-Welcome back!
-Come on! -You're here.
You're in New York City!
This is where it all started for you.
-Oh my gosh, come on, New York is my baby!
[ Cheering and applause ] -How does it feel? Come on.
-[ Laughs ]
-I wanted to show a photo that I found of you.
This is your home studio
when you first started out. Is that possible?
-Yep. -Yeah. Look at that.
-That's me. -And look at the studio.
-That's about 16 years old.
My bedroom was the studio,
so there was like a bed right here
and then all the gear and the piano
and that was where I sat.
-So you could touch the piano -And this is the closet.
-from your bed? -Yes, from the bed.
Because it was tiny. This is the closet
and I thought that, in order to make a vocal booth,
I had to hang blankets, so this was the blanket.
[ Laughter ] -That's right.
I love that you did that.
I also have another photo of the actual studio.
-Yes! This is major!
-Do you have any songs or any samples on here,
on these machines, that you're like,
"Oh, no. If I ever play that, it'll be so embarrassing"?
-There's definitely songs I feel that,
if I play, would be embarrassing.
I actually heard one today, randomly.
My first song was on the "Dr. Dolittle" soundtrack.
[ Laughter ] -Really?!
-And it was called
"Rear View Mirror."
And, you know, it was my first real attempt
at an official release.
And, when I listen to it now, I kind of -- I could just --
I can hear all the insecurities and all the things.
But it's beautiful, right, insecurities?
-Yeah, you're starting out, but also, that's a big break.
-It's a big deal. It's an Eddie Murphy movie.
Let's do it. -Let's go!
-Let's do it, right? But now, you are one
of the best-selling artists in the world
-Thank you. -and, officially,
you were certified -- I want to say this --
the Most Certified Female R&B Artist -- ready? --
of the Millennium.
[ Cheering and applause ]
Of the millennium!
-I have to be honest.
I had to look up the word millennium.
[ Laughter ]
You're like, "How many years is a millennium?"
-"Let me be clear about what millennium means."
This is major. Millennium is -- -Congratulations.
-I was feeling really proud of that.
My husband actually surprised me with it.
Somehow, he got the news first
and I was washing dishes in the kitchen
and he comes up over to me with the camera
and he's always on his phone,
trying to get some type of video.
You know, those husbands?
[ Laughter ] And so I'm washing the dishes and he comes over
and he has the camera all in my face.
"So, how do you feel?"
And I'm like, "Huh?
[ Laughter ] I'm washing the dishes."
And he's like, "No, really, what do you feel like right now?"
I was like, "I don't -- I don't -- I'm just --
I'm soapy? I don't know."
[ Laughter ] -"I'm soapy.
"What are you up to?" -And so he finally
broke the news to me and I was like
so proud, but shy, but like excited
and I worked all my life for this. -Look at this.
Yeah, exactly, right? -Since that right there!
[ Cheering and applause ] -That's where it started. -Yes!
-That's awesome! -[ Laughs ]
-And you're going on tour this summer.
-Yes. -It's a big deal.
-No, it's amazing. I'm going on tour first time in,
I guess, two years, since all of the,
you know, I mean, maybe more.
At this point, how long has the pandemic been like?
[ Laughter ] -We all stopped counting.
But, please. We're happy that you're on tour, though.
-Okay, I'mma be on tour and, since that,
it was originally the Alicia Tour
because that was the album I put out.
And, since then, I put out my album called Keys,
so now it's going to be the Alicia Keys Tour.
-That's what I'm talking about, yeah.
[ Cheering and applause ]
Yeah, you got to add Keys in there.
You did it one night at the Apollo. -Mm!
-Did you rub the stump? Did you do the whole thing?
-I definitely -- You have to rub the stump.
If you don't rub the stump... -Then you're a fool.
-Nah, it's not going to be a good night.
-You have to get good luck. -Yes!
-I mean, how was that? I know you
had Egypt record something. What was it?
-It was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
-No, yeah, that was. -So, Egypt is my 11-year-old.
-He's 11 already?
That wild, right? -Crazy.
-And so he's playing piano and he's singing
and he's writing songs and the whole thing.
So this was his first song that he recorded
in the studio with me, like, you know, singing.
-"Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
I mean, it had me just tearing up
and it's not even my kid. -Nah.
[ Laughing ] I can imagine. -I definitely had a moment
where I was like, "Wow!" Because I realized that
like his voice is never going to sound like that again.
He's never going to have that place where it's kind of
he hasn't quite hit puberty.
It's still really sweet. -Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-And I was just witnessing like a moment in time
that probably will never come back,
so, it's really beautiful.
It's so sweet. You got to hear his voice.
-And then, your other baby, Genesis.
-Genesis.
-Does he want to be in the limelight or he's like,
"I'm cool"? -Genesis doesn't like anybody.
[ Laughter ]
Okay? -Doesn't like anybody.
-He's not for the games, alright?
He's not for any of the showcasing, no.
Don't take pictures of him.
Don't ask him to like go be nice to people, no.
[ Laughter ] -No, he doesn't do that, no.
-So he's a little tough guy. He's a hot pepper.
And so, after the Apollo show --
It was really an incredible show.
It was so electric and alive and special
and he was watching from the side of the stage
because, somehow, the Apollo,
you have to be over 16 to be in the audience,
-Is that right? -which was new -- I didn't realize it.
So he's at the side of the stage, you know,
just respectfully following the rules.
And I come out at the end of the show and he says,
"Mommy, why didn't you bring me out?!"
And I was like, "Who are you?
[ Laughter ]
What?! -You go, "You don't do this."
-You don't even want --" I said, "Do you want to come out?"
He's like -- I was like, "Right now?"
He's like -- I said, "Okay.
I'll do one more song, so you can come out,"
and he was like, "Okay."
And then, right when I walked, "But I'm scared now."
[ Laughter ] I said, "No, don't be scared now."
No, come on, man, let's go." -"Genesis, you set this up."
We have a little video of you and Genesis here.
Check this out -- Alicia Keys and Genesis.
[ Cheering and applause ]
-Hello.
[ Cheering and applause ]
-I can't -- No.
[ Cheering and applause ] -"Hello."
That's the voice.
By the way,
I can't believe he was up there saying hello to anybody.
-Right? -Such a shocker.
So it was sweet to see him kind of, you know, go for it.
-I love that you brought him. That's awesome.