Site Information
Section: News Archive
From January 2007 to April 2007.
April 30, 2007
:: Paul Taylor's "We
Are Together" which debuted at the International Documentary Film Festival
Amsterdam where it won the audience award and HBO announced its acquisition of
the film, has been a real crowd-pleaser. Backed by the Channel 4 British Documentary
Film Foundation, the film is the story of Africa's Agape orphanage for children
abandoned by parents who have died of AIDS. Joined by and orphanage founder Grandma
Zodwa, the kids from the Agape have stirred moviegoers in New York, singing for
attendees at Tribeca's opening night event on Wednesday and drawing well-wishers
Bono and Alicia Keys to the film's festival debut on Thursday night which was
met with a standing ovation. Keys introduced the choir at a post-showing party
and the children sang "Oh Happy Day" along with other songs. A film
rep noted that an audience member was so moved that he immediately wrote a check
to the Keep A Child Alive Foundation which funds the Agape orphanage.
:: The former lead singer of 4 Non Blondes, Linda Perry has come into her own
as a producer and songwriter. She was asked about how it had been working with
Alicia Keys on her new album? Linda answered: "We did some really great work
together. It's a whole other thing - old-school soul and R&B - but I really
made a point to bring it into the Al Green area. Alicia is really open. It is
effortless with her". You can read the full article here.
April 28, 2007
:: More high quality photos from Tribeca Festival added. View them all here.
You can also check this
link to read short blog entry written by a journalist from Huff Post and this
one to watch NY1 News interview with Alicia and Bono on the red carpet.
April 27, 2007
:: I've uploaded three candid pictures from LAX where Alicia was spotted two days
ago.
April 26, 2007
:: Here are more hq photos from 'We Are Together' premiere.
April 26, 2007
:: I've uploaded first
photos from 'We Are Together' premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival today.
April 26, 2007
:: Drew Barrymore is People's 'Most Beautiful' this year. Barrymore graces the
cover of the issue that hits newsstands friday. Among others on the "Beautiful
People" list: Alicia Keys, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Oprah
Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Garner, Scarlett Johansson and more. Read the
full story at yahoo
and people.com.
Cick on thumb to view scan with Miss Keys.
April 22, 2007
:: There is new post at KrucialKeys blog, you can read it here.
April 21, 2007
:: Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, whose duets Shakira recently topped the Latin
charts, is working on a crossover English-language album. Sanz, who is now touring
the U.S. and Mexico, plans to invite Alicia and Beyonce to collaborate on several
songs on the new album.
:: Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose has been chosen to make Disney history as the
voice of the movie studio's first black princess Maddy.
Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Tyra Banks are allegedly among the actresses
that auditioned, with the role finally being given to Rose.
April 20, 2007
:: Smokin' Aces contest is officially closed and we have our winner! There was
no any better story than most creative script written by Raidjie!
Congratz to you! Raidjie's winning entry is available to read at this
page. Thanks to everyone who participated.
April 19, 2007
:: If someone is going to be well paid to cut your life short, they can at least
have the decency to be incredibly hot while doing it! Georgia Sykes ranks number
6 in the Maxim list top ten the Sexiest Assassins. Alicia proved she can handle
a gun and an attitude as well as she handles the piano. So true! :) Check it out
here.
Thx to kalicia for the news!
:: Here are captures I've made from Smokin' Aces dvd featuring behind the scenes
with Alicia. I really enjoyed watching it once again. I can say it was even better
than the first time, when I was so affected by seeing Miss Keys for the first
time in a movie. You should try it sometime :)
April 17, 2007
:: Smokin' Aces dvd is ready to buy in stores today! Don't forget to pick up your
own copy with Alicia's movie debiut! This relase features alternate ending, extended
and deleted scenes, behind the scenes, audio commentary and more! Here are links
where you can get it: Universal,
Amazon,
Barnes
& Noble, Play,
CdUniverse
or WalMart.
Click on thumb to view high quality dvd cover. And btw. you still have time to
join Smokin' Aces
contest! It's your chance to get it free :)
April 16, 2007
:: According to NY Daily News Alicia has pushed back the release date of her new
album. But despite rumors of unrest at her record label, her rep insists that
the delay is due only to her film commitments. Read more here.
It hasn't been officially confirmed and I hope it won't be.
April 13, 2007
:: Alicia posted new note at the official
site. I hope she will feel better soon. Love you girl!
:: I've made new aim icons, you can use them on your aol messenger or trillian.
April 11, 2007
:: The initial lineups have been announced for the US and UK segments of the massive,
24-hour Live Earth concerts, which will take place July 7 on all seven continents
in an effort to bring attention to global warming. The concerts will conclude
at New Jersey's Giants Stadium with performances by Alicia, The Police, Kanye
West, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, Akon, Ludacris, Bon Jovi, Rihanna and more.
Tickets for the US concert go on sale April 16. The shows will stream live at
the Live Earth website, and portions will be broadcast on NBC-TV in the US and
on more than 120 television networks around the world, according to a press release.
Organizers expect an audience of more than 2 billion. The Live Earth concerts
mark the beginning of a multi-year campaign to move individuals, corporations
and governments to take action, according to a press release. Read the full article
here
and visit Live Earth official
site.
April 11, 2007
:: Be sure to visit KrucialKeys
blog to watch second part of Ask Alicia.
:: I've added a few new affiliates, check them all here.
:: I've chosen site of the moment, which is Undeniable
Attraction. Amazing french site devoted to Prison Break's lovers Michael and
Sara.
:: New photos added: Alicia and Cole arrives at Madison Square Garden for the
Diana Ross concert on April 6. Thanks to Jack for sending me these pics :)
April 10, 2007
:: Smokin' Aces shoots onto DVD and HD DVD Combo Disc on April 17th and in support
of the release, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has launched the 'Smokin'
Aces Card Killer Game'! Feelin' lucky? See if you can smoke Buddy Israel! You
will be dealt a series of cards. Flip them over by moving your mouse over them.
When you find Buddy Israel, shoot him by clicking your left mouse button. Be quick
and don’t shoot anyone else or the game is over! Have fun! :)
April 8, 2007
:: Now I've added several high quality pics from the game, check them here.
April 8, 2007
:: Finally new photos! Here new candids from NBA game, where Alicia is having
fun with her brother Cole. They both are looking great!
April 7, 2007
:: Have an egg-cellent, eggstra-hoppy Easter! Much luv :)
April 6, 2007
:: Alicia hates the idea of woman starving themselves to achieve the controversial
size zero figure - insisting "it's not attractive". She is annoyed with
the size zero culture and think women should appreciate what they have rather
than hurt their bodies to achieve unrealistic weight goals. Alicia says, "I
think that's total trash. I think that a woman is so much her curves and her many
styles. We come in all packages and we are who we are and I definitely don't like
it when young girls feel like they have to totally starve themselves. I think
it's not attractive either, actually. Definitely not healthy.
:: Miss Keys has been recently featured as the AskMen.com Singer
of the Week.
:: I've added some new affiliates, check them here.
April 4, 2007
:: The Nanny Diaries movie premiere is officialy moved to September 7th :(
:: I've added new photo of the moment and several new icons.
March 31, 2007
:: The official site for 'The Nany Diaries' movie is opened. According to E!
Online the premiere is moved to September, but I'm hoping it's only a rumour.
Click here to view one new picture
from the movie, Alicia is looking great! Thx to Maggie
for it!
March 31, 2007
:: Kanye West used the picture of Alicia in his new video 'Throw Some D's' Remix.
He also raps about her: "That's why I respect Alicia Keys, she say fuck gettin
them D's. Ima just write wit these." Here are two caps from the video, you
can watch it on youtube.
Credit goes to Maggie
for the news and Kasia for the lyrics!
March 29, 2007
:: Be sure to check out KrucialKeys
blog to watch a video where Alicia is answering some fan questions. She talks
about why she got involved with Keep A Child Alive and Frum Tha Ground Up, as
well as her cooking specialties, the song "Sweet Music" and her favorite
guitar players. Thanks to monium for the info!
March 25, 2007
:: As I mentioned before Angelique Kidjo will be relasing her new album on May
1st. This cd features many special guests, including Alicia. They recorded a song
titled 'Djin Djin' . And guess what... you can download full mp3 right now by
clicking on image below. Ps. If you like it, don't forget to support the artist
by buying the album. It's ready to pre-order at Amazon
or Cd
Universe.
March 24, 2007
:: Check out this
link to watch a short clip with Alicia. Her full biography will be available
to watch on Biography Channel on April 18th at 11:30pm. Thx to Benny for the info!
:: I've uploaded new mp3, it's Biggie & Alicia - Juicy (Where u at Rukmix)
from DJ Rukiz Blends
For Dummies Vol. 3 mixtape. You can download it from here.
:: Here are new avatars I've made.
March 22, 2007
:: On February 27, Nick Records have released Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice, Vol
3, a compilation cd featuring recent hit favorites from hottest musical superstars.
The album is set to come out in conjunction with Nickelodeon's 20th Annual Kids'
Choice Awards, which will air live on Nickelodeon March 31. Over 18,000 kids voted
on this year's cover design. The CD features 16 songs from today's most popular
recording artists including Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys ('Unbreakable') and
Ashlee Simpson. You can read more here
and order the cd at Amazon.
:: Alicia is mentioned in The South African Star. You can read the short article
here.
:: One new awesome site added to VIP affiliates - Christian
Bale Fan.
:: I've added hq pictures from Alicia's birthday party. Big thanks to my girl
Angelic for these!
March 20, 2007
:: Disney's upcoming animated movie The Frog Princess, an American fairy tale
musical set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age, will star the first black
princess in Disney history. No announcement has yet been made about who will voice
the 19 year old a chambermaid named Maddy, but Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and
Anika Noni Rose are reportedly among the contenders.
:: I've added two new VIP affiliates: Think2wice
and Jennifer Hudson
Web.
March 20, 2007
:: Reebok celebrates its 25th birthday in style by re-launching its most iconic
shoe ever-the intensely coloured ankle biters named Reebok Freestyle, which in
days gone by had the famous feet of Cindy Crawford and Paula Abdul in them. The
re-worked 2007 collection of limited edition trainers has been named Freestyle
Specials. The concept is that a different style will be available to buy each
month for an entire year, and kicks off on March 20 with the "Candle"
shoe. The range includes a mix of brand new and vintage bring-backs from the Eighties
in a colour palette of neon, metallic and monochrome. The trend already has support
from Lily Allen, Alicia keys and Scarlett Johansson. I'm hoping there will be
a party and Alicia will attend. We'll see today.
March 19, 2007
:: I've added scans from EQ Magazine with great Alicia & Krucial photos, check
them out below.
March 16, 2007
:: Benny sent me some new livejournal icons, you can check them here.
Thx baby! :*
:: Today is Alicia's best friends Erika's birthday, so Happy Birthday Erika! Many
happy returns!
March 14, 2007
:: Smokin' Aces will be relased on dvd on April 17. Extras will include an audio
commentary with Joe Carnahan and Editor Robert Frazen, Common, Christopher Holley
and Zach Cumer, deleted and extended scenes, outtakes and more.
:: The Tribeca Film Festival unveiled the lineups for three categories Monday,
and announced a potentially controversial move to eliminate the New York section
of the event, which runs April 25-May 6. The 16 World Documentary films in competition
include Paul Taylor's movie featuring a performance by Alicia Keys and Paul Simon.
You can read more here.
March 12, 2007
:: I've made four new livejournal icons, you can check them all here.
March 8, 2007
:: The National Association of Recording Merchandisers in Marlton and the Rock
And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, released a list of what they term the definitive
200 albums of all time. Topped by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson and
Led Zeppelin, the list is a virtual who's who of the artists who we all love and
rock out to. 'The Diary of Alicia Keys' was ranked at #129. Here
you can check out full list.
:: Alicia posted new entry at KrucialKeys
blog called 'Lost in the music'. Click here
and here
to view photos from the studio. Thx to micmouse
for the news!
March 4, 2007
:: Mtv.co.uk has an interview with Mario, where he said: "I've been in the
studio recording my new album 'Go' with Will.I.Am, Pharrell and some of my other
favourite producers, I'm also going to be doing a duet with Alicia Keys".
Mario's new album 'Go' will be relased on May 8th.
:: I've made new avatars, you can use them if you like.
March 2, 2007
:: Here are scans from latest issue of Braids & Beauty magazine with Miss
Keys on the cover. Thanks to Denasia for scanning these!
March 2, 2007
:: With a guest appearance from Alicia Keys, sing-alongs galore and an intimate
two-song acoustic performance on a small stage in the middle of the crowd, John
Mayer's sold-out performance Wednesday night delivered everything a headlining
spot at Madison Square Garden should. Read
more and check
out three hq photos from concert backstage. You can also watch John &
Alicia's performance of 'Gravity' on youtube.
Thx to Ankini for link!
:: Denasia sent me scans from W Magazine with article about Alicia. Thx for sharing!
:)
March 1, 2007
:: I've added photos from John Mayer concert at the Madison Square Garden in NYC
with Alicia's guest apperance. They sang 'Gravity' from John's latest album. My
girl Jackie is still in shock! lol
February 28, 2007
:: New rounds of guess the celebrity and guess
the video are ready.
:: I've added new livejournal icons, all made by
Benny, thanks baby! :*
:: Here are caps from Ultimate Albums, where u can find some never published photos
of Alicia. Quality isn't so good, but worth to see. Big thx to Nenad for recording
and sharing this video.
February 26, 2007
:: Alicia posted a message at her official
site. Thx to Nicky for info!
:: I've made caps from Smokin' Aces, you can check them all by clicking on thumbs.
February 23, 2007
:: Here is a beautiful picture from Essence magazine, big thanks to Samme for
scanning it for us!
February 21, 2007
:: You can watch a new video added to Miss
Keys' myspace, it's a sneak peek of Smokin' Aces interview. To see the complete
video you have to be AKFC member.
:: I had some time to update sections on the site: music videos
are available to download, Alicia's diary (btw. she
posted audio blog and new message at the official
site) and photo of the moment.
:: I've chosen new site of the moment - XtinaWeb.org,
amazing site made by lovely Angelic :)
:: I've made new livejournal icons, view them all here.
February 19, 2007
:: Miss Keys has a page in this month Essance magazine, with Jennifer Hudson on
the cover. Thanks to Samme for this info!
:: I've uploaded next video from Alicia's concert in London and this time is 'If
I Was Your Woman' & 'A Woman's Worth'. Visit videos page
to download it.
February 17, 2007
:: Mtv finally aired 'Growing Up Black in America' featuring interviews with Alicia,
Fantasia and Will.I.Am. And of course you can download full episode from here
:) Big thanks to my friend Keisha
for recording it for us! Here are caps from the show.
February 17, 2007
:: Now you can download another video ripped exclusively
for you :) It's Diary live at the London's concert back in 2003. My vhs tape wasn't
new when I recorded it, so video and audio are out of sync a bit. One more video
from that concert will be added tommorow.
:: Click here
to check Smokin' Aces poster featuring Alicia.
:: I've added some older hq photos from concerts, check thumbnails below.
February 15, 2007
:: Check this
link to watch 'The Nanny Diaries' trailer. Thx to Gorgeouscurlz21 for the
info.
:: I've ripped and uploaded rare interview with Miss Keys, Usher and Nelly at
CD:UK aired in November 2004. Remember to use left click and unpack zip file.
You can download it from here.
February 12, 2007
:: I finally got my package from AKFC
with 'Alicia Keys Unlocked' dvd, beautiful t-shirt (you can see it here)
and other cool stuff. I've made caps from 'Karma' performance at the Hollywood
Bowl. The full concert will be available in stores on fortcoming live dvd.
February 11, 2007
:: Alicia will appear on Mtv's Growing Up Black In America. Veejay Sway hosts
and Alicia Keys, along with Fantasia and Will.I.Am, discuss the experiences that
shaped their formative years and issues that continue to define who they are.
The show airs Saturday, February 17th at 8pm.
:: My lovely girl Keisha
sent me scan from Rolling Stone magazine with Smokin' Aces review. Click
here to view it. Thanks for sharing!
:: It looks like youtube doesn't allow me to upload videos I ripped, so I've uploaded
all these files into free servers. You can get all links from here.
:: I've added over a dozen older photos with Alicia. Click on thumbs.
February 8, 2007
:: Jennifer Hudson has been bombarded with flowers from her famous fans including
Halle Berry, Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys, ahead of finding out whether she’s
won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar on February 25. The Dreamgirls actress says
the flowers mean so much to her that she’s thinking of ways to preserve them.
"It's all so overwhelming. I'd like to find a way of keeping this special
time special," she says. Read
more.
:: Miss Keys is featured on W magazine, check the cover here.
Thx to my girl Nicky for this info!
:: I've updated some older hq galleries and added new photos: NBA Game, Krucial's
Birthday Party, KrucialKeys.com Launch Party backstage and New York Times Shoot.
Just click on thumbs. Thanks to Ewe
for these photos :*
February 8, 2007
:: The numbers suggest that Alicia Keys has a lot in common with that other sultry
princess of soul, Beyonce Knowles. Both are aged 26, both have numerous Grammys
to their name, both are famously proud of their womanly curves. And both have
set their sights on adding a line to résumés that are already diverse.
Each is a singer, songwriter, record producer and - since they frequently have
an album or single duelling on the charts - they're rivals. Now both have the
job description "movie star" in their sights, staking out Hollywood
careers in strikingly different roles: one has gone for the familiar, the other
for the unfathomable. Both stars have proved themselves adept at packaging themselves.
Knowles, the woman who coined a word and lyric "bootilicious" to celebrate
her curves, was once known simply as "Beyonce". But she has returned
to tradition, and a last name, apparently in deference to a more conservative
Hollywood where it doesn't pay to be too hip-hop. The classically trained Keys
chose her own last name because it played nicely off one of her musical talents:
playing piano. So is there something that prompted two musical figures to take
the big leap to screen so close together? Read the full story at Sydney
Morning Herald.
:: I've uploaded two more clips into on youtube: Mtv
Ema Best RnB and Soul
of Mtv.
:: I've updated two hq galleries from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Shows. Thx to Dustin
for these!
February 6, 2007
:: From E!Online Gossip: Is Alicia Keys' career about to go South? It will if
she has anything to say about it. How interested is she? So much so that after
Keys auditioned, she actually called Disney's studio chief, Dick Cook, directly
to let him know how much she wanted the gig, according to a well-placed source.
"She did it all herself," the source says. "She got one of his
personal numbers and just called him up." Keys is one of many hopefuls being
considered to voice Mandy, a young southern girl living in New Orleans during
the roaring '20s Jazz Age. "One of the big questions is if Alicia can do
a Southern accent, because she has such that New York voice," my source says.
Keys' movie career is off to a pretty good start. Right now, she's in theaters
opposite Ben Affleck and Jeremy Piven in Smokin' Aces, and in April, she has The
Nanny Diaries with Scarlett Johansson. Not only could Frog be a major boost for
Keys, it's also history-making because Mandy is, as she's been described, "the
first black Disney princess." Keys has gotten a callback for a second audition,
my source says. Other top contenders include Jennifer Hudson and her Dreamgirls
costar and Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose.
:: I've finally bought dvd recorder, so I had a chance to rip old vhs tapes into
my hard drive. I'm gonna share some Alicia vids with you :) On videos
page you can download Mtv Uncovered interview right now. I've also uploaded
several award apperances into youtube. Here are links: Grammy
2002 Award Acceptance, Mtv
VMA presenting Kanye & Jamie Foxx performance, Mtv
Ema Award acceptance & Mtv
Ema Best Female nominees.
February 5, 2007
:: Check out German
Smokin' Aces official site, where you can find great quality trailer (with
german dubbing) and other movie stuff like clips, wallpapers, comic. Thx to Ankini
for this link!
:: It was a day for grown-up, beautiful and wearable clothes at Fashion Week.
The front-row celebrities were appropriately high-end. Designer Tracy Reese had
singers Kelly Rowland and Alicia Keys (who wore dark sunglasses and red leather
gloves that she never removed). Here are more pictures from this event. Click
on thumbs.
February 5, 2007
:: Still in her teens when she sat down to play three songs in Clive Davis' office,
Alicia Keys was such a natural that Davis was momentarily angered when Peter Edge,
one of his A&R aides, and Jeff Robinson, Keys' manager, told him that the
young singer was under contract to Columbia. 'I thought this was a terrible tease'
Davis says. 'I mean, how could you get someone like that out of the contract?'.
But Davis learned Columbia wanted her to look for songs by other writers and work
with an established producer. Keys balked. Read
more.
:: Here is one scan from Dutch
magazine Hitkrant sent by Stephan.
Thank you!
:: I've uploaded new hq photos from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2007. More
soon.
February 4, 2007
:: Miss Keys posted a new video blog on KrucialKeys
Blog. It's an interview she did of one of her writing partners, Harold Lilly.
Thx to micmouse
for the news!
:: Alicia was named one of the Hottest Women of Pop/R&B by Blender.
Her 'The Diary of Alicia Keys' album was #7 on Best 2004 Albums list.
:: Be sure to check out Alicia's myspace
page to listen to 'Sweet Music' song in full lenght! I was waiting for that
song for a very long time! It's amazing.
February 3, 2007
:: Alicia will appear on MTV's Growing Up Black In America. Veejay Sway hosts
the show where Alicia keys along with Fantasia and Will I.Am discuss the experiences
that shaped their formative years and issues that continue to define who they
are. The show airs Tuesday, February 6 at 10am and repeats Saturday, February
17th at 8pm on MTV. Thx to Benny for the news!
:: I've added new photos from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2007 - Baby Phat
Show. Click on thumbs and here
to view three more, hq photos.
February 1, 2007
::
The world is used to seeing a regal Alicia Keys perched at a grand piano, her
soulful voice singing one of her many Grammy Award-winning hits. Keys, armed with
five guns, dressed in tiny black shorts, knee-high boots and fishnet stockings,
is not the image the world expects. That is precisely why the 26-year-old New
Yorker chose the kick-ass role of assassin Georgia Sykes in the new gangster film
Smokin' Aces as her debut feature film. Hollywood directors have been pursuing
Keys since her 2001 album, Songs in A Minor, sold six million copies, won five
Grammys and made her a household name. Her Hollywood suitors, however, wooed Keys
with the wrong projects. They enticed Keys with singing roles, but she was not
interested in Whitney Houston-The Bodyguard type films. Keys' busy music career
also meant when an interesting script did appear she could not guarantee the three
months out of her schedule needed to shoot the film. "The scripts I have
been offered ranged from everything from the most average, obvious singer roles
to incredible ones with really well-known directors, but it just wasn't the right
time," Keys said in an interview in LA recently. "I was probably in
the middle of making an album and when I'm at that stage I needed to concentrate
100% on the album. Read the full article here.
January 30, 2007
:: Alicia Augello-Cook was born in New York City. An only child, little 'Lellow'
was raised in Hell's Kitchen by her doting mom who recognized she had a prodigy
on her hands soon after her young daughter started taking piano lessons. Alicia
would attend the prestigious Professional Performance Arts School of Manhattan,
where she studied both jazz and classical composition, crediting influences ranging
from Nina Simone to Stevie Wonder to Oscar Peterson to Frederic Chopin to Tupac
Shakur. After graduating as valedictorian of her class, she entered Columbia University
at just 16, but soon took a leave to pursue her professional career. Writing songs
which reflected both her roots and her eclectic musical education, Alicia changed
her last name to Keys and signed with Clive Davis' J Records which released the
five-time Grammy-winning Songs in A Minor in 2001. Skyrocketing to superstardom,
she’s since collected four more Grammys, plus eleven Billboard Awards, three
American Music Awards, two MTV Video Awards, three NAACP Image Awards, six Soul
Train Awards, a VH1 Award and a People’s Choice Award. She has also been
named one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and one of FHM Magazine’s
100 Sexiest Women in the World. This multi-talented Renaissance Woman even wrote
a best-selling book, Tears for Water. Those who think that Alicia is only making
her acting debut now must have missed her appearance at four on the Cosby Show
where she exhibited precocious stage presence as Maria, a friend of Rudy. Here,
she shares her thoughts on her role as Georgia Sykes, a seductive yet ruthless
assassin, in Smokin’ Aces, a high-octane, ensemble flick co-starring Ray
Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Andy Garcia. Visit Eurweb
to read interview with Alicia.
:: Smokin' Aces is number 2 in this week's US Box Office with this weekend gross:
$14.3M!
January 28, 2007
:: Alicia Keys knows she didn't get here alone. Two women are responsible for
making her the femme force she is today. The singer-turned-actress says, "One
is my mother. She was a single mother who showed me everything about being a woman
and a mother. The second woman was my grandmother. She was another very intelligent,
compassionate and giving woman. She showed me everything about being intelligent.
The two of them combined were my biggest inspirations." What did they tell
her that still sticks? Keys smiles over tea at the Four Seasons Hotel and says,
"It's simple. They said, 'Go get 'em, girl!'". Read interview with Alicia
at
Chicago Sun-Times.
January 27, 2007
:: Alicia Keys and Common are no strangers to the stage. But neither of them had
ever set foot on a movie set - that is, until they were cast as denizens of the
mob underworld in Joe Carnahan's new action flick, Smokin' Aces. Here, the musicians
describe what it was like working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Read
more: Common and Alicia talk about various topics.
:: Alicia posted at her diary and krucialkeys blog, you can read it right now
here and here!
:: I've updated Smokin' Aces stills and posters gallery, be sure to check photos
below.
January 27, 2007
:: Here is one picture from Miss Keys' birthday party at Bed Nightclub in NYC
two days ago. There is also a rumour that Kimora Lee Simmons caused a stir at
Keys' birthday bash, you can read it here.
:: Check this
link to watch Alicia talking about Keep A Child Alive.
January 26, 2007
:: Alicia Keys had the beauty and the talent to make an early splash in the highly
fickle and competitive music industry. Now this New York born-and-bred songbird
has spread her wings to give acting a serious shot. She has appeared in a few
network TV shows and makes her big screen debut in "Smokin' Aces." But
she is not the only marquee draw in this offbeat action thriller. Filmmaker Joe
Carnahan assembled an eclectic cast that includes Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds,
Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Common for this bloody tale of a competition between
contract killers. Keys plays one of the professional hit men trying to take out
a magician turned mafia snitch. The classy Keys has obviously set her sights beyond
the pop charts. She names Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra as inspirations because
they succeeded both in the recording studio and the sound stage. Keys next steps
up to a bigger role, appearing alongside Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming comedy
"The Nanny Diaries." Click
here to read interview with Alicia.
:: Since there are no photos from Letterman show inside and Alicia looked so beautiful,
I've made some caps from the interview. Click on thumbs.
January 26, 2007
:: Classically trained, the classiest of soul divas and classic beauty Alicia
Keys is a class act by any measure. I mean, no less an eminence than Bob Dylan
writes songs about her. It was inevitable that the New York prodigy would get
movie offers. But instead of starting out as a nice, innocuous bit of romantic
interest, the artist opted for a screen debut that the toughest gangsta raptress
might have thought twice about doing. In the ultra-violent, roughly comic caper
"Smokin' Aces," Keys plays Georgia Sykes, half of a hard-bitten, trash-talking,
probably lesbian assassination team. She spends much of her screen time in the
midst of an epic hotel hallway shootout, dressed in a trashy Nevada call girl
disguise that accentuates her curves while camouflaging a small arsenal of guns
and ammo. And she proves as strong and deadly as the dozens of guys she fights
with. "The minute that I read the script, I knew that it was so out of my
normal character, so out of what so many people probably expected of me, that
I knew it was the right thing for me to do," says Keys. Read
more.
:: AKO is site of the month at great Ashlee
Star! Thanks for the award Radekk! :)
:: I've uploaded new photos: Alicia is leaving Mtv TRL.
January 25, 2007
:: I've added hq photos from The Nanny Diaries movie set and I've updated some
other galleries: Smokin'
Aces stills, Smokin'
Aces LA Premiere & Mtv
TRL.
January 25, 2007 
:: Today is Alicia's 26th birthday, so... Happy Birthday Alicia! :) Wishing
you lots of fun and happiness today and through the year. You are such an amazing
person with beautiful heart! I love you girl! :) Here is a card from AKOBoard
Fam made by Lil' Nicky, we hope you like it.
January 24, 2007
:: Alicia Keys loved her intense training regime for the film Smokin' Aces so
much, she decided to keep working out and train to run a marathon in Greece. Alicia
makes her big screen debut in the film playing a tough hit woman out to kill a
sleazy magician played by Jeremy Piven. She explains, "It kind of started
with Smokin' Aces, because I was training in a way that I'd never trained before.
"I just kind of woke up and thought, 'I want to run a marathon. So we started
preparing for it and I did! It was the weirdest sensation. It was pretty long
- it took me five hours!".
:: Alicia Keys is lending her voice to diverse Beninese singer/songwriter Angelique
Kidjo's new album, Djin Djin. The collaboration is also titled "Djin
Djin" which refers to the sound of the bell ringing in the beginning of the
new day in Africa. Carlos Santana, Joss Stone, Ziggy Marley and Josh Groban are
also featured on the album, which is due May 1.
:: I've added new affiliates.
:: Here are new pictures: Launch of Common's hat line Soji in NYC yesterday.
January 24, 2007
:: Other photos and video interview added. This one is from Letterman show two
days ago. Click
here to view hq photos, where Alicia is arriving and leaving Ed Sulivan Theatre
and here to download video. And again, thx to Keisha
for sending me this!
January 24, 2007
:: I've uploaded hq pictures and video from Mtv TRL. Thank
you Keisha for capping
it for us!
January 24, 2007
:: I'm sorry I didn't post this earlier, but it's been busy down here. I've uploaded
Bet 106&Park video interview, you can download it now.
Here are hq photos from the show (Alicia looked fabolous!). I'm gonna add pics
and videos from Letterman and Mtv TRL asap.
January 23, 2007
:: New candid photos added: Arriving and leaving the 'Late Show with David Letterman'.
January 22, 2007
:: Common will officially launch his new Soji line of hats tommorow in New York.
Common, along with invited guests Jamie Foxx, Alicia Keys, Jeremy Piven and others,
will preview the high-end hats, which will be sold exclusively at La Coppola Storta
stores, a trendy retailer with locations in Palermo, Roma, Firenze, Bologna, and
New York City's SOHO district. Read
more.
January 22, 2007
:: Visit MovieWeb
to read the interview, where Alicia, Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Common and Nestor
Carbonell are talking about shooting Smokin' Aces.
:: Check this
page to watch a short video from Smokin' Aces premiere. And here
is interview with Miss Keys from Access Hollywood. Thx to Nicky and Janica
for these links!
:: Tv reminder: Watch Bet 106& Park and Letterman show today!
January 21, 2007
:: Miss Keys posted new entry at her blog, so click
here to visit her official site right now!
:: Here are candid pics: Alicia hits Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood on January 18.
January 21, 2007
:: Alicia Keys is donating $20,000 in college aid, but she wants something back.
The recipients of Open Door Scholarships will have to perform community service
in their hometowns, the songstress said yesterday. "It's a reward for students...
who contribute to make this a better world," she said. Keys, who grew up
in Hell's Kitchen, decided to start the merit-based scholarships while visiting
schools during her 2005 tour. She is donating four $5,000 grants, one for a high
school senior in each of four communities: Harlem, Atlanta, Jacksonville and New
Orleans. "We can do something to help find those bright minds that need a
helping hand," Keys said. "It all adds up." Keys, who also contributes
to other organizations, hopes to give the scholarships annually. The nine-time
Grammy winner is slated to star in two movies and release a new album this year.
She is setting up a web
site to provide information on the scholarships.
:: I've uploaded more hq photos from Smokin' Aces premiere, you can view them
by clicking here.
January 20, 2007
:: It's been a while since innovative writer and director Joe Carnahan has showcased
his talent and after a long effort of working on projects that almost happened,
but never did, he's finally returning to the big screen with his new dark action
comedy Smokin' Aces. The high energy mob thriller follows a sleazy Las Vegas magician
(Jeremy Piven) who has decided to tell the FBI everything he knows about the Vegas
organized crime ring he once ran with. He's sent to Lake Tahoe and put in protective
custody. However, once word gets out about how much he's worth dead, there's a
slew of hit men and women racing to be the first to take him out. ComingSoon.net
talked Carnahan about his new film, read the interview here.
:: Great news, Miss Keys will visit Mtv TRL on January 23! I will get that video
for you, as well as Bet and Letterman apperances, so be sure to check AKO in next
few days.
January 19, 2007
:: As I mentioned before I've added more pictures from Smokin' Aces premiere and
after party.
January 19, 2007
:: I was searching for SA premiere photos and I've found these: Alicia Keys spotted
jogging and doing some sprints with not one, but two personal trainers in Hollywood
yesterday morning.
January 19, 2007
:: New pictures, finally! Here are high quality pics from Smokin' Aces Premiere
in Los Angeles yesterday, where Alicia appeared with director Joe Carnahan and
the rest of the cast. I'm planning to add more pics very soon, so keep visiting.
January 19, 2007
:: I've uploaded two new videos from Bet Hot Flick & Bet Black Carpet with
Smokin' Aces commercial and interviews with Alicia, Jeremy Piven and Common. Be
sure to download zip file from here or you can watch both
vids at youtube: link
one and link
two. Big thank you to lovely Keisha
for recording these for us!
:: Miss Keys will be a guest at Bet 106 & Park on January 22. Don't forget
to watch it!
January 17, 2007
:: Joe Carnahan posted a link to Smokin' Aces soundtrack
myspace page, where you can find a list of the songs on it. Shame Alicia didn't
appear. The album will hit the stores on February 6th or you can pre-order it
at
Amazon right now.
:: Smokin' Aces is number 3 in this week's UK Box Office and it's pretty good
score despite latest UK reviews. C'mon people, make it #1 in Great Britain! ;)
January 15, 2007
:: Visit this
link to hear or download Eurcast featuring Alicia talking about Smokin' Aces.
:: I've added new gfx and two lj
icons made by Benny, thanks!
:: New round of guess the celebrity is ready.
:: I've found three great photos from XVI Toronto International AIDS Conference
taken by Dennis
Kimambo. Click here
to view all photos from this event.
January 13, 2007
:: Latest on the buzz list of musical artists to hit the big screen is Grammy-winning,
multiplatinum recording artist Alicia Keys. With her sultry voice and smokin'
hot looks, it was only a matter of the right time and project. That debut film,
which opens later this month, is a very, very dark comedy Smokin' Aces and Alicia
plays one tuff mama as professional hit woman for hire Georgia Sykes. She co-stars
with musical pal Common and the two semi-hook up briefly as a really sizzling
couple in the film. Keys has formed a production deal with Disney to launch films
both live action and animated. Alicia will jump in as both a producer and actress
and the company will also move into the soundtrack and music supervision game.
We got the scoop live from the diva recently in Beverly Hills with the bonus of
chatting a bit with Common. Picture her in figure-fitting, low-cut, brown jersey
dress with satin trim, long dangle gold earrings, hair swept to the side. Red
lipstick and nails finished off the look. Read the interview with Keys and Common
at
Teen Music.
:: I was looking for 'Smokin' Aces' reviews today. Maybe UK wasn't ready for this
movie? Reviews are not so good.. oh well, let's wait for US premiere and how well
it does in box office. Here are links for reviews: Empire,
Times
Online, The
Sun, Time
Out, Shadows
On the Wall, Guardian,
Channel
4, BBC,
Mirror,
Total
Film, Filmstalker.
:: Wanna watch cool video interview with Joe Carnahan and Alicia? Visit this
link.
January 13, 2007
:: I've just find out that Alicia will be a guest at David Letterman Show on January
22. Yay!
:: Alicia doesn't consider herself much of a fashion follower - and she certainly
doesn't dress with Best and Worst Dressed lists in mind. "I'd be pretty shallow
if I was thinking: 'This will get me on the best dressed list. I'm ready!'"
she tells Metro this morning. "Jeez! I don't." So what style does the
singer, who plays a hit woman in her debut film, Smokin' Aces - due out on Friday
- like when it comes to style? "I kind of like a mixture between feminine
and comfort," she says. "Something that's a good dose of both. I love
to get dressed up and feel good".
:: Click
here to view 'The Nanny Diaries' movie poster. The romantic comedy was written
and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. It opens in theaters
on April 20.
January 12, 2007
:: Question: You are best known as a successful singer, so why did you
go into acting?
Alicia: I Grew up in the theatre. My mother
is an actress and I used to fall asleep in theatre chairs watching her prepare.
My best memories are being able to see women I knew come in to the theatre at
3pm and then at 7pm look totally transformed. Their make up was different, their
hair and clothes were different, they were able to take on characters and people
who they were not, but all of a sudden they convinced me that they were. So it's
always been a part of my life. It's something I knew I would do in my future.
I acted before I sang, actually, and so I was just waiting for the time to be
right.
Question: Do you have any particular role models?
Alicia: Barbara Streisand is a big role model
of mine. She's fantastic. She's strong, a little tough and funny. She's kind of
everything that she is on film. She's great.
Question: As Georgia in this film you wear a very skimpy outfit. How did
you feel about that?
Alicia: It was definitely one of my concerns.
I wanted to make sure in becoming Georgia that I needed to be her completely.
And Georgia is not this outfit, Georgia is doing what she needs to do to get where
she needs to be and do what she was hired to do.
Question: do you think of the idea that you're expected to be a size double
zero?
Alicia: I hate that. It's total trash. A woman
is so much about her curves and her many styles. We come in all shapes and sizes
and we are who we are. I definitely don't like it when girls feel like they have
to starve themselves, it's not attractive either, actually, and definitely not
healthy.
Question: Are you you working on your album right now?
Alicia: I'm ecstatic
about it. The music is coming out sounding incredible. I'm collaborating with
some people I've never worked with before. It's so fresh and new and such a growth
for me in the best way. So I'm really excited about the music and so far it's
looking like a June release.
January 12, 2007
:: Alicia Keys always wanted to be an actress so she could escape her real life.
The singer, who makes her acting debut in 'Smokin' Aces', dreamt of being famous
when she was growing up in the tough Manhattan neighborhood Hell's Kitchen. Alicia
told Britain's Guardian newspaper: "I always knew it was in my future. I
grew up around the theatre. My mother is an actress. Its in my blood, it's in
my spirit and my fabric of who I am. I was always enamored of the way people would
come into the theatre as one person and three hours later emerge as a new one.
I was just waiting for my time." Alicia, who plays a lesbian assassin in
'Smokin' Aces', said: "One of the main goals when I entered the world of
film was not to play a singing pianist. "It was important for me to start
out doing something unexpected, totally out of my comfort zone, and that's why
I chose 'Smokin' Aces'. I don't want to play myself." Alicia feels she connected
to her character, Georgia Skyes, who pretends to be a prostitute while working
as a hitwoman. Alicia said: "She is powerful and intelligent, the brains
of the operation, the sensible one. She is meticulous. Her mindset is very focused.
In those ways I am very much like her".
:: In a recent Entertainment Weekly magazine, a sneak peek of who'll be guesting
on Alicia's new album was revealed - John Mayer, John Legend, and Linda Perry!
Until the album drops, you can keep up with Alicia by checking her out on the
big screen, not once, but twice: Smokin' Aces which debuts January 26th and The
Nanny Diaries, coming on April 20th. Don't miss them!
:: Several days ago Alicia posted at her official diary, if you didn't read it
yet click here
to see it.
January 10, 2007
:: Alicia has hit out at the music industry for being too concerned with mainstream
popularity to speak out on controversial political issues. The singer, an anti-war
campaigner and active fundraiser for several African AIDS charities, isn't one
to shy away from speaking her mind. She says, "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."
:: Be sure to visit KrucialKeys
blog page to view video with Alicia working at her new album!
January 10, 2007
:: Alicia Keys wasn't going to take any chances walking by herself at night as
a young girl, so she made sure to keep a secret weapon in her pocket. Alicia admits
she used to carry a knife when she was a child. The singer - who grew up in tough
Manhattan neighborhood Hell's Kitchen - has revealed she felt safer when she carried
a weapon. Alicia said, "Protection was a big issue. You felt more comfortable
with a knife. I felt if someone tried to touch you I would have something to surprise
them." Miss Keys says her mother was furious when she discovered Alicia was
carrying the knife and vowed to take her daughter away from the dangerous neighborhood.
Alicia explained to Britain's Guardian newspaper, "I don't remember if she
took it away but she was definitely upset. She was upset that I had to be like
that, feel like that. She said, 'If this is the case we'll move.' It doesn't matter
where you move, there's always a situation where someone's attacking you or the
possibility of it." Read
more.
January 8, 2007
:: Alicia Keys sits in front of me, long bare legs folded to the side. She is
in a black, extraordinarily crisp dress with a stiff frilled yoke, shockingly
girlie. There was a time when she would never even wear a dress - much too disempowering.
Her hair has a little flick-back 1970s fringe, like a black Farrah. Her eyes are
lined in the style of Cleopatra and the shadow is a deep turquoise. Her trademark
dreads have gone, and the girlieness floors me for a moment but, she says, her
life recently has been "an amazing balance of personal and professional growth".
Now 25, she is causing a stir in her first film role, in the cultish dark comedy
Smokin' Aces. She plays an elegant lesbian hitwoman who must pretend to be a hooker
and wear the teeniest of shorts, with a holster beneath a skimpy vest and ammunition
in her thigh-highs. You wonder if her character, Georgia Sykes, is what little
Alicia most feared becoming when she grew up in the tough Manhattan neighbourhood
known as Hell's Kitchen. Read the full article here.
:: New rounds of guess the celeb and guess
the video are waiting.
January 6, 2007
:: Here is exclusive first look at six chapters of the new comic for Joe Carnahan's
Smokin' Aces! The comic was written by Carnahan himself and each chapter was illustrated
by a different artist. The six chapters each focus on a different character profile
and tell us the character's 'pre-story' as an intro leading into the film. You
can view the chapter featuring Buddy "Aces" Israel by clicking here.
The other five chapters can be found at Ain't
It Cool News (Lazlo Soot), CHUD
(Tremor Brothers), JoBlo
(Pasqual Acosta), UGO
(Messner) and SmokinJoeCarnahan.com
(Sykes & Waters). If you wanna download them just use right click and save
target as.
:: I've chosen new site of the moment, which is Alicia
Keys Zone, congratz Tash!
January 4, 2007
:: Alicia Keys is still hammering away at her upcoming Halle Berry-produced film
project, a flick that will find her hammering away at the keys as a biracial pianist
in the 1940s. "Compositions in Black and White" is based on the book
of the same name and follows the story of Philippa Schuyler. "The challenge,
in order to actually be able to play classical piano as a woman of mixed race,
was by far more than I could ever imagine," Keys said. "That's what
intrigued me about that role." The biopic will tell the difficult tale of
Schuyler's controversial career, love-hate relationship with her mother and the
black community, her second career as a writer and her eventual death in a helicopter
accident. "Her story is very deep, even up to the point where the relationship
between her and her mother gets very strained and she chooses to go to Europe
and pass as a Spanish woman in order to be able to play, in order to be able to
live a more normal life," Keys said, adding that she and Berry hope to start
shooting in early '08. "As of right now, we're still in the first, second
draft of the script," she said. "So a little bit of time - at least
a year.
January 2, 2007
:: After more than a half decade of killing them softly with her songs, R&B
prodigy Alicia Keys is getting ready to kill them much more literally, with a
role as a heroic hit woman in the crime thriller "Smokin' Aces." Starring
alongside Hollywood veterans Ryan Reynolds, Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta,
Keys almost makes their profession look too easy, bringing the same confidence
and emotional depth to the character that she has injected into her chart-topping
music. On the eve of her movie debut, we caught up with Keys to talk about her
huge guns, why the F-word is so much better than the N-word and what it's like
to get a shout-out from Bob Dylan. Read the interview at Vh1.com.
January 1, 2007
:: Joe Carnahan (writer & director of Smokin' Aces) posted the movie screenplay
at his smokin'
blog! You can get it and read (or not) all 121 pages right now. He said there
is a lot of changes in the movie, including the ending, so we can't be sure what's
gonna happen in the final film.
webmiss: Roxana
