"Alicia Keys"

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Speaker 1 Scotty and I are here in England still, right in London. And before we leave, we're talking about going to Paris while we're over here because it's like, when are we going to be over here again?

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Speaker 1 Hey guys, so I go back home tomorrow to Los Angeles. I've been in New York for quite some time.
I've really missed my dog, Ricky. I haven't seen him.

Speaker 1 Sorry, in a while.

Speaker 1 Sorry.

Speaker 1 Sorry.

Speaker 1 And I'm really excited to see him. Sorry.

Speaker 1 Really excited to see.

Speaker 1 Really excited to see him.

Speaker 1 Does it not sound like I'm crying? Should it sound like I'm crying more?

Speaker 1 No, it was great.

Speaker 1 Welcome to a new Smart List. Smart.

Speaker 1 Smart.

Speaker 1 Smart.

Speaker 1 Let's.

Speaker 1 What is that like? Peanut butter toast? Why is Krispie treat?

Speaker 1 So dessert. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Speaker 1 It's 15 minutes shy of 10 a.m.

Speaker 1 And you're eating dessert. Well, it's my breakfast, really.

Speaker 1 Okay. I mean, rice krispies are a breakfast cereal, but when they're baked with marshmallows, I guess it kind of takes away.

Speaker 1 And chase it with some cow pus. That's what I.

Speaker 1 So walk me through just a little bit. Walk me through this morning, because you've been out of town for a minute, and you came home, and there was a fresh pan of rice krispie treats.
Oh, my God.

Speaker 1 Yeah, there was, actually. Did you make it? No, I didn't make it.
Somebody else made it.

Speaker 1 Was it a request or did you say, hey, when I get home, I want a full pan of Rice Krispie treats ready? No, there is a person that I know that knows what I like.

Speaker 1 When you say no, do you mean to say paid?

Speaker 1 Maybe just a little bit. Is this a good friend who just gives it out of the goodness of their heart?

Speaker 1 Do you doctor up the rice krispies? Some people like to drop M ⁇ Ms in there and be great. No,

Speaker 1 this is done regular. It's like breakfast, though.
It's just the breakfast. It's cereal.
It's the marshmallows. Will mention a really good point.

Speaker 1 There's no difference between this and this, like this and the milk.

Speaker 1 Except for the melted down marshmallows into a glue situation. Yeah, a little bit.
All right. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 we got through that. Will we start the recast process? I don't know how much longer we're going to have Sean with us.

Speaker 1 What a wonderful ride home we had together. What wonderful time spent we had in New York together.

Speaker 1 We did have a nice time in New York. We got so much fun.

Speaker 1 We got to see our friend Robert's play, which was amazing. Yeah, McNeil.
It's called McNeil. Go see it at Lincoln Center.

Speaker 1 Robert was so good. Robert Downey was so good in that play.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 How cool was that to go there and see him do that and just excel and be.

Speaker 1 It was a lot of work. It was very admirable to see.
Oh, anything on stage is just nuts. Sean, you should try

Speaker 1 going on stage

Speaker 1 somewhere

Speaker 1 and showing people what you can do. I think you'd like to.
Can I eat some rice krispies if I go on stage? If your colon lasts long enough to book some sort of a Broadway gig.

Speaker 1 Has anybody ever done a Broadway show wearing a diaper? Do you know?

Speaker 1 Hey.

Speaker 1 Sean, you know, I will say one of the things I enjoyed about going that night was before and afterwards with a very sort of New York theater crowd, seeing how many people you know in the community.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it was really fun. Oh, funny man.
Yeah, it was, it's good to see all those people. It's just like, you know, just like this coast.
Everybody knows everybody.

Speaker 1 I really want so badly to do that,

Speaker 1 to do something on stage. Will, you, you, but you better be careful because they're going to, somebody's going to hear that.
No,

Speaker 1 I'm screaming it. I, I just don't know when the time would be the best time, the right time with the kids really.

Speaker 1 Stuff that I'm working on. And it's a full, I almost, as you know, I almost pulled the trigger this fall to do something.

Speaker 1 But you've done a bunch in the past, right?

Speaker 1 Yeah, but not on Broadway, but not on Broadway. But on Broadway.
But some New York theater, yeah. Yeah, but I mean, goddamn, is it a million goddamn years ago?

Speaker 1 But I really was like,

Speaker 1 you know what, Sean, I was inspired by you and how great you were. Oh, you're very sweet.
And it's true. And I thought, God, that really looks like a lot of fun.

Speaker 1 And seeing Robert do it looks like a lot of fun. But I, it's always.

Speaker 1 It's you have no life. You literally go from the apartment to your theater.

Speaker 1 But that's part of the thing that appeals to me, too. It's like, you know, New York City is one of my favorite places in the whole world.

Speaker 1 I've always wanted to live there, but I worry that if I just picked up and moved there, I would be like, whoa, okay, what do I do all day?

Speaker 1 You know, because as an actor or a director or whatever, you know, before you're working, you're not doing anything. Right.
You have to do it. And doing

Speaker 1 a play would give me rehearsals all day. And then once the rehearsals are done, now I've got something to do at night.
And then filling a day is, you know,

Speaker 1 a lot of the day, Sean, it feels like a lot of the day and and correct me if i'm wrong is

Speaker 1 taking care of your health yeah is pt physical therapy because you're like what do you mean i got it but it's re it's the repetitive motions day after day every single day of like repetitive that's why and

Speaker 1 from off the plate into mouth off the plate into mouth

Speaker 1 shoulders

Speaker 1 but in the play in robert's play if you remember there's this one moment where the guy playing his son pushes him on the couch and the first thing i thought of was oh my god his leg must be killing him because his leg hits the arm of the chair of the couch and then he falls on the couch.

Speaker 1 Falling on the couch isn't horrible because you get cushioned.

Speaker 1 But when his leg hits the couch, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, twice on Thursday, Friday, and then twice on Saturday, you have to go get that like PT, a physical therapy to like figure out how to, or wear like a

Speaker 1 pad or something. Yeah.

Speaker 1 The people with incredibly admirable

Speaker 1 true labor situations

Speaker 1 in the world are, they want to come through the microphone and blow your brain out.

Speaker 1 Oh, is he banging his leg on a couch

Speaker 1 once a night?

Speaker 1 They're like, these fucking clowns. No, I mean,

Speaker 1 these guys building buildings or fighting wars. I know, totally.
I get it.

Speaker 1 I'm just in our little, you know,

Speaker 1 privileged world.

Speaker 1 How many of our listeners are operating a jackhammer while they're listening to us, do you think? I don't know. By the way, I got home from New York to, you

Speaker 1 our house here in L.A., and I forgot that I stopped using a sheet under the under the bed. The comforter? Yeah, under the comforter.
And it's great.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Yeah.
So have you guys, do you guys still sleep with a sheet and then a duvet? No. Because I can't do it.
It gets in your legs and you get to get yourself. I go one better.
I go one better.

Speaker 1 Amanda and I have two separate duvets so that there's no midnight, mid-night fighting over the duvet. Oh, that's right.

Speaker 1 I can cocoon myself. She can cocoon her.
You can knock on the door

Speaker 1 and enter her cocoon

Speaker 1 if it's a special night.

Speaker 1 That's how the kids were made. Yeah.

Speaker 1 You asked to enter her cocoon. Knock, knock, cocoon, enter.

Speaker 1 You're very traditional that way. Permission to board.
Well, it's permission to board is the language she prefers. And then flutter in like a butterfly.
Permission to board.

Speaker 1 I'm sorry, you're in the back tonight. Wow.

Speaker 1 Wow.

Speaker 1 I stole that trick from you, JB, with the separate duvets. Very, very good.
It works, right? Yeah. Oh, God.

Speaker 1 But don't you agree that the

Speaker 1 sheet you get tangled up in that. That nonsense.

Speaker 1 I don't get it. Yeah.
I don't get it.

Speaker 1 All right. Here we go.
All right. It's not the classiest

Speaker 1 transition into our classy guest, but it's going to have to do. Gang.

Speaker 1 What is an impressive number of Grammys to win? Okay.

Speaker 1 Sean, you go first. Any more than one? Will? Yeah.

Speaker 1 I would say one is very impressive. One is amazing.

Speaker 1 But two, like more than one. Right.
It wasn't a fluke. No, no, correct.
Exactly. Well, three would definitely

Speaker 1 go higher. I feel like you're going to go.

Speaker 1 What would eight do for you? Well, that would be impressive. That's a bounty.
Right. If you doubled that, it would be, it'd be outrageous, right? So that's what she's gone and done.

Speaker 1 She's won 16 Granny Awards.

Speaker 1 She's also a best-selling author, New York Times list. She's a producer of film and television and Broadway.
She's an entrepreneur, a force in the world of activism.

Speaker 1 She has sold over 65 million records and has had over 5 billion streams.

Speaker 1 We can talk about her music, her skincare line, her art collection, or her new Broadway hit, which has received 13 Tony nominations. I've seen it.
It's incredible.

Speaker 1 Please welcome the one and only Alicia Keys. Oh my God.

Speaker 1 That was goodbye.

Speaker 1 This is amazing. It's a very impressive intro.
Amazing. I didn't embellish any of it.
Wow. Hi.
Oh my God. It's so nice to meet you.

Speaker 2 I'm so happy to see you.

Speaker 1 Jason texted me or emailed me like a couple months ago or I don't know, three or four months ago. He's like,

Speaker 1 you're the Broadway king or queen. No, I think I said queen.

Speaker 1 Tell me what show to see, and I told him to see your show.

Speaker 1 Oh my god, was it good? My goodness. I went with my 17-year-old daughter, and we lost our mind.

Speaker 2 That's the vibe right there.

Speaker 1 So damn good.

Speaker 1 Remind me, I apologize. I should know this.

Speaker 1 The actor that plays you or the version of you, she was just stunning.

Speaker 2 She's amazing. Her name is Malia Joy Moon.
She's

Speaker 2 turned 22.

Speaker 2 This is her very first kind of foray into this world. And she's the protagonist of Hell's Kitchen named Allie.
So it's awesome.

Speaker 1 What is that like? What is that? I mean, the most obvious dumb answer opener. Yeah.
I mean, dumb question, sorry, is

Speaker 1 what is that like to have gone through that process to go, wow, this phenomenal talent is singing my songs and like playing a version of me-ish kind of. But what was that like? That must be crazy.

Speaker 2 Right. So, Hell's Kitchen is definitely, it's not autobiographical, but it is based on my experiences growing up in New York.
Right.

Speaker 2 And so, finding that power, that girl, that young woman who's on the precipice of kind of, you know, finding who she is and rebelling against all the people that want to confine her and keep her safe in a box and all those things.

Speaker 2 And especially based in New York in the 90s, it definitely required a certain energy. And that was actually really tricky to find because, you know, you can't act certain things, you know?

Speaker 1 Yeah, she had, she did have like this intangible sort of swagger and comfort in her skin and this presence that was just magnetic from the very start, you know, and she just took you the whole way through it, as did the rest of the cast.

Speaker 1 It was yeah, it's gotta be hard to find that person.

Speaker 2 I mean, yeah, you know, it definitely, you know, we workshopped. We developed this piece for 13 years, so

Speaker 2 it definitely took quite a long time. But I think that the coolest part was really, you know, when you do find those spirits and that energy.
Same with the mom who plays Jersey Shoshana,

Speaker 2 who is just like,

Speaker 2 she's exploding your brain.

Speaker 1 You can't even.

Speaker 2 So it's thrilling.

Speaker 1 I would imagine that maybe at the beginning, 13 years ago, you might humbly say that you're not young enough to play that part right now, but I would disagree with you.

Speaker 1 But certainly 13 years ago, it must have been a conversation at some point that you might play that part, maybe? You know, I really,

Speaker 2 I

Speaker 2 didn't plan to play the part. I mean, maybe there was conversations at times, or maybe it would be like we could do some fun

Speaker 2 limited moment of it or something.

Speaker 2 But I realized that it really is so, it's so cool to be able to just come to the theater, watch the show. You know what I mean? Like not have to deliver.

Speaker 1 It's a lot less work to watch it than to be in it. Am I remembering correctly that you did perform with them at the Tony's?

Speaker 2 I did. I did.
I did, you know, just

Speaker 2 harvest the New York energy for the movie.

Speaker 1 That must have been exciting to like to be on stage with them and do some of that stuff. Yeah.

Speaker 2 And that was my first, that was my first Tony's ever, you know, so that was a unique experience.

Speaker 1 Super cool. That's great.

Speaker 1 Have you done a musical

Speaker 1 or a play or anything as an actor?

Speaker 2 As an actor, I have not. As a producer, I did

Speaker 2 a play called Stick Fly, which was one of the most written by Lydia Diamond. It was one of the most unique, incredible pieces about a family, a black family in Martha's Vineyard.

Speaker 2 And it was like stunning.

Speaker 1 It was really, really unique.

Speaker 2 That was one of the first ones.

Speaker 2 But this would be my first musical.

Speaker 2 Would you, do you have any desire like what we were talking about earlier to go on stage and do a play either as an actor or or or a dancer singer you know in a musical you know i have to say that i have the utmost respect for these artists i think that uh artists and musicals are by far the most talented you have to be a triple threat at all times you have to deliver every single part of it i don't know if i would have that stamina and that capacity yeah you seem you seem kind of limited in what you can do in this life

Speaker 1 no no for you for knowing your ceiling. No, but I was just talking about, like we were talking about it before you came on, Alicia,

Speaker 1 the stamina of it, you hit it, which is the stamina of it, not just going and being amazing, performing and singing and doing all that, but doing it night after night.

Speaker 1 It's mind-blowing. Yeah, but you do it, Alicia, when you go on tour.
You do it on tour.

Speaker 1 It's kind of like a...

Speaker 2 It's totally like tour, for sure. And tour is hard.
Tour is not eight nights a week, eight shows a week, or nine shows a week. It's not, you know, I'm probably doing five shows a week maximum.

Speaker 1 Still.

Speaker 2 But I definitely, and I think that's what, as the lead producer of the show and also just the, I think me having that experience is definitely different for them because they know that I do understand the rigor and the power and the energy it takes to harness to bring that together.

Speaker 2 So they definitely feel like understood by me and I totally understand it. So, but it's, it's incredible watching them work.
And so, yes, could I do it? Yes, I could do it, but I actually haven't

Speaker 2 done it yet.

Speaker 1 Right. Well, maybe, maybe you and I will do a two-hander.
I'll find something we can work with. This is a great

Speaker 1 news. Yeah, we're making news today.
We're gonna do it together.

Speaker 1 All right, so Alicia, so now

Speaker 1 speaking of that, of Hell's Kitchen,

Speaker 1 is the part you say it's loosely based on your upbringing or inspired by

Speaker 1 the

Speaker 1 tell me about the the early part of that of that story with the with the with the influence of the of the of of the mentor and and and the piano playing um

Speaker 1 how did all that how did you find the piano is that true to story there um

Speaker 1 how did take me through that start of the the musical sort of uh fascination for you um music fascination sorry okay the mute just music fascination for me separate of the musical.

Speaker 2 Correct, correct.

Speaker 1 Okay. How'd you start playing music? Right.
How did I start? Thank you for a direct question. Yeah,

Speaker 1 I do tend to flower.

Speaker 1 How'd you do music first? Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 Well, I guess

Speaker 2 I started playing piano

Speaker 2 around six or seven years old.

Speaker 1 Were people playing piano at home? Like, were your mom and dad super into it?

Speaker 2 You know, they weren't.

Speaker 2 I was raised by my mother.

Speaker 2 She was was definitely an artist, but not necessarily a musician. My grandmother, her mother, did play piano.

Speaker 2 So I do remember when we would, she would come watch me when my mother would have to go out of town for work or whatever. And she would play the piano.

Speaker 2 Or if we visited her, and she they grew up in Toledo, Ohio. So if we went to Ohio to visit grandma, she definitely would play piano.
So she was a person who played piano in my life, but

Speaker 2 the obsession with piano was felt kind of natural. It just, I was drawn to it in this very natural way.
I would pass the Steinway store on 57th Street.

Speaker 1 I was just

Speaker 2 nose to the window.

Speaker 1 Oh, really? I love that.

Speaker 1 I love that story too. And I don't even play piano, and I've always been fascinated with that story.
Yeah, I love it too. But did you sit down? So you started taking lessons.

Speaker 1 How old did you say you were? You were little? 67, 67. So did you sit down and were you like, yeah,

Speaker 1 I get this. Like, they're like, this is this.
And you're like, yeah, I kind of got this.

Speaker 2 It was definitely not as

Speaker 2 learning an instrument is not natural.

Speaker 1 It's difficult, you know?

Speaker 2 It's not, and especially as a young person and you're kind of trying to find your focus and how do you like put it all together and the ambidextrous, you know, using both hands at the same time, two different things.

Speaker 2 I remember when I first started playing Bach, who's one of my favorite composers, Bach, I just, I love the way like the right hand will take it and then the left hand will grab it.

Speaker 2 But your left hand, I'm a right, I'm righty, so my left hand is not as strong as my right hand so the practice that it would take to kind of be able to find the fluidity was really really hard so i definitely didn't remember being just like oh poof i can play right

Speaker 1 right right but how about the the bach like impromptus and the fugues where we're like you're saying like you have to all cylinders have to be firing with the left but the right is trained it's easier to play the right because the right always plays the melody and the left is the foundation the bass so there's very few composers that write as intricately as Bach for the left hand.

Speaker 1 So it's kind of a screws with your mind. That's why I look at a drummer and I'm like, okay.

Speaker 1 I thought playing piano was hard. Drummer, you got to have all limbs going all the time.
Like, I don't understand that. And independent of one another.

Speaker 1 There's a drummer. I don't want to, just to sidebar, there's this drummer.
I swear to God, he's a Spanish drummer and his name is like Estapio or something. He's made his name for himself.

Speaker 1 He's become quite big on Instagram.

Speaker 1 Oh, I know this guy. Do you know that guy? Yes, yes.
He's the most incredible drummer. Alicia, you can't believe this guy, what he can do.
It's unfortunate.

Speaker 1 Send me one of those because I love drumming.

Speaker 1 Oh, I will.

Speaker 1 And there are people out there who have Instagram accounts that are almost based solely on watching him play on his Instagram account.

Speaker 1 And then they just spend, they're drummers who are going like, what the hell is this? How did he do this?

Speaker 2 And how did he do this?

Speaker 1 And he's like, no, it's really easy, everybody. And he does this.
And then all of a sudden the left leg, and then he's got, and he's got like a triple bass pedal sometimes going at the same time.

Speaker 1 Like it's not really. That's crazy.

Speaker 1 But so you learn,

Speaker 1 so you're learning that stuff. Like you're, and it, and then,

Speaker 1 but there's the moment where, where, what, it just like, it just hits you? Like, how do you know?

Speaker 1 When did the crossover from classical, like when we were kids, we all kind of took those classical piano lessons. Right.

Speaker 1 I stayed on that path for many, many years. And you went, wait a minute, what's this? This isn't classical.
This is much cooler.

Speaker 2 I think that, well, at first I started to really discover,

Speaker 2 I discovered jazz and like unique,

Speaker 2 I really discovered stride piano, and that was actually really cool for me.

Speaker 1 Scott Joplin. What's that? Yes.

Speaker 2 It's like, bung, bung,

Speaker 1 bad, da, babe, bang, bang, babang, dang,

Speaker 2 and so you, the way you play, it's like, it's a lot of jumping,

Speaker 2 striding, and you're doing. So you're, it's a whole nother way.

Speaker 1 It almost sounds like boogie woogie, like a little, you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 It's the beginnings of it for sure. Because it was like the 20s and, you know, interesting.
And so it's really cool. And I remember my piano teacher used to make me play it blindfolded.

Speaker 2 And she was really trying to make sure that I could get out of like trying to look and just try to find it. And it was terrifying.
I was like, I can't.

Speaker 1 How can I? Like Luke Skywalker, right? How can I?

Speaker 2 And she was big on, she was big on like, never apologize. Oh, I'm sorry.
I messed up. Don't apologize.
Do not apologize.

Speaker 1 And if I made a mistake, she's like, I would go back. She's like, never go back.
Just keep going forward, right? Don't acknowledge the mistake.

Speaker 2 Just go. And I think that taught me a lot.
I think that taught me a lot to just like, just keep rolling. Just keep trying to find your way through.

Speaker 1 Great life lesson. Didn't always work, but just try to keep going.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 We'll be right back.

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Speaker 1 And back to the show.

Speaker 1 So you end up going through high school? Did you go to like a performance arts type school?

Speaker 2 I did. I went to a performing arts junior high school like seven, eight, nine, and then all the way through high school, professional performing arts school.

Speaker 2 It was like a small version of the fame school, so that was cool. Nice.

Speaker 2 But there, it was more music,

Speaker 2 it was more vocal, singing, arranging. And that's where I met my teacher, Miss Aziza, who actually

Speaker 2 the character of Miss Liza Jane in Hell's Kitchen is based, is inspired by Miss Aziza, that teacher, and my grandmother, kind of a mixture of the two of them.

Speaker 2 And I met her there, and she was a big influence just on kind of like arranging and singing and harmonizing and creating and producing. And as a woman.

Speaker 2 And also when I put my eyes on Nina Simone, she was a woman that truly like just blew my mind.

Speaker 1 I was like, oh, she's great.

Speaker 2 Oh, this is crazy. And that was the mixture of classical and R ⁇ B and soul and blues.
And that's where I started realizing, oh, you can merge and fuse these sounds.

Speaker 2 And then hip-hop was a big inspiration for me just on the streets in New York. So it all kind of came together.

Speaker 1 It's such an exciting.

Speaker 1 We hope it works out for you.

Speaker 1 Is that woman that was your mentor there at the performing arts school, she still with us?

Speaker 2 Yes, and believe it or not, she plays piano for the Miss Liza Jane character in Hell's Kitchen.

Speaker 1 Oh my God, no way.

Speaker 2 That's for real.

Speaker 1 That is cool. That's amazing.
That's insane. It's so cool.

Speaker 1 Because that was going to be my question. Like, did she get to see any of your success? So she's still here with us and is a part of it.

Speaker 2 It's a bust.

Speaker 1 How rewarding is that?

Speaker 2 Very, very. I mean,

Speaker 2 when that was a conversation, and you know how on Broadway, it's like quite

Speaker 2 like all industries, it's quite institutionalized. And there's like kind of a way that things go with the thing.

Speaker 2 And you hire the people that are always hired in the thing, and you do the thing that's always done in the thing. And so it was really a big, really...
big part of it.

Speaker 2 And I think everything is evolving now to really start to break through those

Speaker 2 traditions that are now ready to evolve. And so to really bring people into into the mix that maybe aren't normally in it really creates just another energy.
And I think you feel it.

Speaker 1 It is an interesting

Speaker 1 medium, right?

Speaker 1 Talking more about theater Broadway specifically.

Speaker 1 The backbone of it is supported by the folks that have been going there for years and years and years, the subscription audience.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 I'll bet that it's a very complicated and disciplined process to try to transition that somewhat conservative audience into the more modern takes on art and what qualifies as entertainment nowadays and all this sort of atypical stuff.

Speaker 1 It's a really a lot of interesting things going on there right now. Well, I would imagine, but what do you think? I wonder if a lot of those people also, what percentage of them,

Speaker 1 when you do sign up for that, when that's your thing, you're kind of saying to a group of artists or a group saying, take me on a journey, like open my mind to new stuff. I'm here.

Speaker 1 I want to see what is new. Like it's a little bit of both.
Do you know what I mean? Probably. Yeah.
You hope.

Speaker 2 You hope.

Speaker 2 I think people want a great story. And I think that what happens is

Speaker 2 when you're able to deliver

Speaker 2 a story, if it's a song, if it's a play, if it's a musical, if it's theater, if it's a film, if it's a piece of art, like if you're, if you're able to create this emotional connection, I do think that if you do it in a slightly different way, but they can follow the emotional arc of it, then people are open.

Speaker 2 I think that that's at the heart of a lot of things.

Speaker 2 Even with a great song, you might completely create a new genre, but when you have that song that you know you can sing and you feel it emotionally, it really doesn't actually matter ultimately.

Speaker 2 So I think there's something that people are looking for that connects to them.

Speaker 1 Jason's a real storyteller.

Speaker 1 I think he was about to say that.

Speaker 1 Can I ask you about that then? Because this is a little off topic. But like speaking of drums, I always listen to like just the drums in a song.
Most people listen to the lyrics.

Speaker 1 I've tried to listen to the lyrics and train myself to be that kind of music,

Speaker 1 enjoy music in that way. But so often I can't hear.
what they're saying.

Speaker 1 And so to go to your point about if it's, you know, you're telling a story through lyrics and through a song, do you ever battle with that when you're recording and and it just sounds better to kind of not enunciate a line?

Speaker 1 But then do you battle yourself going, yeah, but if they miss that line, they kind of miss a part of the story. Do you ever have that struggle as a

Speaker 1 good point?

Speaker 2 I mean, there's definitely lines that just because of the emotion of it or the way that you want to deliver it, it might not be as clear as ever.

Speaker 2 And definitely that's more, even now, like there is like this

Speaker 2 way of delivering that, not necessarily clear, but as the songwriter, because I am the songwriter, I do feel connected to wanting to

Speaker 2 wanting the lyrics to connect to each other. You know, I want to be able to do that.

Speaker 1 And to be clear so that people can kind of follow. Jason, you used to always think that song was, I want to know who Doug is, right? You always think that.

Speaker 1 That was hard.

Speaker 1 I will be honest, though.

Speaker 1 The last time, one of the last times I looked up lyrics, because I was a part of a song I just couldn't understand

Speaker 1 and now feel like I'm an idiot that I didn't was Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of. I was just like, oh, yeah.

Speaker 2 No, no, no. People have all types of, they say, concrete jungle, wet dreams, tomatoes.

Speaker 1 They have all kinds of crazy.

Speaker 1 I have one. I have one.
It was an old song from the 80s from a group called Till Tuesday, Amy Mirror. And it was hush.
Hush, hush. Hush, hush.
Voices carry.

Speaker 1 And yes, and the lyrics are hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry. And all through high school, I was like, hush, hush, hush, we go downtown.
It's so scary.

Speaker 1 Wait, wait a second.

Speaker 1 Wait a second. I want to say

Speaker 1 because JB, you brought it up, Empire Stead of Mind. I mean, that song is,

Speaker 1 it must be kind of... It's an anthem.
Yeah, it is an anthem. It's such an iconic iconic song, an iconic song about New York.
It's so emblematic of a time.

Speaker 1 There is part, I love that. I don't think that there's anybody who hears that song who doesn't turn it up

Speaker 1 and get and feel good. And even those sort of like, you know, millennial white chicks are like, that's my fucking jam.

Speaker 1 You know, I think it's replaced. It's the modern day Frank Sinatra version of New York, New York.
Like, it's like, it's the

Speaker 1 new anthem. Alicia, it's incredible.
Do you feel

Speaker 1 not a burden? I don't want to say a burden, but like, just not a burden. That's a, because that has a negative connotation.

Speaker 1 But do you, are you able to appreciate or understand how meaningful that song is?

Speaker 2 I feel so like stunned by many of the songs that like become a soundtrack to people's life. It's like crazy.

Speaker 2 And for it to just live and evolve and continue to be like a staple like that, but particularly for my hometown. I mean, that is my home town.

Speaker 2 And the craziest part is,

Speaker 2 you know, there was a moment where that song wasn't even going to happen. Really? Or it wasn't going to happen with me because

Speaker 2 there were some things at the time and Jay was kind of trying to get into touch with me about doing the song.

Speaker 2 And at the time, the people that I was working with, whatever happened, it just didn't get to me.

Speaker 2 And he was going to have to move on because he was like,

Speaker 2 I don't know. It's not working out.
I can't get a response.

Speaker 1 It's not going to happen. Literally, just because he couldn't get in touch.

Speaker 2 I find it so hard to believe that Jay-Z couldn't get in touch with alicia keys you know what i mean your reps were putting up too high a wall it wasn't progressing in the way that needed to happen to make it happen and i wasn't aware of that fortunately he was friends with a friend of mine and you know that was kind of how we got a chance to connect and i was like what what do you mean you haven't heard from me i'm i'm here i am what do you mean isn't that funny everybody outside like my idea it's like oh everybody in the music world must know each other everybody yeah you know we know we definitely we you know a lot of people and you connect in a lot of ways and then sometimes you don't, you know, so there's no hotline.

Speaker 1 Right. Let me call these.

Speaker 2 So thank goodness that happened because, man, it was, it would have been crazy for it to not happen. And so that and hearing the way that song has taken, you know, just its own place in the universe.

Speaker 1 What was that process like recording that song as much as you're comfortable talking about? Like, how did that sort of... So he gets in touch with you and he's like, what?

Speaker 1 How is Tuesday at 11?

Speaker 1 So was it his song that he brought you into or vice versa?

Speaker 2 He had begun the song. So he was like, here's the vibe of it.
Here's the beginning of it.

Speaker 1 Because you're a songwriter on it as well.

Speaker 1 Correct.

Speaker 2 And there are also other tremendous songwriters on it. So it's like it's one of those songs that had that right collaboration of all the right people together.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 so it had the beginnings of it. and it was starting to really take shape.
And when I heard it, I was like, his lyrics weren't even completely finished. He maybe had like a beginning of a verse.

Speaker 2 But you could tell. You could just feel it.

Speaker 2 All the parts were just incredible. And so I was like, man, we got to do this ASAP.
And I remember the soonest I could do it, I was in L.A.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 so I was like, all right, I'll cut it while I'm in L.A.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 I was there and I wasn't feeling the best. I was a little bit sick.
I was on tour. I was a little bit run down.
So I sing the song. I gave it my all.
I sing it.

Speaker 2 I send it back. And he's like,

Speaker 1 we'll be in touch.

Speaker 2 Do you think you could sing it one more time?

Speaker 1 And I was like, what? Like, what do you mean? Sing it one more time.

Speaker 1 What do you mean?

Speaker 2 Why do I have to sing it one more time? But I was sick.

Speaker 2 I mean, we can't sing a New York song in LA. It's just like,

Speaker 1 you got to be in the space. I I said that to Sean so many times.

Speaker 2 So we were able to take it back again. He was like, can you put some of that like when you go, uh, yeah, uh-huh can you do some of like all that and then do it one more time.

Speaker 2 He said that he had to like He had to think about how he was gonna call me and tell me this for like a decent amount of time. He's like, how do I say this in a way that feels encouraging? Right.

Speaker 2 But sure enough, I got back to my studio in New York. It was the right time.
I felt much better.

Speaker 2 We delivered the whole thing and that's when it like really got that magic and that's the version that you hear when we when we redid it again it's pretty funny but it was great.

Speaker 1 Have you guys have you guys performed it together? I think at the even at the Tony's like I feel like he was like on a different stage maybe or uh-huh.

Speaker 2 We performed it at the Tony's together. We performed it at the World Series

Speaker 2 of the Yankees the Yankees World Series. That was one of the first places we performed it.
Oh my god, I gotta perform it.

Speaker 2 And then we did another one. Maybe it was like the

Speaker 2 or something like that so we maybe three times like

Speaker 1 three or four times we've done we did one where i took over times square and the whole times square and every like building had i'm gonna look that up too was that shot that must be on youtube that was insane that must have been i mean by the way also not just in new york if you're in times square you're blocks away from where you grew up like you're right there i remember getting off a stage that night i was like if i if this is my last day

Speaker 1 I'm good.

Speaker 2 Like I'm good. I feel like I'm good.

Speaker 1 That's why Sean said when he walked out of an Arby's once.

Speaker 1 And they had all the horsey sauce he could handle.

Speaker 1 So

Speaker 1 did you remember that sauce once you're in the middle?

Speaker 1 Did you ever allow yourself to even dream of things like that when you were,

Speaker 1 and is this true? When you signed your first record with your first record label at 15,

Speaker 1 did you think, well, I am starting nice and young here. Things are looking good.
Something like performing in Times Square, getting Tony's, Grammys, all that stuff, that is possible.

Speaker 1 Did you allow yourself to dream that big?

Speaker 2 I feel like

Speaker 2 there's things that you definitely dream of. And I do feel like the big stage singing in front of the mirror, like one day they'll all sing my songs.

Speaker 2 I do remember having those moments because you were, you know, you're looking at a Whitney Houston or a Michael Jackson.

Speaker 2 And you're like, man, maybe one day would it be like that i remember feeling like that i do recall that when we you know speaking of the time square when we did take over at times square i remember feeling like i never dreamed this big before like i never even thought that something like this so what does that do does it make you nervous when it hits you like that does it do you get like Does it, are you like, gosh, I don't know if I'm deserving of this?

Speaker 1 This is weird. This is freaky.
Or did you like, you know what? I worked hard. I deserve to be here.
Like, what was the emotion behind that when you first felt that?

Speaker 2 I definitely have gone through my don't deserve this phase for sure. Had plenty of that.

Speaker 1 I woke up that way. All of us.
Get in line, yeah.

Speaker 2 But I think that in that moment, I felt like this adrenaline, this like unbelievable adrenaline. I'm like, we shut down the entire Times Square.
There's...

Speaker 2 2,000 cops out here making sure that all the people have their place to be. We have every screen.
We meticulously chose how each screen is going to reflect the songs we're singing. I I was like,

Speaker 2 this John Mayer's coming out. Jay-Z's coming out.
Quest Love is playing drums. I'm like, this shit is out of control.
I more felt like a disbelief, like an adrenaline excitement pinch me.

Speaker 2 How did this happen?

Speaker 1 I'll see, you were there. You were pressed.
Well, I bet.

Speaker 1 Yeah, and I bet if you're, I bet because, like you said, like... Having that moment of saying, like, I never dreamed this big.
This is beyond what I thought.

Speaker 1 You almost don't have a chance maybe to be nervous because you have no preconceived notion of being in this situation.

Speaker 1 That's a good one.

Speaker 2 Do you know what I mean? That's a good one. I mean, you feel nervous because I feel like that's a healthy emotion.
Like, you know, you feel those.

Speaker 2 That's why I guess it's adrenaline more because you feel like that energy and you feel like, whoa, let me, let me.

Speaker 2 And I think what I do remember, though, especially during this time, I remember feeling like I was starting to talk to myself about being comfortable being great.

Speaker 2 I wanted wanted to become comfortable being great and not somehow kind of getting in my own way for it, you know. And that's actually a conversation that I have to have often with myself.

Speaker 2 Like, you're going to take this moment and you're allowed to execute this moment to the highest capacity, as opposed to like, I'm going to fuck this up. This ain't going to go right.

Speaker 2 This, you know, all these things that we allow in our life.

Speaker 2 So I just like, I remember I was talking to myself in that way. So I was like, go, like, go, go, just go.
And, and I felt it.

Speaker 1 That is so evolved. That is,

Speaker 1 I just felt that too. I don't need to write it down because I never, I'm not.
I don't want to tattoo that.

Speaker 1 I never have to worry about Keddie being great, so I don't have to worry about it. Will, don't you say that, Lily? No, it's okay.
Will you get over here?

Speaker 2 Wait, is that a double negative or like a double positive?

Speaker 1 No, I know. I'm just, I'm leaving the door open for all you guys to go.
Complimenties.

Speaker 1 Alicia, where did you, you know, I mean, we were talking about that, that sort of, God, writing this songs like that, and all the right, when did you start? When's the moment?

Speaker 1 I'm always interested when you're playing and you're learning how to play and you're going through and you're developing your skill and all that and your artistry.

Speaker 1 And then when do you start writing a song? When do you have the audacity to write a song? Like I wouldn't have the guts.

Speaker 2 You know, I love that question. My first, the first time I had the audacity to write a song was 11.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 it was actually a really important moment because I had lost my grandfather And that was the first kind of big loss in my life in that way that just felt so like, whoa, I didn't know what to do with it.

Speaker 2 And it was the first time that I was moved to write because I felt something that was so genuine that I had to write the thing. And that was the basis of how I learned how to songwrite.

Speaker 2 And so that's actually my style of writing. I write because I feel the thing to write.

Speaker 2 And so even though it was a sad time for me, I do feel like it connected me with the idea of how do you bring out whatever that emotion is into real life.

Speaker 2 And so that was when I first wrote. That was my first song.
My second song I wrote at 14, and that was, that actually made it on my first album.

Speaker 2 And that was kind of like because it was my first love and I just had this feeling and I never felt that feeling before. And so I wrote that type of feeling down.
And that song is called Butterflies.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 that's on the first album.

Speaker 1 That was a second song.

Speaker 2 And that was kind of my first other one and then from there you know other things kind of flew

Speaker 1 well so uh that now so that first first album was uh songs in a minor yes yes and was uh a big hit massive success yeah and so when you walk into your second album did you did you allow yourself to be great or were you playing defense you know what how early on did you did you start to kind of lean forward and and go okay let's get going and let's have a long career here?

Speaker 2 I mean, there was definitely always the talk of the sophomore jinx.

Speaker 2 I mean, people always say, like, that's when it, you get your whole life to write your first album, and then you get like two months to write the next one or whatever it is.

Speaker 2 But I remember feeling pretty supported

Speaker 2 to be able to go in and just start to craft and play. It was my, I had just come off my first tour.
That was like a mind-bender because I was just like, what are all these people doing here?

Speaker 1 Why are they here?

Speaker 2 And when I was able to kind of release that and be back into a quiet space back in New York, it felt really nice just to be like in that universe.

Speaker 2 I didn't, at the time, I thought I had to work every hour of every day, of every minute, of every second, because I had to like deliver this thing.

Speaker 2 So I didn't understand the balance yet of like, how do you actually enjoy and then create? And I didn't have that down yet. But I felt like I had time to create.

Speaker 2 And then all of a sudden, once we found the first song, then time kind of got cut short and they were like now we're moving let's go um so i but i didn't i didn't so that was actually a very difficult process because i was continuing to write and promoting the record before the record was finished and that was that was that was hard for me as like 22 or 21 or whatever i was at that time and i remember just asking because i was in europe and we started in europe and i asked them to please sit me in a in a restaurant for whatever 800 hours of interviews that we were doing so I could see the Eiffel Tower.

Speaker 2 We were in Paris.

Speaker 1 I said, I just want to see the Eiffel Tower.

Speaker 1 That's insane.

Speaker 1 Actually, that's a really great move. I really like that.

Speaker 1 Because you're like, hey, if I'm going to be stuck here doing this, I want to look at something nice. Yeah, I want my experience to be kind of

Speaker 1 good. I love it.
In the place, in the space. Great.
You know what? That's a really good sign of self-care. You've got like a healthy dose of self-care on you.

Speaker 1 Speaking of self-care,

Speaker 1 you've branched out into

Speaker 1 how would you qualify a skincare line? No.

Speaker 2 I would call it a lifestyle. I wouldn't call it a lifestyle brand, but it is based in, it's called soul care.

Speaker 2 And it is based in these offerings of skin care or body care that really give you the opportunity to connect with a deeper part of yourself.

Speaker 2 And so we have affirmations on every bottle and everything is kind of, you know, there's crystals and ancient rituals and all these beautiful organic ingredients that really help. Oh, yeah.

Speaker 1 Let me tell you, let me tell you that the skin thing is working because your skin is like perfect. You look 12.

Speaker 2 Listen, I'm just happy that we're not going to use this recording because I'm like, great, I could just jump out the shower.

Speaker 1 That's why we do it.

Speaker 1 That's why we don't release the video. Exactly.

Speaker 1 Yeah, they don't have to worry about what they're going to wear, what their hair is looking like, what the exact hair is.

Speaker 2 So thank you.

Speaker 1 Thank you. It's the best.

Speaker 1 And we will be right back.

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Speaker 1 And now back to the show.

Speaker 1 Now,

Speaker 1 going back to allow yourself to be great, I would imagine the roots of that, if not verbatim, was given to you by

Speaker 1 an adult in your life when you were younger.

Speaker 1 And if that was your mom, do you,

Speaker 1 have you had that kind of, you have you have children now? Are they, have you had that yet? Do you enjoy sharing that and helping, you know, these little birds jump out of the nest?

Speaker 2 I do. I mean, it's really, it's really incredible the conversations that we have.

Speaker 2 And also just like observing them and seeing what they're feeling and what they're experiencing and also allowing them to draw their own conclusions too, which is a, which is, you know, unique because I think sometimes as parents or as people who have more experience, you always want to kind of lay your whole thing on a person.

Speaker 2 And sometimes.

Speaker 1 Cut some corners for them.

Speaker 2 You do. Like if you just listen to me, I swear.

Speaker 1 But kids,

Speaker 1 home and parents are the last place

Speaker 1 and people kids listen to, right?

Speaker 1 It seems like the older they get, especially in teenagers, you guys tell me I don't have kids, but it always seems like their lessons and the inspiration and the motivation always come from outside sources, which is so weird because as a parent, you're like Jason, like you're saying, you're just like, no, but listen to what I'm telling you.

Speaker 1 Right, but they need to like make their own scars too. Yeah, because it's just noise, I guess, after all.
But they do have, they do have, I have all boys, and my teenage boys,

Speaker 1 I'm always like, well, don't take my word for it. I mean, you know, I only got this far.
And they're like, well, but they don't, yeah, they don't care.

Speaker 1 They're like, sure, whatever. Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, right.

Speaker 2 You know, I think that I do think they definitely get a lot from outside, and especially now, like all of the phones, the social medias, like crazy the amount of information that they're getting, which some of it is like, you know, incredible.

Speaker 2 Like they're actually leaps and bounds ahead of us in so many ways. And some of it is just like, man, there's so much to figure out what's real and what's not real.

Speaker 2 And, you know, what do you learn from that? Or what do you take from that?

Speaker 2 So I think although they are getting a lot of information from outside, they do know if you open a door, they do know that they can trust.

Speaker 2 when they speak with you that you know they can kind of share their thoughts and it is a safe place.

Speaker 1 I'm always surprised.

Speaker 1 yes that's a good point i'm always surprised and i'm going back on what i just said i'm always surprised when there are kids there are parents who've done who've done it correctly where the kids do listen to what their parents say and they do listen and there's a there's a respect there that the parents have taught the kids so that as they get older they actually listen to what their parents say.

Speaker 1 I've witnessed this both both sides, you know, both versions.

Speaker 2 I think they hear you.

Speaker 2 Sometimes they might not do exactly what you want them to do do or you're hoping they do but they they are they do internalize what you're saying yeah yeah and it comes out at in different points

Speaker 1 and i know what i've what i've started hearing more and more lately and i i think i'm i'm a believer in it is that as as articulate as you can be as as profound as you can be with the shit you tell your kid really the thing that penetrates and and and and holds with them is example like they watch you they watch you do what you do and and and not what you do and

Speaker 1 yeah, living a good example, I think, is the best thing you can give your kid. I think that's true.
And I think that goes for kind of all relationships, too.

Speaker 1 I think just with people in general, and I have a good friend, we talk about this all the time, which is

Speaker 1 you can't really coach people up. You can only model it.

Speaker 1 And yeah, especially people that you're really close with, it's really tough in an interpersonal relationship to coach them up to say like, hey, you need to be doing this or, hey, this is how you.

Speaker 1 And all you can do, and certainly it goes, JB, to what you were saying, like it goes like that for your kids. You just model it and you just behave a certain way.

Speaker 1 And your kids, what I know, again, I'm no expert, but my kids, my reaction to stuff gives them a lot of information. That's right.

Speaker 1 So if they're, if they get a bad grade or if they get a thing like that, if how I react to it is really important in informing them on how that they should.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I think so.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 1 I want to talk about, we're almost out of time here. We want to let you get back in your busy life, but

Speaker 1 your passion for art

Speaker 1 and your considerable collection with your husband.

Speaker 1 Talk to me about that. I know that

Speaker 1 you enjoy discovering and supporting new and emerging artists. And did it start with that, your fascination with art, your passion for art?

Speaker 1 Or was that just a part that became sort of the philanthropy of it all?

Speaker 2 Man, no, I mean, my husband really is an incredible lover of art. And he has an uncanny ability to really identify artists that are

Speaker 2 going to be, you know,

Speaker 2 the next, next, and the next. And so it's unreal.
And so, and that's because he actually, he actually, we are artists, obviously. He also is an artist who who draws and paints.

Speaker 2 And so there's this, there's this real genuine love for the art that I think comes from being artists and connecting with artists and also, you know, being in a position of owning our art and being the custodians of art in a way that like is

Speaker 2 protecting it, you know, not just exploiting it.

Speaker 1 And so that's. But you're displaying it too, right?

Speaker 1 Isn't your collection, a portion of it, on tour right now?

Speaker 1 It is.

Speaker 2 It started at the Brooklyn Museum.

Speaker 2 It's called Giants. We called it Giants because it's all these oversized works of artists.
And it is also, we consider the artists

Speaker 2 in the exhibition giants of their craft,

Speaker 2 their masterpieces.

Speaker 1 And you hate the Jets. And what? And you hate the Jets.
Because the Jets. Right.

Speaker 1 And the Dodge. I was like, wait, wait, wait, wait, what?

Speaker 1 Who are the artists?

Speaker 1 Alicia, who are the artists? I'm really interested. I'm so jealous of you.
Who are the artists that you really, that are exciting you right now? And they don't have to be new.

Speaker 1 Like, what are the things?

Speaker 2 There's so many incredible, unbelievable artists. I mean, in Giants, we actually just opened it at the High Museum.
So it's touring now in Atlanta at the High Museum.

Speaker 2 And man, all of the artists in this exhibition are...

Speaker 2 completely tremendous. Jordan Castile is a beautiful young artist that we adore.
Amy Sherrold is super incredible. And when you see these works of art, it's unbelievable.

Speaker 2 Jamel Shabazz is paired with Gordon Parks.

Speaker 2 So you see the photography the side of the lens from the 30s the 40s and the 50s and 60s up to jamel shabazz starting in the 80s and it just really shows the pass-off of the inspiration i'm the super super dummy asshole who doesn't

Speaker 1 who wished they understood it like i yeah but you know but sean we talked about this this summer which is i'm so new to it i i realized about five not i've always known this but i I said to somebody, I met a bunch of artists this summer and I kept saying, I have this crazy blind spot in my life, which is I never appreciated art in a way, or I never understood it.

Speaker 1 I never spent the time. And I feel like.
You're like, we don't go to museums. I felt really delinquent or galleries or go to shows.

Speaker 1 Yes, because I'll go, because I'll go to a museum and there'll be a canvas, a painting that is from the floor to the ceiling, that is massive, that takes up the whole wall, and it's just painted one color.

Speaker 1 It's just painted black, or it's just painted red, or whatever it is.

Speaker 1 And I'll go i could have done that that's dumb and then somebody go no that's brilliant because and then i'll go oh wow it's kind of fascinating yeah well i went into i met this i met uh and he was there the other night i met so this summer i i met and hung out a couple times i went to his house because he's a friend of a friend to rashid johnson's house and he's got all this art in his rash got all this and a bunch of his own art and i'm like

Speaker 1 and he and he was the guy and i said i go rashed i got to be honest with you i don't know anything about art and he was and literally he was so kind and he goes I got you. Right.

Speaker 1 And so we started talking and he started kind of like educating me.

Speaker 1 I really want to learn. I actually want to learn.
Dude, and what's really, what I found is, you know, I started reading biographies on artists. And it gives you such a sense of who they are.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 And then when you do that, then you start to appreciate their process. Kind of like how you found soccer, right?

Speaker 1 Will like you start learning about kind of the players and the whole sort of drama behind the team. Yeah, just like anything.
That's exactly how I got into it. Yeah.

Speaker 1 And when I discovered the blend of rice krispies and marshmallows, I was like,

Speaker 1 oh, you were the one eating the marshmallows and the rice krispie trees. I was trying to figure out who.

Speaker 1 Oh, listen.

Speaker 1 He's a test kitchen for the Kraft Food Corporation.

Speaker 1 He does it while we record.

Speaker 1 Let me ask you a super dumb practical question. You say all these pieces of art,

Speaker 1 these works are large scale.

Speaker 1 How do you, you live in New York City. You can't have the wall space to house all these things.

Speaker 1 Where do a lot of them live? Or do they just kind of, do you lend them to museums? Are they always on tour? Like, how do you go about buying large pieces?

Speaker 2 Well, this is the first time that they exhibition this particular version of our collection, because this maybe represents about 30% of the collection.

Speaker 2 So this particular part of the collection is touring for the first time. And it is actually

Speaker 2 the first touring exhibition of color ever in any of these museums of a private collection. So,

Speaker 2 this is really a very, very important and special thing. And one of the things we did realize is not only

Speaker 2 is it really giving so much exposure to so many brilliant, brilliant artists, Ebony G. Patterson, Michelin Thomas, Titus Kaffar.
I mean, you go, when you see this exhibition, you do have to see it.

Speaker 2 It is stunning. There's also a book that goes along with it.
The Giants book is spectacular.

Speaker 2 But otherwise, it would be in storage.

Speaker 2 And as much as it has to be kept safe and stored properly, but how beautiful it is that people from all walks of life can go see this art and to your point, feel actually connected to it, not just like they're seeing something that they don't really connect to.

Speaker 2 And when you see these works, you like, you see things in your life. You see, you're emotional.
It really brings you to beautiful spaces.

Speaker 2 And for everybody, not just certain walks of life or certain people to be exposed is really the point.

Speaker 1 Yeah, and it's so generous of you guys to do that, to let the public see, because these are all one. It's like someone coming over to your house or something.
Yeah, exactly. It is like that, actually.

Speaker 1 So for you to, otherwise people would have no chance to see all this stuff if you did have all the wall space, you know, some big, huge place.

Speaker 1 The fact that you're touring it is philanthropic in and of itself. So that's very, very cool of you guys.
It's a public service.

Speaker 1 I'm just looking it up. It's so cool.
So it's right now at Atlanta's High Museum, right? Is that right? It is. Yeah.
And then

Speaker 1 it was at the Brooklyn Museum. That's so cool.
I want to go back to one question because I just want to know, do you still get nervous? I want to go to Atlanta and see it. Sorry.
I do too. Yes.

Speaker 1 Do you still get nervous performing at all? Because before we talk about adrenaline versus nerves. So do you get like,

Speaker 1 before you perform, do you get at all nervous anymore? You're just like, no, I got this. I've done this.
I know this. It's in me.

Speaker 2 It kind of depends. You know, it's like when I've been on tour for six months, I'm good.
i'm like okay i know what i'm doing i'm gonna go out there and i'm gonna bubble

Speaker 2 at the beginning i think of everything there's there is such a beautiful feeling of like do i have this is this gonna go right scary isn't it you know are they gonna get necessary fuel yeah yeah but i think it's really cool because you do get a chance to kind of like you you you you just give it a shot so i definitely can feel nerves when i'm when i'm crafting something new or you know even just you know i'll start creating new music soon, and even that, I'm like, how do I want to start that?

Speaker 2 Like, how do I want to create the space for that? What does it want to feel like? So, I even think about, like, what do I want to do?

Speaker 2 And there's this beautiful book called The Sage Warrior by a woman named Valerie Carr, who's this incredible.

Speaker 2 She's a, she's, you know, she's a lawyer, she's an activist, she's a woman who just a writer, she does all this incredible stuff. And she paired this book with this album of music that represents

Speaker 2 the theme of the book. Yeah, And I said, you know, when I start to create, I just want to sit in a room and I want to read the book and hear the music.

Speaker 2 And I want to, like, what does that make me feel?

Speaker 2 And so just creating space for like, how do you create or what do you want to bring out of yourself? It's scary.

Speaker 2 But just to allow the space for you to do it is

Speaker 2 the first step. But so yes, do I even get nervous? You know, so to your point, I even get nervous kind of writing songs, writing new songs.
More than performing.

Speaker 2 Performing or performing for the first time an idea that, or, you know, a lot of times when it's just me, if I'm doing a piano show only, I feel the most nervous because I'm like, man, I don't have anything to cover up or hide.

Speaker 1 There's no safety nets. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 Right. Like, this is it.
But I've learned that, you know, it's also okay to just make mistakes and like you're a human. Yes, I know.

Speaker 1 And that's the thing that got me. out of being a classical music pianist, like to perform live.
Because because I did it for like you know 15 years or 20 years or something

Speaker 1 and every single time I would go out like for to compete in competitions or whatever it was so I just wanted to shit my pants every single time I'm like what's the joy like and because if you're playing Beethoven or Chopin or Mozart whoever it is the notes are the notes like those are the notes and if you miss them everybody hears it at least the people judging you hear it right and so you can you can miss it and go on but in your it breaks breaks you down the second you start missing a passage and you know i was performing in college once with with this mozark and share in the orchestra behind me and i blanked on like for half a page i stopped playing and the orchestra kept going and i was like oh my god i'm sweating i'm like how am i it's just me on stage terrified 2 000 people and i'm like and then you finally the i don't know how i got back in but you just get back in i'm like you know what i'm out i'm not doing this this is not a career no it's psychologically really and then you won a tony for paying playing gershwin all by himself on stage which was which was a challenge that i wanted to overcome jay that's such a great point because i was like if i'm ever going to live my life and get over this incredible uh nerves i have about performing the piano for you man i just have to tackle it yeah go right through it did you play on stage did you play oh yeah oh yeah every night

Speaker 1 every night

Speaker 1 all by himself with a big grand piano the rhapsody and blue front start to finish rhapsody and blue start to finish. Yeah, yeah.
To end the show. It was a core section of it, yeah.

Speaker 1 It was very moving. Whoa, that's very nice.
Not why I told the story, but thank you. No, but it does seem like we backed into it, though, a little bit better.

Speaker 1 Pretty good.

Speaker 1 Go ahead, Sean. I was going to say, Elisa, you know,

Speaker 1 all three of us have either lived or stayed in different parts of New York City. Is there a favorite of yours?

Speaker 2 A favorite part?

Speaker 1 Yeah, because we all kind of.

Speaker 1 We all just got back from there. We all just got back from there, what, yesterday? We came back to Harlem.
Oh, amazing. Was it yesterday?

Speaker 2 I mean, somewhere between Harlem and Hell's Kitchen is definitely my son.

Speaker 1 On the Westside.

Speaker 2 Yep. I feel like I've always been a Westside girl.
I really like it there. It has the energy.
Obviously, Hell's Kitchen is where I was raised.

Speaker 2 And then Harlem, I did a lot of growing up in my teenage years. And there was, and obviously, Harlem was also a different place then.
It was just so unique.

Speaker 2 And the culture was just so clearly its own universe. And so there was so much that I received from being able to be exposed to that.
So I say it's somewhere between Harlem and Hell's Kitchen.

Speaker 2 Even now,

Speaker 2 you know, I spend a lot of time uptown and I just really like it. So I'm kind of uptown west, somewhere in that universe, Midtown, Harlem, and Hell's Kitchen.
That's my vibe.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I'm a west side university. Well, we're going to let you get back into that incredible city and your life.

Speaker 1 And you're just an absolute delight. I'm so, so happy.

Speaker 1 I was going to say, I kept wanting to say

Speaker 1 I could listen to you talk.

Speaker 1 You're so unbelievably in touch with yourself and you're able to articulate so well

Speaker 1 your connection with yourself.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it's unbelievable. Honestly, it's so cool.
Thank you guys.

Speaker 2 I'm really glad to

Speaker 2 be able to be a part of your crew today.

Speaker 1 Adam and me. We're so lucky.

Speaker 2 So excited to just build with you guys.

Speaker 1 This is likewise. Thanks for doing it and keep putting out all this incredible stuff.
I can't wait to see what you do next. Yes, and I'll look you up on the West side.
Yes.

Speaker 1 Thank you guys.

Speaker 1 Thanks, Alicia. Thanks for the rest of your day.
All right. Bye, soon.
Thank you.

Speaker 1 Bye.

Speaker 1 She's just like,

Speaker 1 I mean, listener, I wish you could have seen the sunshine on her face.

Speaker 1 She had a grin on her face the whole time. Yeah.
She's just such a like that's somebody who's like, this is what I'm going to do. This is fulfilling to me.

Speaker 1 And I'm not going to stop the rest of my life.

Speaker 1 And the way she's able to deliver how she's feeling and talk about her experience, her past experience, where she's at now, like the facility that she has. The facility? The facility

Speaker 1 that I obviously don't have is pretty.

Speaker 1 I found it remarkable. Do you find me as eloquent? Yeah, well, boy, I'm losing you.
Are you going through a canyon?

Speaker 1 I try not to find you. Put it that way.

Speaker 1 You know what? There is one song that I love by hers, but we're going to get to it later. It's called Goodbye.
She actually wrote a song called Goodbye. But before I say that,

Speaker 1 are you going to save that for your buy? Yeah.

Speaker 1 So sorry, you putting a steak in your. Thanks for previewing that for us.
We're ready.

Speaker 1 What are you doing? You're a disaster. Listen.
You're crashing from that Rice Krispie treat now.

Speaker 1 I sure is. Wait, can you hear it if I play it on here or no?

Speaker 1 No, probably not. Then we'll have to pay for it.

Speaker 1 What's your question, Caller?

Speaker 1 My question was, well, first of all,

Speaker 1 oh, the art thing. Like,

Speaker 1 I wish I'd give anything to be in Atlanta right now to see that show? Yeah, well, that, yeah. And also just to, like, learn about art.
I just don't.

Speaker 1 Well, you don't have to, you don't have to be, and there are a ton of, as she was saying that her husband is good at identifying emerging artists.

Speaker 1 There are, as you can imagine, every day tons of great young artists that you can go and you can kind of, and you, what you do is you, I know people who know about about it.

Speaker 1 So I start asking them a question. And you just go, I'm going to ask you the dumbest question.
You know, who do you like?

Speaker 1 Shit like that. Let me aware of it.

Speaker 1 So where? But you don't even,

Speaker 1 but not even what's good, because the good is different for everybody. You know what I mean? Just who do you like? And then you start identifying with other people.
And

Speaker 1 you have to be the ultimate arbiter of what's good. Developing your taste.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Because you can't rely on other people's opinion on art.
I mean, that sure drives the commerce.

Speaker 1 But I think what we're all saying, too, is that, like you said earlier, we are missing that in our lives.

Speaker 1 That's an entire, a modular,

Speaker 1 you know, there's a section of life that we can easily go by and we have gone by up and put it down.

Speaker 1 Put it this way. I don't know about you guys.

Speaker 1 I would look at like a Jackson Pollock my entire life and I'd be like, do that thing, which, you know, heathens do like me is go, I could do that.

Speaker 1 I could just drop some fucking paint splat on the thing. And then you start reading reading about his life.

Speaker 1 And then you start reading about where he was when he was doing those particular paintings and what was going on. And you have a different appreciation for what he did.

Speaker 1 And when you start to factor that in, it changes the way you look at it and appreciate it. Yeah, totally.

Speaker 1 Did you see this yesterday? This story came out yesterday where this kid, this guy found a Picasso and a

Speaker 1 Picasso painting in the bait in a basement somewhere. And this is years and years and years and years and years ago.
And the mom

Speaker 1 didn't know it was a Picasso, brought it over to the kitchen sink, used just soap and water to clean it off, and then

Speaker 1 hung it up on their wall. Look, it's in the background there.
You see it in the background?

Speaker 1 No way. Yeah.
Yeah. Of their house, and they didn't know it was a Picasso.
She's like, well, I'll just put this painting up. And they just found out like this week that it's a real Picasso.
This week?

Speaker 1 Yes, the whole fucking time their family. He said this in the background of their family photos.
No, no, he, they, yeah, and then they did the chat. You know, the people looked at it.

Speaker 1 That's pretty cool. That's kind of wild.
Well, there's all sorts of stories. There's the guy in, there was that guy

Speaker 1 who lived in Munich, and he was kept taking the train to Switzerland. They're like, what's up with this dude? And then he had a bunch of dough on him.

Speaker 1 And they go back to his apartment and they bust through the wall and they realize he's got billions of dollars worth of art behind drywall in his house, in this apartment.

Speaker 1 Stolen from World War II? Probably. You know, a bunch of it unaccounted for, but quite literally billions of dollars worth of art.
So there's all sorts of things about the art world that's kind of

Speaker 1 dubious when you start to get into the commerce of it, too. Like you go, well, where do you store the art?

Speaker 1 Do you know about the whole system of duty-free sort of port art storage that exists at airports in the world, a few different places? Wow.

Speaker 1 Yeah. So they have these big, huge

Speaker 1 warehouses that are like the utmost security, and they stay there. And because they're not technically in that particular country, they can store them there tax-free.
Is this art? Is this art?

Speaker 1 Oh, it is. Look at Sean and Scotty.

Speaker 1 Can I say this? And this is going to seem like a cheap joke, but when it looks like that, it's not art. It's fart.
That is fart.

Speaker 1 Because it looks like you're both farting.

Speaker 1 What's your favorite Alicia Keysau? I'm not sure, Sean. What's yours?

Speaker 1 Mine.

Speaker 1 Good job.

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