Alicia Keys and JAY-Z on Tony Awards: The Duo Brought a Stand-Still While Performing ‘Empire State of Mind’

Alicia Keys and JAY-Z got back together to sing their famous song “Empire State of Mind,” which won a Grammy in 2009, at the 2024 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 16. This was done as a tribute to the song, which also acts as the conclusion of the Tony-nominated jukebox musical Hell’s Kitchen, which is based on Keys’ life.

At the 77th Tony Awards presentation, Keys, who is 43 years old, walked the stage at the David H. Koch Theater in New York City to sing the song. It was the last section of a medley of songs from the musical Hell’s Kitchen, which got a total of thirteen nominations. First, Keys made an appearance on stage at her piano to perform the song with Maleah Joi Moon, who was nominated for a Tony Award. After that, she introduced the song and invited the crowd into the lobby of the venue, where JAY-Z, who was 54 at the time, rapped his classic lines from his blockbuster track from 2009.

Let me have a look at you! Tonight, we are in the city of New York! Tonight, we are attending the Tony Awards! It’s my hometown, so I had to indulge in some outrageous behavior! Just before the rapper’s appearance on a video screen on the stage of the awards presentation, Keys made the statement.

Among the cast members of Hell’s Kitchen are Tony Award contenders Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, Kecia Lewis, and Maleah Joi Moon. Moon, who is a rookie on Broadway, plays the part of Ali, which was patterned after Keys.

Chris Lee, Chad Carstarphen, Vanessa Ferguson, Jakeim Hart, Jackie Leon, Nyseli Vega, Lamont Walker II, and Rema Webb are some of the other performers who appeared on stage with them. The cast consists of the following individuals: Reid Clarke, Chloe Davis, Nico DeJesus, Timothy L. Edwards, David Guzman, Raechelle Manalo, Sarah Parker, and Niki Saludez.

Standby Donna Vivino and Desmond, who are both understudies, complete the company’s roster of employees. also, swinging Takia Hopson, Onyxx Noel, Aaron Nicholas Patterson, and William Roberson were included in the lineup. Sean Ellington, Badia Farha, Gianna Harris, Jade Milan, Susan Oliveras, and Oscar Whitney Jr. were also included. The production is based on a novel written by Kristoffer Diaz, and it was directed by Michael Greif. Camille A. Brown was responsible for the choreography. They are all nominees for the Tony Award.

Who is Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook, better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, was born on January 25, 1981. She is a singer and songwriter from the United States. It was when Keys was 12 years old that she started writing songs, and she was signed by Columbia Records when she was 15 years old. Keys is a pianist who has had classical training. 

Songs in A Minor, her first studio album, was released in 2001 after she signed a contract with J Records, which was a result of disagreements with the company.  Over twelve million copies of the album were sold all over the globe, and it was awarded five Grammys at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. The album was met with both critical praise and financial success. It included the hit “Fallin’,” which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “You Don’t Know My Name,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” and “Diary” (with Tony! Toni! Toné!) were all singles that were released from her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, which was released in 2003. The album was received with sustained success, selling eight million sales all over the globe. An extra four Grammy Awards were awarded to it after it was released.

Who is Jay Z 

Jay-Z is the stage name of Shawn Corey Carter, an American rapper and businessman who was born on December 4, 1969. It is his professional name. In 2023, he was recognized as the best rapper of all time by Billboard and Vibe. He is also well-known for his contribution to the success of other musicians. Between the years 2004 and 2007, he was the president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings. The following year, he established Roc Nation, which is an entertainment firm.

Jay-Z started his career as a musician in the late 1980s because he was born and raised in New York City. In 1994, he was one of the co-founders of the record company Roc-A-Fella Records, which was responsible for the publication of his first two albums, Reasonable Doubt (1996) and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997). Both of these albums received positive reviews from music critics. His subsequent albums, including The Blueprint (2001), The Black Album (2003), American Gangster (2007), and 4:44 (2017), were all hailed with tremendous appreciation while debuting at the top of the Billboard 200 list. 

Jay-Z now holds the record for the most number-one albums of any solo artist on the chart, with fourteen. Additionally, he has published the albums The Best of Both Worlds (2002) and Unfinished Business (2004) with the singer R. Kelly, Collision Course (2004) with Linkin Park, Watch the Throne (2011) with Kanye West, and Everything Is Love (2018) with his wife Beyoncé. All of these albums were made in collaboration with other artists. The songs “Heartbreaker” by Mariah Carey, “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé, and “Umbrella” by Rihanna, as well as his first record to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart as a solo artist, “Empire State of Mind” (with Alicia Keys), all included his guest appearances. He reached the top of the chart four separate times.

Jay-Z’s Net Worth

Jay-Z is a rapper, producer, composer, and businessman from the United States of America. His annual net worth is estimated to be $2 billion. It is widely acknowledged that Jay-Z is one of the most influential hip-hop musicians in the history of the genre. Following his participation in the establishment of Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995, he went on to have a very prosperous career in the music industry, releasing albums like “Reasonable Doubt,” “The Blueprint,” “The Black Album,” and “4:44.” Jay-Z is responsible for a wide range of businesses, including the establishment of the talent agency Roc Nation and the upscale sports bar chain known as the 40/40 Club.

Alicia Keys’s Net Worth

A singer, songwriter, and actress from the United States, Alicia Keys has a net worth of two hundred and fifty million dollars. This is the total amount of money that she and her husband, the producer Swizz Beatz, have in their net worth altogether. They have an almost equal amount of net worth between them.