Alicia Keys Didn't Realize Lil Mama Crashed Performance With Jay-Z

Alicia Keys Didn’t Realize Lil Mama Crashed Performance With Jay-Z

Photo courtesy of Alicia Keys/ Instagram.

Singer Alicia Keys spoke on her performance with Jay-Z at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards that was crashed by Lil Mama recently. Keys discussed the infamous performance while appearing on the Drink Champs podcast on Dec. 9.

Podcast host Noreaga asked Keys if she was upset Lil Mama jumped on stage doing her “Empire State of Mind” performance with Jay-Z. The singer admitted that she wasn’t even aware that Lil Mama was on the stage until Jay-Z told her afterward backstage.

“The truth of the truth truth truth—,” said Alicia. “All I know, we was on that stage. In my head, I was such a gorilla at the time, my eyes—I was like, ‘This is what’s happening. I’m gonna destroy this record tonight.’ That’s all I had in my head. Somehow, however she got over here, I didn’t even bear witness to. The whole show, I was iced, so focused on making it amazing. I went backstage and Jay was like, ‘So, you ain’t see that?’ I was like, ‘What?’ He was like, ‘Nah, you ain’t just see what just happened?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, we killed it! That’s what just happened!’”

As Keys and Jay-Z performed their hit “Empire State of Mind” at the awards show in New York City, Jay-Z went down into the audience. As he returned to the stage, Lil Mama rose from her seat and followed him onto the stage. As the performance ended, she posed alongside the rapper and Keys as if she’d just performed.

Jay-Z gave his opinion on the interruption in an interview with Angie Martinez in September 2009.

“Me personally, I would never do that,” he said. “I would never have the nerve to do that. It’s just like, someone’s up there performing, we worked, we went to rehearsals, we did run-throughs. We worked really hard at the performance to put on a show for people and to interrupt that moment for us, I don’t think that was the right thing to do.”

“I’m cool with her being excited and all that,” he continued. “I understand that. But you also have to understand that people put in work to make that performance happen.”

Keys forgave Lil Mama for her faux pas and said she understood that she’d just gotten excited. She added that Lil Mama was also from New York.

The “Fallin’” singer gave an interview to “The Morning Hustle Show” and also admitted she had no idea Lil Mama was onstage.

“Of course. Listen, to this day, I truly never knew she was even on the stage — that’s the craziest part of the whole thing for me. I was on that stage, JAY was in the middle, she was on the other side of JAY, and I never saw her. Never…So umm, that was wild to me. But I absolutely — it’s not even a statement. That was then. You know, she’s from New York, too. You know, I think she really felt the energy of the record and she loved it and she couldn’t hold herself back. Look, this is what my music does to people. What can we say?”

Keys was on the podcast to promote her new album, “KEYS.”

She posted an announcement on Instagram before a performance in Dubai with a teaser. She also posted mote teasers.

“#KEYS. IS. HERE 💙💙💙💙🔓🔓🔓🔒🔒🔒I’m In Dubai about to perform the most insane show I’ve ever done! I can’t sleep cuz I’m crazy jet lagged and I’m SO excited for y’all to hear this music!!!!!! I’m Giving you all of me on this!! This album is gonna F*CK your head up! I hope it becomes an instant classic for you! It’s Gonna take you somewhere so special Meet me in the ZONE! I need every one of you to go listen NOW!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥.”

Keys’ husband, Swizz Beatz, collaborated with her on “KEYS,” which is now available.