Alicia Keys, photographed exclusively for her feature in the October issue of Vibe magazine by Danielle Levitt in 2001.

She wears a black sheer long-sleeve top with a zip-up neck by Dolce & Gabbana, blue denim zebra-striped pants with snakeskin detail by Baby Phat, and a black leather belt by Plein Sud.

Brooklyn-based former executive editor of Vibe Lakán Angelo Ragaza writes about the new J Records artist in a walk-up studio in Alicia’s native West Side Manhattan neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen as she rehearses for her support act on Maxwell’s upcoming national tour in July. Alicia’s Songs in A Minor debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 1, selling over 236,000 copies at the time.

“It’s been one trial, one test of confidence and faith after the next,” Alicia confides to Vibe. “Success doesn’t just mean that I’m the singer, and you give me my 14 points, and that’s all. That’s not how it’s going down. I plan to expand, in every way possible.”

 

“The Maestro” 

Alicia Keys, photographed exclusively for her feature in the October issue of Vibe magazine by Danielle Levitt in 2001.

Brooklyn-based former executive editor of Vibe Lakán Angelo Ragaza writes about the new J Records artist in a walk-up studio in Alicia’s native West Side Manhattan neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen as she rehearses for her support act on Maxwell’s upcoming national tour in July. Alicia’s Songs in A Minor debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 1, selling over 236,000 copies at the time.

Father to So So Def Recordings’ Jermaine Dupri, Michael Mauldin signed Alicia to the Columbia label when he was senior Vice President of black music. But when he left the label, Alicia languished in development hell. “I think he had the vision for where she was going to be,” Dupri says to Vibe. “Nobody else had that same guidance as far as watching over her project and making sure it was going to go down the way he planned—a real project that you have to take your time with. It probably was a sour experience for her.”

“It’s been one trial, one test of confidence and faith after the next,” Alicia confides to Vibe. “Success doesn’t just mean that I’m the singer, and you give me my 14 points, and that’s all. That’s not how it’s going down. I plan to expand, in every way possible.”

 

Alicia Keys and “Ruff Ryders’ First Lady” Eve, photographed performing during the NFL’s Kickoff Concert in Times Square on September 5, 2002. 

The concert was a kickoff to the NFL's first game of the season as the NFL led an unprecedented day of music and football-themed festivities in celebration and countdown to the San Francisco 49ers Vs. the New York Giants game at Giants Stadium that night. Crowds saw live performances from Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesias, and Eve duetting with Alicia on stage adorned in tailored jerseys from their respective home cities.

Alicia and Eve duetted on the lead single “Gangsta Lovin’” from Eve’s third studio album “Eve-Olution” released in late August. The song became Eve’s second number two hit on the Billboard Hot 100, following 2001’s “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”. The two additionally appeared in the music video for “Gangsta Lovin’” together.

Televised by CBS, MTV, VH-1 and ESPN, the concert included recognition and support of New York’s September 11 memorial events with the NFL and the Players Association contributing about $10 million to Sept. 11 disaster relief funds. The game itself was a historic occasion as the NFL had never opened its season on a Thursday night before.

Then New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the party, which arrived six days before the first anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center: “What the city gets out of the event is a lot of money to help fund the ceremony downtown for 9/11 and a lot of money to help in the re-development of downtown," he said.

In addition to marking the NFL's new season, the "NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square" is also a celebration "of the resilient spirit of New York and America."

The 49ers would beat the Giants 16-13.

 

Alicia Keys, photographed as she arrives at the first Alexander McQueen New York store opening in Manhattan’s meatpacking district at 419 West 14th Street on September 5, 2002.

McQueen’s 3,600-square-foot store was his first in the United States accompanying newcomer Stella McCartney. Both stores located in the former meatpacking plants on 14th Street, west of Ninth Avenue and a few doors from Jeffrey’s, another designer clothing store. Other tenants on the block included the housewares shop Bodum and several art galleries. 

Jeffery Kalinsky, who opened Jeffery’s in 1999, said he welcomed the McQueen and McCartney stores: “It gives people more reason to come to the neighborhood,” he said.

In a statement, Mr. McQueen said the neighborhood “projects an exciting energy that is unique for New York and totally right for McQueen.”

Despite the influx of small shops, many retailers still considered the area remote and untested as a shopping district, said Robin Abrams a broker with the Lansco Corporation. “For fashion-forward retailers and designers,” she said, “this is making more of a statement than going to SoHo or NoLiTa.” 

Earlier in the day Alicia performed at the NFL’s Kickoff Concert in Times Square. The concert was a kickoff to the NFL's first game of the season as the NFL led an unprecedented day of music and football-themed festivities in celebration and countdown to the San Francisco 49ers Vs. the New York Giants game at Giants Stadium that night.

 

Alicia Keys, photographed in New York City by British photographer Platon in July 2001.

Platon was commissioned to shoot several artists from new label J Records including Angie Stone, Luther Vandross, and Alicia Keys.

He expressed in a magazine in 2001 that he was “expecting a nightmare.” “Normally, artists are very suspicious of each other. There’s a lot of competition and egos. I was expecting big entourages of people, a lot of attitude.”

But by the time Alicia arrived, all his fears had faded away: “She was as charming as she is beautiful,” he says of the young star. “She came in, drank a glass of water, and sat down. It was wonderful.” Further commenting that Alicia arrived to the shoot without stylists, makeup artists or wardrobe people, which surprised the photographer. 

Born in London and raised in the Greek Isles, Platon worked for British Vogue for several years until he was invited to NYC to work for the late John Kennedy Jr. and his political magazine, 'George.’ Shooting portraits for a range of international publications including Rolling Stone, the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ and the Sunday Times Magazine, Platon developed a special relationship with Time magazine, producing over 20 covers for them. 

 

Alicia Keys, interviewed for her role as "Alex" in Dove's micro-series "Fresh Takes" created and produced by MindShare Entertainment and MTV, premiering on March 24, 2008.

To celebrate Dove’s Go Fresh line launch, the personal care brand partnered with MindShare Entertainment and MTV to premiere a new micro-series starring Alicia Keys, Lynn Whitfield, and up-and-coming actresses Desi Lydi and Jessalyn Wanlim titled “Fresh Takes.”

Premiering during an airing of MTV’s reality program “The Hills” at 10pm/9c on Monday, March 24, 2008, “Fresh Takes” aimed at giving women a fresh take on life in their twenties. Following three New York City roommates as they embark on their adult lives juggling the pressures of being a 20-something woman -- career, relationship, beauty, family and friends -- all intensified by their own critical inner voice. Amidst these pressures, friendship, humor and honesty help them realize a wider definition of success and ultimately feel beautiful. Three-minute episodes were broadcasted weekly nationwide for over a five-week period on MTV. 

“It’s three of us in the series. We all kind of represent a different type of person," Alicia says in a video interview. "Alex tends to be the one that’s a little more level-headed, the one that kind of tells you what you really need to hear when you really need to hear it. She’s a lot like me, that is how I am.

She continues: “I think Dove Go Fresh is definitely very inspiring and relatable because it lets you know you’re not the only one that feels this way. I think that’s a good feeling to know that you’re not alone when you go through your different insecurities. Also, Dove Go Fresh created this series to really encourage my generation of twenty-somethings to just take a step back sometimes and don’t overwork yourself all the time and just…relax! It’s okay, it’s okay to relax. It’ll all be there when we get back. So, I really like that.

“And so I just feel like there comes a certain point where you just have to say to yourself, you know, even if its every two weeks, every once a month, ‘This is my day,’ and on this day I read all day in bed or I go to the museum by myself because I love it or I take a really long bath or I get a great massage or whatever it is. I think that it’s important for us as women to have that day, take that day where everyone else kind of just sits—you don’t answer your phone, it’s alright, they’ll be there when you get back.”

 

To celebrate Dove’s Go Fresh line launch, the personal care brand partnered with MindShare Entertainment and MTV to premiere a new micro-series starring Alicia Keys, Lynn Whitfield, and up-and-coming actresses Desi Lydi and Jessalyn Wanlim titled “Fresh Takes.”

Premiering during an airing of MTV’s reality program “The Hills” at 10pm/9c on Monday, March 24, 2008, “Fresh Takes” aimed at giving women a fresh take on life in their twenties. Following three New York City roommates as they embark on their adult lives juggling the pressures of being a 20-something woman -- career, relationship, beauty, family and friends -- all intensified by their own critical inner voice. Amidst these pressures, friendship, humor and honesty help them realize a wider definition of success and ultimately feel beautiful. 

“I am so excited to be starring in ‘Fresh Takes’ because it puts the pressures that I deal with every day in a new light and opens my eyes to the reality that I can be successful in many different ways and have every reason to feel beautiful right now,” said Alicia, who plays Alex on the show, via a press release. “I hope the series inspires other 20-somethings to get a fresh take on the pressures in their lives and start enjoying the ride.”

"We were launching Dove Go Fresh as the latest phase in the Dove campaign for real beauty. It was inspired by today’s real-life twenty-something women, who are more accomplished and more independent than ever before," said Kathy O’Brien, Dove Marketing Director, in an exclusive interview with JackMyers.com. "We wanted to incorporate the Dove philosophy as well as some subtle Dove product placement." 

Three-minute episodes were broadcasted weekly nationwide for over a five-week period on MTV. The series was also available on Dove’s website. Dove released a promotional compilation featuring Alicia’s 2007 single “No One.”