Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys Invites Teenage Shooting Victim Ralph Yarl to Upcoming Summer Concert

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Alicia Keys Invites Teenage Shooting Victim Ralph Yarl to Upcoming Summer Concert

Teenage shooting victim Ralph Yarl is reportedly recovering and improving each day- and if he didn’t have enough motivation from the hundreds of thousands of well-wishers across the world already, he now has at least one very special event to look forward to this summer as superstar Alicia Keys has reportedly invited the 16-year-old to attend one of her upcoming concerts this summer.

Lee Merritt, the attorney for the Yarl family, told TMZ that Keys’ camp invited Ralph to attend an upcoming summer show in the Kansas City area and meet her. Merritt also said that Roc Nation has also offered any assistance that the family might need.

A GoFundMe for Yarl, which has surpassed $3.4 million in donations, is being managed by social justice activist Shaun King, who is advising the family on how to best manage the money, which will be put in a trust for Yarl as well as help with expenses.

Yarl was shot twice last month when he went to the wrong home on accident. 84-year-old Andrew Lester has been charged with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action.

Over the weekend, Yarl’s aunt, Dr. Faith Spoonmore, shared an update on his condition via Instagram, calling him a “fighter” and stating that even though he experiences severe headaches, doctors are very optimistic about Yarl’s prognosis.

The post Alicia Keys Invites Teenage Shooting Victim Ralph Yarl to Upcoming Summer Concert appeared first on The Source.

Alicia Keys Invites Ralph Yarl To Upcoming Kansas Show

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Alicia Keys is doing her part to help injured teen Ralph Yarl feel seen. The “No One” singer has invited Yarl to her July concert date in Kansas. According to the boy’s attorney Lee Merritt, Keys has said that she would love to meet him at the show, as well. The singer’s offer was extended as part of a huge wave of support for the teen in recent weeks. In addition to Alicia Keys’ offer, TMZ says Roc Nation has even reached out and offered to support in any way they can.

For those unfamiliar, Ralph Yarl is a black 16-year-old who was shot several weeks ago by an elderly white homeowner. The assailant, Andrew Lester, is 86 years old. He is accused of shooting Yarl in the head and arm after the teen rang the man’s doorbell. Ralph went to the wrong address while attempting to pick up his siblings, according to the police and Ralph’s family. The homeowner allegedly shot the teenager through a locked glass door without exchanging words because he believed the teenager was attempting to break in and was “scared to death” by the boy’s size. Luckily for Yarl, this is one instance where there may be a happy outcome. He is on his way to recovery and seems to be fully functioning, despite being shot in the head.

Alicia Keys’ Promotes Activism And Awareness

Alicia Keys performs at the Women’s March on Washington.
(Photo by Noam Galai/WireImage)

Alicia Keys is no stranger to activism or giving a platform to the voiceless. She is a supporter of many charities, including foundations fighting against AIDS and promoting awareness of the need for change. It’s no surprise that the famed singer would reach out to Ralph Yarl. Keys’ charity work, while well known, may come as a shock to some. Though she gives to more than 30 charities and speaks out on many issues, she is often in the headlines for her lavish celebrity lifestyle. However, Alicia Keys’ is one celebrity who really puts her money where her mouth is.

In addition to giving to charity, Keys often speaks out through art and other means. She was recently featured on Janelle Monaé’s “Say Her Name,” a 17-minute song bringing awareness to the unlawful and unnecessary murders of black women like Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. The song also features the likes of Beyoncé, Tierra Whack, and Chloe Bailey. Thankfully, this instance of unnecessary violence against black youth may lead to both justice and a happy ending for Yarl. Additionally, with people like Alicia Keys and labels like Roc Nation supporting him, Yarl might have an even brighter future ahead than he could have imagined. What do you think of Alicia Keys’ offer? Let us know in the comments!

[Via]

Alicia Keys Announces ‘Keys to the Summer’ U.S. Tour

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Today, Alicia Keys made the announcement that she will begin a summer concert tour in North America on June 28 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR, which Live Nation is putting on, comes after Keys’ critically acclaimed and sold-out The Alicia + Keys World Tour, which took her across Europe, North America, and will soon reach Latin America.

The KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR general on sale will start on Friday, April 21 at 9 a.m. local time. The pre-sale period will be Tuesday, April 18, through Thursday, April 20. Tuesday, April 18th, at 1 pm ET, the Alicia Keys Fan Club and Keys Soulcare Presales will begin. On Thursday, April 20th, at 10 am local time, Spotify, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and Venue Presales will begin operations. Visit LiveNation.com for additional information on purchasing tickets.

The GRAMMY Award-winning worldwide superstar will return to North America for 23 arena dates on the KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR with a brand-new, entirely rebuilt, and revised concert experience and set list. In a 360-degree, “in the round” production structure, Keys will perform live for the first time ever on this tour, giving fans a totally new and thrilling experience.

Keys says, “The KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR is going to be completely unforgettable and unmissable! I describe it as a celebration of freedom and self-liberation! It’s going to be colorful, magical and will light up your body, soul and all of your senses! This is my first time creating a 360 experience and we’ve made sure it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen! I’m so excited to see y’all this summer!”

You can see dates for the shows below.

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June 28           Ft. Lauderdale, FL      FLA Live Arena
June 30           Tampa, FL                   Amalie Arena
July 2               Charlotte, NC              Spectrum Center
July 3               Atlanta, GA                 State Farm Arena
July 5               Memphis, TN              FedExForum
July 7               Washington, DC         Capital One Arena
July 9               Boston, MA                 TD Garden
July 10             Philadelphia, PA         Wells Fargo Center
July 12            Brooklyn, NY               Barclays Center
July 14             Toronto, ON                Scotiabank Arena
July 15             Cleveland, OH            Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
July 17             Detroit, MI                   Little Caesars Arena
July 18             Chicago, IL                  United Center
July 20            Louisville, KY              KFC Yum! Center
July 21             St. Louis, MO              Enterprise Center
July 23             New Orleans, LA        Smoothie King Arena
July 24             Austin, TX                   Moody Center
July 27             Denver, CO                 Ball Arena
July 28             Salt Lake City, UT       Maverik Center
July 30             Seattle, WA                 Climate Pledge Arena
August 1          Oakland, CA               Oakland Arena
August 2          Los Angeles, CA         The KIA Forum

The post Alicia Keys Announces ‘Keys to the Summer’ U.S. Tour appeared first on The Source.

Jay-Z Surprises Fans With “Empire State Of Mind” Remix Ft. Gil Scott-Heron

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Jay-Z blessed fans with some new music inspired by his recent performance at Foundation Louis Vuitton. The rapper came through with a remix of his 2009 hit with Alicia Keys, “Empire State Of Mind.” The rework, titled “New York (Concept De Paris),” sheds the big, radio-friendly vibe of the song’s original version for a gritty and bluesy rendition. The mash-up between “Empire State Of Mind” and Gill Scott Heron’s “New York Is Killing Me” brings a beautiful pairing between two of the city’s greatest poets of all time.

The song’s release came shortly after Jay-Z appeared in Paris for a rare performance at ​​Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition. Foundation Louis Vuitton hosted the incredibly rare and intimate performance in front of a smaller crowd. Hov went through the catalog and delivered an exceptional set including songs like “Can’t Knock The Hustle,” “Can I Live,” “U Don’t Know,” “N***as In Paris,” and “Heart Of The City (Ain’t No Love).” He also debuted “New York (Concept De Paris)” when he performed “Empire State Of Mind.”

Jay-Z Takes On Paris

Jay-Z’s performance in Paris led fans to hope that, perhaps, he might be returning with new music soon. The Brooklyn-born rapper has hardly delivered new solo music in recent times. For the most part, he’ll pop out with a guest verse, such as his show-stopping performance alongside Rick Ross and Lil Wayne on DJ Khaled’s “God Did.” He released 4:44 in 2017 before teaming up with Beyonce on Everything Is Love as The Carters and then, linked up with Jay Electronica on A Written Testament.

During an interview with Kevin Hart in 2022, Jay-Z addressed the possibilities of retirement. He seemingly ruled it out, largely because he has a consistent urge to remain creative. However, he’s not necessarily focusing on releasing a new album. “I don’t know what happens next,” he said. “I’m not actively making music or making an album or have plans to make an album, but I never want to say that I’m retired. It’s a gift, so who am I to shut it off. And it may have a different form or interpretation. Maybe it’s not an album, maybe it is. I have no idea, but I’m just going to leave it open.” We’ll keep you posted on any more updates on Jay-Z. 

[WATCH] Swizz Beatz Gifts Alicia Keys A Rare Mercedes-Maybach Designed By Virgil Abloh

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Swizz Beatz crowned his queen, Alicia Keys,  by presenting her with a new Mercedes-Maybach designed by the late Virgil Abloh.

On Sunday (March 26), the avid car enthusiast posted a picture on Instagram of his Grammy Award-winning wife sitting in the backseat of her belated birthday gift. “Keys open doors [gold key emoji] long live @virgilabloh [palms up emoji] gifts from the Kids to the Queen always,” Swizz wrote in the post.

The new car, which was unveiled at a car show last December, is a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class S680 model and was designed by Abloh before his November 2021 death in partnership with Gorden Wagener, Mercedes-Benz’s chief design officer.

Per Dezeen, there will only be 152 units of the car available when they hit the market in April, and will be designed similarly to a Maybach in that it’s “a two-tone solar-powered car with a transparent hood that was also designed together with Abloh.”

“As Project Maybach was a show car, we had complete creative freedom, allowing us to collaboratively concept what the future of electric travel could look like,” Wagener told Dezeen. “Due to production requirements, we had to take a different approach to the design of the Mercedes-Maybach limited-edition S-Class.”

He continued: “Virgil was a creative that all of us here at Mercedes-Benz hugely admired. Between the innovations possible within the Mercedes-Benz teams and Virgil’s unique capacity as a cultural visionary, the opportunity was really to redefine what a fashion and automotive collaboration could look like.

Alicia Keys — who turned 42 in January — posted the full footage of the gift unveiling on her own IG page. The couple’s two sons, Egypt Daoud Dean (12), and Genesis Ali Dean (8), pulled back a black tarp to show the luxury vehicle.

Everyone was taken aback once they saw the neutral-toned car, including Keys, who was smiling from ear to ear in shock.

“It’s crazy,” she said multiple times. “The wheels… Boys, thank you. Oh my gosh. Woah.”

Check out both posts below:

The post [WATCH] Swizz Beatz Gifts Alicia Keys A Rare Mercedes-Maybach Designed By Virgil Abloh appeared first on The Source.

Alicia Keys Receives Virgil Abloh-Designed Mercedes-Maybach From Swizz Beatz: Video

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Alicia Keys previously celebrated her 42nd birthday back in January, but she’s just now getting to enjoy one of the luxurious presents purchased for her by her doting husband, Swizz Beatz. On the 25th of the first month of the year, the renowned vocalist celebrated with some sunshine in a bikini, and her producer beau serenaded her, much to her pleasure. While the gift was certainly thoughtful and romantic, it has nothing on what just finally came through on Sunday (March 26).

In a video posted to her Instagram yesterday evening, the “Fallin’” hitmaker and her two sons unveiled a custom Mercedes-Maybach whip for Keys, which was designed by the late Virgil Abloh. As her young boys remove the elegant car’s dust cover, we see an utterly shocked expression on their mother’s face. “Maybach Sundays 😂,” the lucky recipient wrote in her caption. “I finally got to see my bday gift from the kids and my hubby 🥵🥵🥵🤯🤯🤯. RIP @virgilabloh this one is a masterpiece woooowwww🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽.”

Alicia Keys’ Iconic Belated B-Day Gift from Her Husband

Keys’ kids, Egypt, and Genesis were obviously eager to give her the long-awaited present, which she promptly sat down in. “There’s no words to explain this one,” the older of the children told the camera before the big reveal. “That’s crazy,” the R&B diva repeats while taking in the sheer beauty laying in front of her. On Swizz’s IG page, he had more photos and kind words to share about his wife. “Keys open doors 🔑,” his message began.

“Long live @virgilabloh 🤲🏾, gifts from the kids to the Queen, always,” the “Fancy” hitmaker added. Throughout his photo dump, we see Alicia Keys sitting in both the front and the back of her grandiose present. While she’ll likely be spending more time in the rear, with a driver doing the heavy lifting while she relaxes, The Voice alum looks undeniably awesome riding in the driver’s seat with her platinum gold heels. Check out Swizz Beatz’s Instagram post below, and let us know how much you think the car costs in the comment section.

More Major Flexin’

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