NEW VIDEO: ALICIA KEYS - TEENAGE LOVE AFFAIR

This is Alicia Keys' new video for her latest single "Teenage Love Affair". If you watch closely, you will notice that the video pays homage to Spike Lee's classic flick "School Daze". Also, peeps such as Derek Luke and Jackie Long make cameo appearances.

Nice one!

ALICIA KEYS SAYS US GOVERNMENT CREATED "GANGSTER RAP"

Our favourite soul lady Ms. Keys is currently showing a side of her that nobody has ever seen, including her mother. The songbird covers the May-June issue of Blender, an American music magazine; some of her quotes in the cover article have bloggers blogging incessantly due to their apparent ‘controversy’. She has been labeled a “conspiracy theorist’ for her views on ‘gangster rap’.

Here’s a snippet from the article:
‘Gangsta rap’ was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. ‘Gangsta rap’ didn’t exist.”

Keys, 27, said she’s read several Black Panther autobiographies and wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck “to symbolize strength, power and killing ‘em dead,” according to an interview in the magazine’s May issue, on newsstands Tuesday.
Another of her theories: The bicoastal feud between slain rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. was fueled “by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing.”

Keys’ AK-47 jewelry came as a surprise to her mother, who is quoted as telling Blender: “She wears what? That doesn’t sound like Alicia.” Keys’ publicist, Theola Borden, said Keys was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

Though she’s known for her romantic tunes, she told Blender that she wants to write more political songs. If black leaders such as the late Black Panther Huey Newton “had the outlets our musicians have today, it’d be global. I have to figure out a way to do it myself,” she said.

We at Encore support Alicia’s stance on these issues; every Tom, Dick and Thabo knows that the American government despises rap and the so-called thugs that make it.


When Tupac Shakur was living, he lambasted the government on the same grounds. His outspoken nature compelled him to rap about various social and political issues in songs; he used any available minute on national media to publicize his thoughts.

In fact, in the early 90’s, he started the “Thug Life” movement through which he aimed to empower convicted criminals and gang members. His theories and practices must have obviously irritated some high-ranking people, since we now speak of him in the past tense.

So what do you guys think of Alicia’s comments? Is she speaking the truth or is she just desperate for attention?

REVIEW - ALICIA KEYS' "AS I AM"

By Zandile Dlamini

If you are wondering why it has taken us so long to give you the low down on this album, before we could divulge any factors regarding this soulful masterpiece, we wanted to give you enough time to take the pleasure in listening to it yourselves, so that when we finally did review it, you knew exactly what it was that had us so excited and energized. So let’s get down to business.

Alicia’s rise to the top has been anything but short of remarkable. This down-to-earth diva earned her title as one of the greatest achievers in the music industry in just a short space of six years since she released her debut album, Songs In A Minor. She displayed just how proficient she was in 2007 when she released her spell binding album, As I Am, which enabled her to walk away with two awards for the smash single "No One," taking Best R&B song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and she’s still going strong.

As I am is by far, one of her best works. Each track has a certain element about it that makes it unique to the previous one, invigorating our minds to a state of pure ecstasy and euphoria. With each song, you’ll find yourself appreciating the content when she’s trying to ‘tell you something’, walking away with wholesome realization of what true music is like a ‘lesson learned’. ‘No one’ can compare to Alicia Keys, because she is truly ‘Superwomen’. Catch my drift?

KANYE WEST, AMY WINEHOUSE WIN BIG AT GRAMMYS

What’s up people, I know some of you are looking forward to watch the 50th annual Grammy Awards on TV tonight but I’m gonna have to spoil things by announcing some of the winners already. Yeah, that’s just how we do it on Encore, we break stories while the rest of the Mzansi media still tries to figure out what happened.

Music's biggest night got underway as the ever-elegant Alicia Keys sang and played piano along with the performance by Sinatra, who appeared in black and white on a video screen, a pairing reminiscent of Natalie Cole's "duet" with her late father, Nat King Cole.

But it was Winehouse and West who really came out triumphant; Winehouse led the field with five wins, while West scored four. But both were shut out of the album of the year Grammy, which unexpectedly went to Herbie Hancock's Joni Mitchell covers album, "River: The Joni Letters," in the biggest upset of the night.

Winehouse, who was nominated for six Grammys, won best new artist and song of the year for "Rehab." The artist's performance via satellite from London was the most anticipated of the evening, and she did not disappoint, belting out "You Know I'm No Good" and "Rehab" in her trademark beehive hairdo and high heels. Immediately afterward, she won record of the year for "Rehab," breaking down in tears as she was mobbed by members of her backing band and her family.

Winehouse has been plagued by substance abuse issues in recent weeks, for which she entered rehab. Her visa to attend the Grammys in person was initially denied by the American embassy in London, who reversed their decision late last week, but not in time for Winehouse to make it to Los Angeles.

West, who led the field with eight nominations, won four Grammys, including best rap album for "Graduation." "A lot of people said hip-hop is dead," he said. "The art form wasn't popping like that anymore. I wanted to cross the genres and show people we can still express ourselves with something fresh and new."

West performed "Stronger" with help from Daft Punk, who he samples in the track, and then shifted into a heartfelt, sung tribute to his mother Donda, who died suddenly last fall. Tina Turner and Beyonce teamed for a glitzy segment, culminating in a duet on "Proud Mary," while the Foo Fighters were accompanied by the fan-voted My Grammy Moment contest winner, violinist Ann Marie Calhoun, on "The Pretender."

If you want to catch all the action and drama, tune onto M-Net at 8:30pm.

ALICIA KEYS - THERE’S “NO ONE” LIKE HER

The lady that brought back the soul to R&B, Alicia Keys, has made a welcome return to the music biz after taking a three year sabbatical in which she used to hone her acting skills. After giving surprisingly good performances in flicks such as “Smokin Aces” and “The Nanny Diaries”, the New York native has just released her third studio album. Tentatively titled “As I Am”, Ms. Keys says the album will reveal a side of her that we haven’t seen yet.

Her current single “No One” has been receiving massive airplay on TV and radio outlets; the song sees Keys flaunting a new swagger and personality. She is more confident and no longer has qualms with using her beauty as an empowering tool. Entertainment Weekly magazine in the states featured a lengthy and interesting interview with the R&B songstress and we decided to post it on Encore as well for your convenience.

Here it goes:

Given an industry beset by downloading and diminished sales, tight radio playlists and one-hit ringtone wonders, a career artist is becoming a rare commodity. But ever since Alicia Keys hit the ground running in 2001 with her first No. 1 J Records debut, "Songs in A Minor," industry observers predicted the talented ingénue had staying power.

The 27-year-old has definitely made a good head start. Within the last six years, Keys has scored two more No. 1 album debuts, 2003's "The Diary of Alicia Keys" and 2005's "Unplugged." And expectations are high that "As I Am," her third studio album (Nov. 13) will echo the success of its predecessors. Already, the first single, "No One," has reached the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and has cracked the top five of The Billboard Hot 100.

And yet Keys, known for all-nighters in the studio or hopping from a film set by day to recording music at night, knows she needs to keep the promotion cycle under control. These days, Keys' biggest challenge may be the volume of work it takes to reach her fans in international markets and on every platform.

Indeed, Keys was run down a bit prior to the recording of "As I Am." "It was a tough time over the past 12 months," the singer says. "From the start, I'd been going nonstop [between touring, performing, awards shows, etc.] and it got to the point where I felt I was losing touch with my own feelings . . . I wouldn't say no to anything. It wore me down, and I got depressed. I was smiling and going through the motions but inside I was becoming too guarded and closed."

Sitting at her keyboard in a Burbank, Calif., bungalow on this afternoon in mid-September, the picture of calm, such troubles seem far away, however.

"I'm feeling really excited because I can't believe this music," Keys says of "As I Am." "I'm excited for other people to be connected to it."

A STEP BACK

It took a tragedy to help Keys refocus her energies for this album. A close family member became ill, she says, and it put her career in perspective. "It helped me get back in touch with my real emotions," Keys says. "I decided to take some time away from this . . . to spend time and visit with my relative, and from that I began to understand what had been troubling me, understanding life and God's will . . . That and other experiences over the past year left me with music bursting out from me. That's when I knew it was time to record."

As the title implies, "As I Am" offers more insight into Keys the artist. Deeper and more diverse in terms of its influences, the album, which reunited her with J Records A&R president Peter Edge, was born out of a period of self-reflection.

Keys recently collaborated with Floetry's Ambrosius on "Go Ahead," a female empowerment anthem about remaining true to yourself despite what others do or think. "It'll have you standing up and throwing a fist into the air," Ambrosius says.

Keys becomes animated and a throaty laugh erupts when asked about "No One," currently No. 4 on the Hot 100.

"This is one song that just wrote itself," says Keys, who breaks into singing a snippet of the song. "A lot of the songs didn't happen like that. It was one of the last songs I wrote. I needed to say this. It's full force, classical yet vintage, desperate yet triumphant. I want people to feel my soul."

The central idea of the song—that no one will shake Keys' confidence in her feelings—is eminently relatable to music fans of every stripe. And that relatability has been key to the timeless appeal of her music.

Still, Keys says, she stays true to her music and isn't too conscious of what her fans may think. "Whether people get me or not, I will still feel great," she says. "I have to do what I feel. But," and the throaty laughs erupts again, "you do feel extra great when people can get you."



BIG PLANS

Keys' style has transitioned over the years, from cornrows, scarves and blue jeans to a more sophisticated look: flowing, unfettered tresses and designer dresses. It's this more mature Keys that will be adorning newsstands via covers of Las Vegas magazine, Ebony, Jet, Trace and others.

Those covers are part of a broad marketing strategy that is a team effort among Keys, manager Robinson, J Records VP of urban marketing Carolyn Williams and J Records' Corson.

Keys will benefit from the usual campaign components - promotional travel, online presence, including Clear Channel's "Stripped" and AOL album listening parties, as well as a series of webisodes being posted regularly on Keys' Web site. But this time around, for example, the Keys camp worked an unprecedented (for them) relationship with Conde Nast. In exchange for performances on CBS, artists received advertising packages in Conde Nast publications. Keys also has a relationship with Target that includes a customized TV spot and a premium edition of "As I Am," packaged with a special DVD.

Keys and Robinson are also developing other film projects under their production banner, Big Pita, Lil' Pita. Their projects include "Zora," a dramedy about a biracial 15-year-old whose coming-of-age issues were inspired by Keys' childhood. (The network is to be determined.) Also in the works is a show for MTV, a film with director F. Gary Gray ("Set It Off") and a remake of the 1958 comedy "Bell, Book & Candle." This last project is part of a BPLP's multi-year production deal with Disney.

"Acting is a cool way to bring in multiple worlds the way others have," Keys notes. "Barbra Streisand, Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones: That's my mix."

One of her biggest ambitions currently on the cinematic front is to make music for films.

"I am dying to do some scoring," Keys says. "When the right thing comes along, I'll do that for film and theater. I don't like to do what everybody else does [clothing, perfume, etc.]. It has to be something I can do with a twist, something special. If it's something average, I don't want to do it."

It's this approach that keeps Keys in a league of her own. And it's an approach Keys says will stay rooted in her singing.

"Years from now I'll still be doing something with music," she says. "I still believe that's my destiny. I see it as something that will be in my life forever. I hope to be remembered as someone who respects and loves music, who brought something fresh and inspiring. I want to be remembered as a person of the people who had a voice and used it like a Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield."

MS. KEYS IS BACK!

The First Lady of Soul, Alicia Keys, is preparing to make a comeback with her long-awaited third album. The piano maestro has been off the music radar for a minute now while pursuing an acting career in Hollywood where she has managed to impress moviegoers and critics with appearances in a number of flicks.

The New York native who has sold over twenty million albums worldwide and has won numerous awards, including nine Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, and three American Music Awards, has been working on her third studio album, As I Am which is due out on in November.

Keys spoke to MTV about her upcoming album: "It's coming together incredibly. I am in love with this album. It's very fresh and new". The album is said to feature John Mayer on two songs—"Lesson Learned" and "Heavy Times". Linda Perry and Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry will also collaborate with Keys. Song titles revealed so far have been "No One" (the album's lead single), "Superwoman", "Savior", "Reckless", "Kiss Me Like You'll Never See Me Again", "Sweet Tooth", and "The Thing About Love".

To promote her upcoming album, Ms. Keys has appeared on the covers of 3 major mainstream American magazines, an anomaly even for an artist of her calibre. The unfathomably beautiful songbird graces the October issues of Uptown, Complex and Ebony magazines with edible pictorials that remind us of what we’ve been missing since she’s been gone.