In a previous blog, I'm not happy with Alicia Keys and her new found sophistication. And lately she seems to have developed a knack for putting her foot in her mouth. There was some issue on TV last week about some slur/comment she made regarding politics/politician. I caught the gist of it while it was being reported. She had called in to some radio program to try to do some damage control. It wasn't important enough for me to retain though.
All that being said, I'd be a hypocrite if I were to deny how damn hot the woman is! She's one of the most talented artist of her time and she sure as hell is swoon and drool inducing powers.
There's no denying that Keys has great things in store for her and being a fan of her music, I'm definitely looking forward to whatever she puts out.
Keys was born Alicia J. Augello-Cook in Harlem, Manhattan to Teresa "Terri" Augello, a paralegal and part-time actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant. Her mother is of Irish, Scottish and and Italian descent while her father is Jamaican. Keys was raised by her mom since Cook abondoned his family when she was only 2 years old.
I have invested in her albums over the years and think that her first - Songs In A Minor has been her best album to date. Her latest, As I Am would rank 2nd. This particular album has, what I think, her best work on it though.
Did I state that correctly? I don't think that I did, so let me see if I can make it any clearer. I think what I should have said was that her first album is my favorite but that her latest is her best. Is that better? I think so.
As mentioned before, Keys is super talented and she's got the awards to prove it; awards that include but are not limited to 11 Grammy Awards, 11 Billboard Music Awards, 3 American Music Awards, and 14 NAACP Image Awards. She began piano lessons at age 7 (her mom insisted that she did) and has not looked back since. Go mom!
Exhibiting prodigy skills, she was later accepted into he prestigious Professional Performance Arts School of Manhattan where she majored in choir. As if her musical talent weren't enough, her grades also proved to be so exceptional that she was allowed to graduate as valedictorian at age 16. Keys wrote her first song at the age of 14. Talk about mad skills huh?
She has to her credit 4 albums - Songs In A Minor (2001), The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), Unplugged (2005) and As I Am (2007) and three movies - Smokin' Aces, The Nanny Diaries and The Secret Life of Bees (which is in post-production and is set to be released on October 17th)
Accomplishments:
Appeared on the covers of Vibe, Vanity Fair, SevenTeen, and Teen magazines.
Is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (2004)
Wrote and produced "Impossible", one of the songs on Christina Aguilera's album, "Stripped".
Personal Quotes: (before she started putting her foot in her mouth)
"Oh my God, the [hip-hop] videos! The imagery is so awful! I just can't get with it at all. The best thing I can say about it is that sometimes you have to see that kind of stuff so as to have a more balanced view about why it's so bad." [her opinion on the use of women, sex and sleaze in today's rap/hip-hop videos]
"I always want to stay focused on who I am, even as I'm discovering who I am".
Keep a Child Alive is my passion and my mission.
I love Bono. I really respect what he has done for Africa and how he has used his fame to do good in the world. I hope I can do half as much in my life.
I believe AIDS is the most important issue we face, because how we treat the poor is a reflection of who we are as a people.
I think music and socialism and politics have always gone hand in hand. As artists we used to be way more instrumental in providing a soundtrack to the heartbeat of what's going on in the world. We all don't have to think the same thing but it's important to state what we think. There is such a fear of termination of one's career if they have any intelligent thought about politics and that's messed up.
For some reason I don't think that this blog would be complete if I didn't include these pictures. The first one speaks for itself.
Alicia with a gun. Yum. No even if the movie wasn't all that (Smokin' Aces), this pic must make up for something. Don't you agree?
If this woman were any smoother, I would have had some serious brain damage going on. It really doesn't get much smoother than this.
Forget the sophisticated coif and all and bring back the braids I tell you. No one rocks braids like you do girl.
Ok, you've proven your point; you rock styles other than braids damn well too. Fine. Fine.
Hey Ray J, I'm borrowing a line or two from you bro - "Sexy Can I Sexy can I, just pardon my manners. Girl how you shake it, got ta playa like (ohhh) It's a kodak moment, let me go and get my camera All I wanna know is, sexy can I."
I don't know about Smokin Aces but I sure as hell know that you are SMOKIN' HOT!!!
