks

(10:10):
is and we were like wait now, 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 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

(10:33):
the project. I knew that the majority was already completed.
Maybe there was one or two things to finish or
like a couple of mixes or things like that, but
I wasn't a place where I knew what it felt like.
You know. So you're 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

(10:53):
we were trying to figure out like, wait, what what
are we doing? 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 and and just just create, just
have some a little bit of a hub. But um,

(11:15):
but at the 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's just nothing. Yeah, and you're playing
You're playing a tour one right, so man, I'm just
going out right. But what was obviously everything was that's

(11:39):
like the that's like the theme of it was Alicia
had to drive in right, Oh, yes, I'll be there.
Everybody's at the drive in now. Hey, it's okay. Oh so, Alicia,
I want to know, um, I believe that you were
born in Hell's Kitchen, correct and Manhattan. That's right. That

(12:01):
was going to raise I want to know, what was
the first album that you purchased? Okay, the True Stories
at my first album, True Stories. That my first album
I purchased was Bell BIV Devot and it was Poison
and I remember that it was definitely the cassette that

(12:24):
was officially a cassette. And then I don't know what happened,
but somehow I must have loved the song but Mr
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 the smile, and I was pissed.

(12:44):
I was like, she may never trust a big button
the smile. That's that's my stuff. I don't like that,
and I brought the tape back. I brought the tape back.
Wait what, I don't know why I felt like that.
I don't know why I felt so wrongly like that.
But for whatever reason, since they said never trust a

(13:04):
big button and smile, I was offended. I don't know
why don't want to and listen to it. They don't
do that. How you even send the thing back? I
don't even know how you can send it set I
don't even make no sense. I you can send it
a set 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

(13:26):
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 people your mom was partying you was kind of chilling.

(13:47):
So in my mind, I was like, she wasn't as
much of a police on stuff like that as you
work for yourself. No, she is the party, and everybody
be like, you know, if we go because if we
go to wherever we go, oh um, people be like, oh,
what's up Alicia? Mama kid, like they's up Felicia, Like

(14:08):
they love her so much. She's 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 probably like, why are you taking that tapeback? That's
a jam right exactly? What's wrong with you? After poison?

(14:29):
What was the probably the next album? I guess that
you didn't take back because something that you remember that
you really enjoyed and it's stuck with you. Oh then
the next the next I didn't buy this one, but
this was like a treasure was the cassette, which was
a double cassette of What's going On Marvin Gay. Wow,

(14:53):
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

(15:14):
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. I changed
everything for me that that particular because at that young
of an age, Yeah, because I guess I was like
maybe Levin or twelve. That's crazy growing up, well now,

(15:37):
just growing up. I um, I always saw Marvin Gaye
like my aunt's music, So it really wasn't until I
mean he died on April Fools when I was so
then kind of the aftermath of his death and how

(15:57):
like it affected all my aunts, like they were crying,
like remember right, 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.

(16:18):
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, one sampling came into play, then it's like,
oh you're you're your parents or your grandparents record collection

(16:39):
comes to life. Then you recognize like, oh that's where
another from there. But you know, just straight up like
it took me so long to get into Marvin Gaye
that didn't like, you mean, because you just didn't have
an access point or you heard like all the single
ones and it was like not as interesting or you
know why, it's just I mean, you know the thing

(17:01):
is that uh me growing up. See, my thing was
I grew up and I don't touch my stereo household.
So all the education I got was education, but it
was like under darrest 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

(17:22):
boring then and then once hip hop started sampling in,
then I became the smartest kid in school, Like I
know where that came from. You know that's what it is.
So are you are you that person? Now? Are you
like that don't touch my stereo person? Like don't touch
my Oh no, no, not at all, like I ask
him for no request though, right, Yeah, I'm the I'm

(17:46):
the new request guy. Like I'm you know, I prepare
my meals. I see it as prepared, like cooking. That's
how I see it. It's give me a cheeseburger like
that sort of thing. Remember your first concert that you
went to? Ye, who did you see? My first? I
don't remember. My first concert was I can't even believe this.

(18:12):
Michael Jackson and I had to be like five, oh,
not bad, and and all the brothers were out and
they did like the routine and and um and on
my way into the whatever stadium arena, I don't I
was a little I don't know where I was going.

(18:33):
There was like a hundred ambulances and I was like, Mommy,
who's sick? And who's who's sick? Why are they sick?
What's the matter? And I didn't understand what those were
for the passing out? And that's what I remember. I
remember that was that was my first concert. That's crazy. Yeah,

(18:54):
that's crazy. That's a crazy one. That's a very good
first concert. Somebody get me right, assuming they you didn't
grow up in a uh well, I don't know. Like,
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 how is it introduced

(19:17):
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 always 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,

(19:39):
and she was going to get everything done and he's
gonna move out her way. And she decided to do
a version of the Wizard of Oz. It's always always 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 practice some of the Rainbow

(20:01):
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 and then I sang it for
her because she you know, so I sang it for her,
and everybody had to audition. I sang somewhere over the Rainbow,
and she ended up making me Dorothy and I sang
had to sing that some of a rainbow song, you
know whatever. The two times we performed it. However, it

(20:23):
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 and
and that was the first time that it hit me

(20:45):
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 old you you wrote your first song? Um?
I was eleven years old when I wrote my first song.

(21:06):
Um 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 parents had a girl,
you could only get a one bedroom. But if you
had if you were a mother with a son, you

(21:30):
could get two bedrooms. Wait what it all sound right
at all to me now, But whatever the case, we
had one bedroom and figured the girls. Yeah, the mom
and the daughter could sleep. Wow, that's like before before

(21:52):
they were gay people. So we had this one bedroom
and sometimes the bedroom was hers more. Some time it
was her, sometimes it was mine. So I don't remember
it was my bedroom or her bedroom at the time,
and 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

(22:13):
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? When he was just like he
always woted fedorra. He was a detective. He was x NYPD.

(22:35):
He had the he had the trench coat all the time.
He always carried. Every time I gave him a hug,
it was like the gun. I mean, it was just
this was this was he was like detective old school
with yes, that was yeah, that's kind adult because especially

(22:59):
your father 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 divide 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

(23:22):
grandmother lived in Long Island. He would drive from Long
Island every weekend to help my mother. He'd be the
first one there. He'd leaned up against the car with
his hat on and his trench and his arms folding.
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 um. So anyway, I can't even remember what the

(23:43):
question was because I'm so wrapped up in my I
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 this bed
and tell me this news, and I was just so devastating.

(24:04):
I never felt like that before. I never felt at 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. Probably I'm not sure. I like,

(24:33):
I don't know when we want to go see something funny.
I don't know what happened. I'm in there crying 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 time to get home,
it's like eleven o'clock. And I came home and it's
the first time I just immediately sat at the piano

(24:56):
and I played, and I sang, and I sang the
thing I felt, and I wrote it down and she
just left me alone when I was just in that
you know, the apartment super small, so she did not
much places to go, but she was just she just
left me alone, and I wrote this song and that
was my first time I wrote and um, and that

(25:16):
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, Uh, 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,

(25:38):
but for some reason, um, and you can't find it
streaming nowhere because you know, Neil Young is is hella
against uh streaming service as well, and he tried to
start his own Yeah yeah, the pono but wait see

(25:59):
do you still have your phonore? Um? Yeah? But the
Philadelphia song that Neil Young sings on the closing credits
of that thing? Yo, man, I don't know what it is?
Is it? Because after this, this is literally why I'm
obsessed with um sort of the at least the scientific

(26:24):
study of synesthesia and how I believe that scientifically, And
this is why I think, uh, you know, the idea
of your chakra, like certain tones affect parts. I don't
know what it is. I don't know the tone of
his voice or the or like it's a regular as song,
but for some reason, there's something in that song that

(26:45):
just I can't get through it without filling up. And
usually if I feel sad about some ship, okay, example
when okay, when Dilla died, um, I found it hard
to cry and I was struggling with that, like it

(27:06):
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, at the time the
girls Damon was 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

(27:29):
Springsteen song, but yes, it's just I don't know, it's
just something scientifically sonically in that song that I don't
know that that's the breaker for some reason. I love
that and I'm gonna listen to that now. Well then
you'll be boo. I don't know, but so this at

(27:57):
this point, we also wanted to know what was the
first song you ever learned to play, Like, what was
your go to your go to karaoke over 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

(28:17):
did the Suzuki method, so it all it progresses, and
so you start with the super simple ones and then
you keep going and it progressive and progressive. And so
the first ones were like row your bold and married
a little lamb and London bridges falling down and you're
teaching the thing. 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 stand up, and

(28:47):
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 as 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

(29:09):
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's at
the time you know it really liked that was that
started the thing? I Miror how long did it take

(29:31):
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

(29:52):
and whatnot. Well, we learned early. Remember when Quincy Jones
taught us about the alpha state and whatever I learned, Well,
I had studied that and realized that there's four parts
of the praying 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

(30:12):
so much that it becomes when they say, it's it's
second nature, you do without thinking. So I too, that's
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 great filling gains doing a silhouette
two in the morning. I Quincy Jones. Basically he makes

(30:35):
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 him, they don't argue with him,
they don't overthink it. They just do it naturally. And
so yeah, you know, because again the second I start

(30:56):
thinking of left right, left, foot left, and then I
start messing up right right this day like I can't.
I'm not aware of what I'm doing. I'm thinking of
like cereal or something. Love some serial. That's the second
series you mentioned. It's only been like twenty minutes. What

(31:16):
kind of you have been missing? Cereal? That's what? Well?
My favorite serious hunting out cheerios. What's your Yeah, I'm
team Captain Crunch Crunch. Oh, crunch Bear is good. The
things they tear up the roof of your mouth, the
Captain Crunch tear it all up, so it doesn't matter.

(31:38):
Bears in there. I know, y'allly asked me. But I've
spent a lot of times with Pops lately, Like I
circled back to them and let me just tell you
milk or not Pops will and the other one that
I used to love, Cinnamentals crunch automatically milk and the

(32:00):
best thing the milk after the cinnamon toast crunchs. That
was like so good A bold drinker. Oh yeah that
at a milk part. Now yeah, crunch milk. Oh they
put they do the fruity pebbles, this cement toast crunch.
They put the milk in it, drain it and then

(32:22):
resell the milk like there's milk cereal. But that was
my old life. So you look great, man, really you
are shining. Do not do that. No, no, no, no,
take this compliment standing in the LEAs, act like he
didn't hear you. That's said enough. I'm good, Um, thank

(32:46):
you your mom and never taught you to say thank you.
All right, yeah I'm learning to. I'm still You're welcome.
Yeah yeah. They areways get around taking complimence. Take longer
than just the compliment to say it right, just say

(33:06):
we have somebody accomplished on the show is not about me.
Let's go to it. When when do you decide that
you would like to do this as a profession because
I've met you, uh, 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?

(33:31):
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

(33:54):
threw a tantrum at Electric Lady and she sent that
poor intern. Wait were you the intern? Yeah? Wait a minute,
she sent you to the Bronx to go get those
those Crispy kreams. No, no, that was a different in.
She was. I was the assistant. She was screaming at
me because she couldn't find her headphones and she excuse
me stealing them as a live room herself. Okay, well yeah,

(34:16):
all right, So just doing the during the whole Electric
Lady period of voodoo and like Waterford Chocolate and all
the stuff that we recorded. Um, 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.

(34:39):
You know, everyone's catching Krispy Kreme fever in New York
City where like the red light comes on and you
count you know the hot at right, everyone knows the deal. Um,
So Foxy sent this poor intern who was clearly not
from New York City, like all the way up to
the Bronx, to the to the twenty four hour Krispy

(35:04):
Cream Spot. I don't know that. Did he get mugged
or anything like that, or he got the donuts. He
got the donuts, but like within an inch of his
life because he had to take the subway up there
or whatever. And so I was kind of angry that
she put in that position. So to be an asshole,
I went and ordered Foxy like what was it like?
I ordered like, I ordered seventy five boxes of Christie

(35:29):
Free donuts and there were dozens. So basically when she
went in the room, there's nothing but amount of donuts.
And she was actually flattered, like, oh my god, you
kid me. And I was like, she missed the whole
point back. So now we're BFFs. But uh. At the

(35:53):
same time, Uh, 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 mostly and
most was like twelve hours late. So I was chilling.
I went in the hallway and I saw Jerry Brown,
who worked on Who's Rock FILSA Dik's engineer for our

(36:16):
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 me? And he's like, well,

(36:38):
that's mine. I gotta 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
I saw on I think either So So Deaf or
Columbia had a like a BT Christmas special or something
like that, right, And I remember at the time, you

(36:59):
were the probably the only figurehead that I knew that
had her hair and corn rolls, so I instantly knew
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 break room more than my own break room,
because you know, most would be like yeah, I'll be

(37:21):
there in a second and then be like nine hours
later and I'm still waiting no no, no, notorious yea.
So basically that yeah, that's that's how I first met. So,
I mean at that time it was nine, So I
guess you're working on songs in a minor at that

(37:42):
point or because it came it came out in two thousands,
So how what was that first period? Like I never
knew the story behind that, like because I would figure
that between Germaine and his dad, who you know, was
notorious at Columbia, Mr Malden. Yeah, yeah, Michael Malden, that

(38:03):
they would, you know, roll out this rare diamond of
a moment and take advantge of it. Like, so what
was that experience and getting the record deal and recording
that first record? I'm giving quasi I roll no, No,
I'm just trying to I'm trying to like come it
was I'm trying to come back. Um, all right, So
I was about fifteen, and um, my manager at the time,

(38:27):
Jeff Robinson, he was like, you played piano, you sing,
you know, you have to show people the whole thing.
I'm set up these showcases. We 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 or whatever street
and um and so I did these kind of small

(38:47):
showcases and many different labels came and it was just
me on my little, you know, not that fancy keyboard.
And I wrote a few songs that I had written
at the time. I had Butterflies. I had a song
from that first album called the Life I had. I
sang that Brian McKnight song never felt this way Brian
McKnight at the time, and um, and so I sang

(39:10):
my few little songs and all the and and so
he created this bidding war and um 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 Columbia while
I was at Columbia. And that's when I was with

(39:30):
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 Souff I remember my
home girl, Anicia dressed me. She brings this up to
this day. Remember when I dressed you for BT. You
remember how cute you look. I was so good at

(39:51):
that which she was. She was cute. She had me
and like, I don't know what, but hey, what if
I was wearing Tunicia got that for me? So um
so so um so. Yeah. So that's when I So,
that's when I performed there, and that was like a
big deal. Is my first time in the recording studio really,

(40:12):
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 Boy,
which I changed a 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

(40:33):
is the drums. I want all that type of stuff
and um and so and so that was the That
was the beginning of that. But after that, Jamaine 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 um the song girlfriend together. He

(40:55):
was a part of that. But other than that 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 a Hunt thirty seven street. Um,
it was like straight. I mean we had like the
straight little do you know comforters on the wall, straight raw.

(41:20):
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 would never
do that, but we did that. We score that was
what it was. Bathroom would have been bad. We didn't
then that. We recorded on on d A eight. I
remember we got we had the first The bed was

(41:46):
in the like it was the bedrooms over. 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 I mean it was
like so tight. I remember. We used to sit there
and and and and and research all the favorite records,
Like we listen to Smokey Robinson and we listen to
Isaac Hayes, and we'd be listening to my Berta Flack

(42:09):
and Donnie Hathaway and we'd be like, what makes the
record sounds so full? Like why does their music sounds
so full? And like when I just put a piano
and a drum and a thing, what am I missing?
And we we scoured it and was like, oh, there's
roads in there. Oh there's you know, there's like pads
in there. We and it. It really started to teach
me the process of production and what creates like those

(42:33):
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
after towards the end, we would bring a few things
to the studio, but barely. Um. I remember I did
the intro the the Young Moonlight Sonata that I played

(42:55):
at the at the intro. I did that at the studio,
and other than that, everything came from street, and it
was a kid out on the block, because I would
be recording all types of night and they'd be a
kid on the block that every time I walked 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

(43:16):
trying to find my way, reverberating through Fifth and Lennox.
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 yes,

(43:39):
six eight 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 what is your relationship

(44:01):
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 and
it has continued the vibe. UM. But it's my favorite
time signature, my favorite you can play I can play
right now, luck your piano right now, I could play

(44:24):
anything anything in in six eight And it makes me
want to sing at this. 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 belongs.

(44:44):
I don't know. It's just my perfect time signature. Also, UM,
in the beginning, when you first got your deal, um,
at least with with with both Sony and with Jay Records,
they didn't try. They didn't try to uh a sign
a producer to you first, or at least like someone
that they felt like, are you kidding me? They assigned

(45:06):
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
at the sixteen sixteen. They didn't they didn't think I
could play anything they don'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

(45:28):
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 it's
going to be like? Because I don't feel good, you know,
And I would go travel and remember we used to
go to Maryland to work with this one guy, and um,
I used to tread it. I would be in the car,

(45:49):
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.
That felt like, I don't know, I just did not
feel comfortable. And so at the time Crucial and I
had been connected and he was doing music and we

(46:10):
you know, we we would connect about different songs and
we'd always meet and have ciphers in the in the
village and it was like a vibe and 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. And so with Girlfriend, the first song that

(46:37):
you and him worked 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 bangers, consistent. You
can play it and it always sounds fresh. I love
that you asked me that, Um, you know Girlfriend, mm hmm.
It's one of my favorites too because I am a

(46:59):
super woots and fanatic. Side story, yo, I nothing will
describe the in a good way. The anger I felt
when I heard the opening chords to the Same IDEs

(47:20):
song on on Here Yo, I was so yo, you know,
like but this this is actually a compliment for the artists,
Like when when j J tells the story when he
first heard who Shot You for the first time, He's
sitting in the car in Harlem outside the Apollo and

(47:41):
Big Place, who shot You? And just lit a fire
him just ask like, my favorite wood joint that's not
a hit single is the Same IDEs? Uhtain John, I thought,
no one's ever going to think to bring this Joe
on back, so me and to me always talk like
we're now we're gonna bring back. It's so hard and

(48:04):
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 seeming jealous
rage that someone got to an idea before I did
was probably Spodioti Dope Delicious where I wanted to do

(48:30):
with Joe, where Terik just talked and didn't rhyme, and
I was like, so, yes, I know you're a woutang head.
The fact that you even can pull that out and
even understand that and speak on it right now is
wide record is that it's on the here out right,
and it's it's called the gospel. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah,

(48:51):
you're actually spitting hot fire. Even TI was like, oh ship,
she's been right, Like huh, that's probably all time Alicia
Keys favorite song forever, like you listen to it maybe
probably five times. We're high five and lead year old,

(49:16):
okay up with girlfriend? Yes, right? So are you 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

(49:38):
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,
I 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

(50:00):
the only girl that I could actually relate to the
best Marry album right now at Leasta keeps say it. Actually,
my favorite is what's the form on one remix album?
Not My Life New York? My Life? My life is

(50:21):
definitely my favorite. It is because it's me. But what's
the full one remix album? Is it? You got to
ride out to that tomorrow or tonight on your way
home or whatever? You know? You remember one remix album
was basically the dress rehearsal for My life because that

(50:45):
just 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 think is. We keep trying
to say it, and we can, all right, so so
I'm gonna be fast. 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 felt this
lost emotion, and so I was starting to learn how
to craft. I was starting I worked with one guy,

(51:06):
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 it,
didn't care. And so I collaborated Brian michael Cox, not

(51:28):
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 noticed she

(51:50):
don't like it, just so so and I remember trying
to put that together. Sorry, I find it. I was
just m so that's all Thompson by the way, Joshua Thompson,
Joshua Thompson, Yes, big up to Joshua Thompson. Excellent song. Right,

(52:16):
might be my relative and I don't know it, um
of course, um 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

(52:38):
it like to be in the world within? 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
wentnt Houston. Of course it didn't work with Tim. I
was just didn't you know, I mean, you know, for

(53:04):
every for every Whitney there's there's there's Don Blackman, there's
other or an asked the 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

(53:29):
ears and businessmen 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 start overnight, like how
do you what is what is that? Like? This is
so deep? Thank you for asking me that question. I've
definitely never been asked that question before. So we're not

(53:49):
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 Maldon
and that was my guy, and he was ahead of
that music and and it was a thing, and we
started this whole project and and then as time happened,
they you know, he ended up moving on. And I
remember they brought the track masters in um after Michael Malden,

(54:13):
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 and Dini Ana and

(54:33):
all them folks over at Columbia, they just they just
missed a plot and and so you know, I looked
at I looked at Jeff, and I was like, man,
what are we gonna do? Like I've been working so
much on this music, and like, what are we gonna do?
And he was like, I gotta 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

(54:55):
other But you don't like the ship. 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 Clide.
We went to Clive, Clive, you know, got the vision
and and he bought me out of my contract, you know,
he really did. And I would have never been able

(55:15):
to leave Columbia, not with my masters, you know, just
left you sitting. They would have shoved me straight up.
Frank McCombs here, that's what they would have done. More
names just right this morning. So I was forever. I
had a certain love for Clive that I could never

(55:36):
ever expressed because I you know, as a young artist,
I just was like he you know, he 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 you're you're you. I see you as
a Joni Mitchell. He when he compared me to Joni Mitchell,
that was it. I was. I was finished. I was like,
did he just call me Johnny Mitchell? Like? This is

(55:57):
so His point was he never had to be you know,
he didn't have to have he didn't have to hover
over me. He knew that I was an artist. You know,
I created my own music. He was you know, 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 uh times happened,
and obviously he was at Arista and then things shifted

(56:18):
and they moved five out and moved l A read in,
there was like a whole thing where uh Clive could
choose like five five he could choose a certain amount
of established artists and a certain amount of up and
coming artists. And I was one of the up and
coming artists that he chose. But he couldn't offer any
more money. L A read could ask me to, could

(56:39):
have me stay, and he could offer me anything he
wanted to offer me. So he didn't and and at
the time I managed just like, what's the thing to talk?
We're not talking about nothing. Let's stay with l A.
We're good, Let's get a little extra paper. Were 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, And so I was. I was so so

(57:02):
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 But you remember he he did with j
that he by me going with him, he had to
win because he had to prove not knowing his story.

(57:24):
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,

(57:45):
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
won thousand percent believed in me, and he really did,
but because he had it was like when he when
I won one and and that's what that was. And
it was a whole other animal. And nobody is like

(58:05):
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. Jazz Jeff has a similar story where um,

(58:26):
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

(58:48):
the staff of Jive Records. As you know, Will and
Jeff are are, you know, like they had words with
with the president and oh no, hard feelings, Will and everything,
you know, it's like the great is feeling of revenge.
I'm not saying that you know there were any sits
on Tommy or Donnie or anyone at the label, but

(59:09):
surely they had to know. Shit they fed up. Yeah,
we don't sucked up. I remember when I found out
that a Wreath of Franklin was on Columbia records. Remember
she made all those jazz records on Columbia and then
she had to go to Atlantic and they got it
right and they didn't get her on Columbia, and I

(59:29):
remember feeling like, see, then we'll never get the good ship.
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 onto for them not understanding me. And
you know, I'm like, man, because if you don't get Roretha,

(59:51):
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
watched 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 has

(01:00:14):
just been consistent. It was the other girl. I can
what was her name, m Leona Lewison. She was a
voice too. Yeah, there's a lot of strong, strong voices
for sure, right, but you were the first, the jet
first je Records strong. Yeah, it was like the thing
is from from my from my observation, um, because the

(01:00:39):
first album sold so much, it was so gargantin Um.
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

(01:01:04):
quote unquote leftis center artist. It wasn't. It wasn't like
you were the you know, ow, the bad boy Stable
or whatever was considered super mainstream. Um. And you did
something that no other artists in your field did, which
was you had your sophomore record kind of ready and

(01:01:26):
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
years him. Yeah, exactly exactly. So what in in making

(01:01:53):
a diary like for you, is it even a thought
of ship? What do I do now? How can I
top this? 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

(01:02:13):
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 you know,
and so and so um. I was just so ready
to do new music. And it was quite a long

(01:02:34):
time I didn't I've never been on tour before and
and I've always been blessed to be a tour and
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 I
was a whole new experience for me. And so when
I came back, I was just dying to be in this.

(01:02:55):
I just wanted to sing new songs. And 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 pretty much,
you know, slept there every night and just woke up.
And that that was at the beginning where you know,
we we done that, we did? You know we did?

(01:03:16):
You don't know my we did? You know my name?
Kanye came in and created that whole thing, and you know,
I remember easy Mobi came in and wrapped me and
I was like a dream. I was like, oh easy
and I was I had the sole vision of doing
the warning sample over if I was you a woman.
It's like it was a whole thing. Um. And and
so it was Randal did they you know, is just

(01:03:38):
the album that ran up 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 was the one.
We had such a ball that time. So I just
couldn't wait. And so I definitely didn't recall um being

(01:04:00):
anxious about the time span. I just knew that I
had to. I definitely knew It's like it'd been a minute, um,
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 a way later. It's important, it's the most
important quarters and not it's Christmas. And they would push

(01:04:20):
me and pushed me and pushed me at the 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.

(01:04:41):
Your promo in 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 remember, I you know,
I would do get up and do interviews, you know,
getting ready a sixth first interview at eight interviews from
like eight to six when I would break jumped to

(01:05:03):
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 this stuff and and and be and be
promoting you don't know my name at the same time
in French tunic n palmer or something like that. That's

(01:05:23):
the way I remembered it. They taught me in French,
and remember as tuna corn and palmerjan, which is the
French translation of you don't know my name? Yo? Can I.
I don't mean a backdrive, but I always always said,
if I got a chance to talk to you, I
wanted to ask you this, especially now that a lot

(01:05:43):
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 make I assumed it was a
little emotional for you, because I remember a kind of
pit against what ndia I re right, and I remember
you know that whole thing, right. But it's interesting because like, well, fifteen,
let's act like it's twelve years later, right, I know,

(01:06:09):
But I'm like y'all know, we're young. Um. 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 you
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,

(01:06:31):
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 r Res music is so dope, and
I was I continue to be a huge fan of

(01:06:53):
her energy and her style, and she always had such
a presence and we cross paths 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,
that Oprah and it was you, Jill, because I remember
Jill was on that show India, Um, Mary, Mary, this

(01:07:14):
is the branch is just the branch now 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 was huge for us. It was so big

(01:07:35):
for us, and I loved I loved her so much,
and and when we were both nominated for so many
records and the Grammys, it was like this ship 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 and it's all so emotional,

(01:07:59):
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, you, 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 what I was saying was, I
think that the night was so unbelievable that I when

(01:08:22):
I ended up walking away with five Grammys, and I think,
you know, she walked away with none. Um, it was
a shock. And I never even thought about what that
would feel like for her, because you know, she 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 hard. You don't even know how to
internalize that when that happens, especially when you've worked so

(01:08:45):
hard at what you're doing. And then this this this
this idea of their being colorism involved with the reason why,
and and that's so much. That's so layered and deep
and deep. Who controls that ship and like who it's like,
it's like so and I think that as time has passed,
you know, I often actually hear her reference that experience

(01:09:09):
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 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

(01:09:30):
like I mean, whenever I see her as super love,
I love all her posts. We 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
like let her know a billion percent how amazing it
has been to be able to grow up in this

(01:09:52):
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 just some woman a woman ship.
So I'm really glad that, you know what I mean,
Thanks babe. You know something, Um this tour I think
with this record also, I got to see the I

(01:10:13):
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 it this is the
first time? Like I want to know the difference between
doing mid level theaters versus stadiums and how because I

(01:10:40):
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 out me Be and Missy like come on and

(01:11:03):
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
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? Um? But it was it was
way way because I am I'm truly like you see

(01:11:26):
me in the theater and I will below your brains out.
Nobody can touch me when I'm in a theater space. Period.
It is my strength. It is something that's just a
place that it works for me. The piano, the conversation
and intimacy, it's just you don't need no dancing. It's

(01:11:47):
just my world, you know. And and transitioning into transitioning
into the arenas and stadiums. It was a huge difference
because it just was way different. 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 blowing. I just I

(01:12:10):
was like to go to piano and hit on 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

(01:12:31):
y'all did together the way we should have. I feel
like it was like right, you know, you know you're right,
and I just from 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 and coming, like who cares? Now, let's just do it?

(01:12:52):
So I might need to try it, Honestly, I have
to actually see if I could find that thing. It's crazy.
That was a vibe though, that was that was I
can go through your entire discography, but I do want
to jump to your your newest album. What are you
still learning? Things like what what while you're making records? Now?
Are you at a place where it's now just not coasting?

(01:13:13):
And I know that coasting sounds like a lazy term
or whatever, but you know, I also believe that 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 Alicia record that you
haven't done before, or you one of these artists that

(01:13:35):
you know, get out of my comfort zone and try
something I've never tried before, or 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

(01:13:56):
I feel like, 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 uh, it's gonna be normal, is gonna be there,
Let's go. I don't want it to be formulaic. Ever.
I never want to feel like I know how to
Every time I get in the studio, I'm like, how
do I write a song? In like how do I
write a song? And what kind of song? Of my God?
Every time? And I love that feeling because I always

(01:14:17):
want the magic and and that's what we're chasing, right,
That's what'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 Alicia, I'm
always learning something new about myself. It's been a very
deep self discovery for me in these past two or

(01:14:39):
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 I'm not. 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, piste off, heated. I'm cool being angry piste off.
Here's beset the press down blue, I'm cool being that.

(01:15:02):
It's like I 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 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

(01:15:24):
next one is bananas. Is never to forget to be
alone with myself. Because on my very very first Alicia
songs in a Minor, I was a lot alone, very
much alone. I wrote 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

(01:15:47):
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 when I wrapped this Alicia album,
when I'm by myself, it 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,

(01:16:10):
be taken forth through this next project that I can't
wait to be on the show again talking to you
about because we got more to talk. Can Can I
ask one last question before we rep Yes? Okay, So
I gotta say, um, 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

(01:16:33):
because we were um playing with Garrett Clark Jr. 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 um, of course uh uh Kobe
passes away. Which totally changes, uh ever asolutely the entire

(01:17:03):
just it's a paradigm shift like no other. And you know,
the the last time I saw them in a moment
of panic, it was kind of I guess in what
two thousand seven, two thousand and six when the quote
unquote Rihanna situation happened and they had to readjust with

(01:17:25):
like three hours left and they had to really readjust
the show. Um, 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
you kind of had to wing it a little bit
and readjusted for the show. And I you know, some

(01:17:48):
people are good under like come to your head pressure
and that Jordan's 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

(01:18:09):
Kobe and didn't let it rattle you or whatever, Like
you did it with a very very smooth with the
on your shoulders, you know, doing what she does. Yeah,
like what when you got the news that that happened
and I'm certain that you know there was five hours

(01:18:33):
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 Boys the Men with a quick that's so funny.
Boys the Men was also used for the quote Rihanna
period get here literally literally they were Ken Ken was

(01:18:56):
running and 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 Al Green, Steve,
like Stevie, one of the Jonas brothers, Kay, I'll do Superside,
And they were just running in the audience, grabbing people,

(01:19:17):
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

(01:19:38):
was before it even became the gravitas that it did
when with Kobe's and and yeah, like that on top
of what I was seeing you go through already know.
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 in time back

(01:20:00):
and you know, it's extra in my head like kind
of killed it the first time. I'm gonna really have
to figure out, like what I'm gonna do. And I
was like, am I crazy for saying yes? Said? Who
would say yes and compete against themselves? Dude? What type
of idiot move was that? So by the time it
was a close to actually doing it the way before
this news, I was already like just trying to crack

(01:20:23):
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,

(01:20:47):
what do you want from me? What is happening? I'm
you're asking me to step into this moment, You're 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 where myself and I was like, Okay, Alicia, Look,
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

(01:21:08):
person to be great. You are you are you, and
you can do it by yourself. So yeah, you're enough,
So go out there and just be great. And stopped.
And so I was like, okay, all right. I tried
to get the things, and the things okay, boom. So
we're working to everything, got all the pieces, put it
all together, had on my thing, had an entrance, how

(01:21:30):
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 there. It had to be thirty minutes before the
end of the show, which gave me one hour and
a half max before a showtime. Truly, I mean it

(01:21:52):
was like that close. And Ken I remember I saw
them shuffling in the corner and then I was like,
what's going on? And he was like, Alicia, I really
have to talk to you. And I was like, 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, Okobi, and I was
like what and he was like and I was like what.

(01:22:14):
How much time before your 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.
And I remember causing Swiss called me. He's like, babe, um,
what's going on? And I was like, oh my god,

(01:22:35):
I just got the news. He was like I need
to know what's happened. And I was like, um, I don't.
I don't know, because 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

(01:22:56):
need a 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's dawned on me in that moment. That's why nothing worked,
because I was supposed to be ready for that, and

(01:23:17):
so when that, 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

(01:23:40):
up for us, because I needed it just as bad
as everyone else needed. I didn't know what that this
like ship? What do we do with this? And what
if it was me and my son? And what happens?
What how's Vanessa? And what 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
gonna do? And they were like and I called Swiss

(01:24:02):
and I'm like, um, okay, we can. Maybe he was
like you gotta sing. Someone's like I gotta sing something?
What could I? Uh? Can I sing? Maybe I could sing?
I was on a sparrow and I was like, what
could I sing? Um? Let me think, Let me think.
And then I remember seeing Boys two Men with Tyler
the Creator, and I remember Omar, one of my m

(01:24:24):
d s. He was like, it's so hard to say goodbye,
said boys, the 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 were like on the piano and I was like,
key ki ki, what should we do? Key key and
I and I started to think about what the words were.
And I have been working on the scripts of what
I was saying anyway, so we you know, we quickly

(01:24:46):
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 to that stage and
I felt so clear, I mean so clear about what
I was there for, and and and 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,

(01:25:08):
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 it was really beyond impressed
with how you handle that because so the people at home,
we knew nobody could do it better than you. I
don't know who else have done it like that and

(01:25:29):
made it seem so sincere and not scripted to be honest.
So no, I mean we all meant it. We were
all like still morning man. So thank you for thank
you for that. And and I love this interview, guys,
I love it. I know everybody probably come on and
tell them tell you how much they love you, but

(01:25:49):
this is so good. I love this. This This is
nerd paradise, like our Jimmy Jam episodes Dammler near seven hours.
So yeah, best believe it. It wasn't nobodyn't align. We
be holding you a little longer exactly. Thank you for
doing this, and of course you know we'll have you
on the show again so we can earn out some more.

(01:26:09):
I can't wait. Man, y'all, thank you. We're so blessed.
You're so beautiful, you're so amazing, all of y'all question.
I'm a super fan. Man. You are very very very
very important to us and to me, and something I
will I will text you you guys my finarrow. Yes,
I will. I will text to you after meditation playlist.

(01:26:31):
All right, Thank you, Steve. I wish you talked to
morement because I'm interested in what you said. Lisa, Keys,
Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Coquest. Love On. You
have a team Supreme, light Year Find take a little sugar,
Steve and I'm a Phil. We will see you on
the next ground. Thank you very much. What's Love Supreme

(01:26:57):
is a production of my Heart Radio. For more podcasts
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