Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards including 14 Grammy awards and has sold over 75 million records worldwide. Billboard magazine named her the top R&B artist of the 2000–2009 decade, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time. In 2010, VH1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Keys released her first studio album, Songs in A Minor, in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 236,000 copies in its first week. The album sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States, where it was certified six times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It went on to sell over 13 million copies worldwide, establishing Keys' popularity both inside and outside the United States, where she became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. The album's lead single, Fallin', spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single, A Woman's Worth, peaked at number three on the same chart. The following year, the album was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor, which included eight remixes and seven unplugged versions of the songs from the original.
Songs in A Minor led Keys to win five awards at the 2002 Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for Fallin', Best New Artist, and Best R&B Album; Fallin' was also nominated for Record of the Year. Keys became the second female solo artist to win five Grammy Awards in a single night, following Lauryn Hill at the 41st Grammy Awards. That same year, she collaborated with Christina Aguilera for the latter's upcoming album Stripped on a song entitled Impossible, which Keys wrote, co-produced, and provided with background vocals. During the early 2000s, Keys also made small cameos in television series Charmed and American Dreams.
Keys followed up her debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, which was released in December 2003. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 618,000 copies its first week of release, becoming the largest first-week sales for a female artist in 2003. It sold 4.4 million copies in the United States and was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA. It sold nine million copies worldwide, becoming the sixth biggest-selling album by a female artist and the second biggest-selling album by a female R&B artist. The singles You Don't Know My Name and If I Ain't Got You both reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the third single, Diary, entered the top ten. The fourth single, Karma, was less successful on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 20. If I Ain't Got You became the first single by a female artist to remain on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for over a year.
Keys won Best R&B Video for If I Ain't Got You at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards; she performed the song and Higher Ground with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder. Later that year, Keys released her novel Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics, a collection of unreleased poems from her journals and lyrics. The title derived from one of her poems, "Love and Chains" from the line: "I don't mind drinking my tears for water." She said the title is the foundation of her writing because "everything I have ever written has stemmed from my tears of joy, of pain, of sorrow, of depression, even of question". The book sold over US$500,000 and Keys made The New York Times bestseller list in 2005. The following year, she won a second consecutive award for Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards for the video Karma. Keys performed If I Ain't Got You and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a rendition of Georgia on My Mind, the Hoagy Carmichael song made famous by Ray Charles in 1960 at the 2005 Grammy Awards. That evening, she won four Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for If I Ain't Got You, Best R&B Song for You Don't Know My Name, Best R&B Album for The Diary of Alicia Keys, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for My Boo with Usher.
Keys performed and taped her installment of the MTV Unplugged series in July 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. During this session, Keys added new arrangements to her original songs and performed a few choice covers. The session was released on CD and DVD in October 2005. Simply titled Unplugged, the album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 196,000 units sold in its first week of release. The album sold one million copies in the United States, where it was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and two million copies worldwide. The debut of Keys' Unplugged was the highest for an MTV Unplugged album since Nirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York and the first Unplugged by a female artist to debut at number one. The album's first single, Unbreakable, peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It remained at number one on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay for 11 weeks.
Keys opened a recording studio in Long Island, New York, called The Oven Studios, which she co-owns with her production and songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. The studio was designed by renowned studio architect John Storyk of WSDG, designer of Jimi Hendrix' Electric Lady Studios. Keys and Brothers are the co-founders of KrucialKeys Enterprises, a production and songwriting team who assisted Keys in creating her albums as well as create music for other artists.
In 2006, Keys won three NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Song for Unbreakable. She also received the Starlight Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In October 2006, she played the voice of Mommy Martian in the "Mission to Mars" episode of the children's television series The Backyardigans, in which she sang an original song, Almost Everything Is Boinga Here. That same year, Keys nearly suffered a mental breakdown. Her grandmother had died and her family was heavily dependent on her. She felt she needed to "escape" and went to Egypt for three weeks. She explained: "That trip was definitely the most crucial thing I've ever done for myself in my life to date. It was a very difficult time that I was dealing with, and it just came to the point where I really needed to—basically, I just needed to run away, honestly. And I needed to get as far away as possible."
Keys released her third studio album, As I Am, in November 2007; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 742,000 copies in its first week. It gained Keys her largest first week sales of her career and became her fourth consecutive number one album, tying her with Britney Spears for the most consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200 by a female artist. The week became the second largest sales week of 2007 and the largest sales week for a female solo artist since singer Norah Jones' album Feels like Home in 2004. The album has sold nearly four million copies in the United States and has been certified three times Platinum by the RIAA. It has sold nearly six million copies worldwide. Keys received five nominations for As I Am at the 2008 American Music Award and ultimately won two. The album's lead single, No One, peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming Keys' third and fifth number-one single on each chart, respectively. The album's second single, Like You'll Never See Me Again, was released in late 2007 and peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's third single, Teenage Love Affair, peaked at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. She released the fourth single, Superwoman, which peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
No One earned Keys the awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2008 Grammy Awards. Keys opened the ceremony singing Frank Sinatra's 1950s song Learnin' the Blues as a "duet" with archival footage of Sinatra in video and No One with John Mayer later in the show. Keys also won Best Female R&B Artist during the show. Keys, along with The White Stripes' guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White, recorded the theme song to Quantum of Solace, the first duet in Bond soundtrack history. In 2008, Keys was ranked in at number 80 the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists. She also received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards and won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for Superwoman.
In an interview with Blender magazine, Keys allegedly said "'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other, 'gangsta rap' didn't exist" and went on to say that it was created by "the government". The magazine also claimed she said that Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. were "essentially assassinated, their beefs stoked by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing". Keys later wrote a statement clarifying the issues and saying her words were misinterpreted. Later that year, Keys was criticized by anti-smoking campaigners after billboard posters for her forthcoming concerts in Indonesia featured a logo for the A Mild cigarette brand sponsored by tobacco firm Philip Morris. She apologized after discovering that the concert was sponsored by the firm and asked for "corrective actions". In response, the company withdrew its sponsorship.
Keys collaborated with record producer Swizz Beatz to write and produce Million Dollar Bill for Whitney Houston's seventh studio album, I Look to You. Keys had approached Clive Davis for permission to submit a song for the album. Keys also collaborated with recording artist Jay-Z on the song Empire State of Mind from his 2009 album, The Blueprint 3. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became her fourth number-one single on that chart.
The following month, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Keys with the Golden Note Award, an award given to artists "who have achieved extraordinary career milestones". She collaborated with Spanish recording artist Alejandro Sanz for Looking for Paradise, which topped the Hot Latin Songs chart. Keys released her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 417,000 copies in its first week. As part of the promotional drive for the album, she performed at the Cayman Island Jazz Festival on December 5, the final night of the three day festival which will be broadcast on Black Entertainment Television (BET). The album's lead single, Doesn't Mean Anything, has peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. Keys was ranked as the top R&B recording artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine and ranked at number five as artist of the decade, while her song, No One, was ranked at number six on the magazine's songs of the decade. In the United Kingdom, The Element of Freedom became Keys' first album to top the UK Albums Chart.
According to Songfacts, Keys said regarding the title of her fifth studio album, Girl On Fire. "Before making this record, in some ways I felt like a lion locked in a cage. I felt like a girl misunderstood that no one really knew, I felt like it was time to stop making excuses for any part of my life that I wanted to change. Once I made that choice I became a Girl on Fire, the lion broke free!!" The title track will be made available on iTunes and radio on September 4, 2012.
In May 2009, Swizz Beatz announced that he and Keys were romantically involved, and in May 2010, a representative for Keys and Swizz Beatz confirmed that they were engaged and expecting a child together. During the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the couple took part of a union and had the unborn child blessed in a Zulu ceremony, which took place in the Illovo suburb of South Africa. Keys and Swizz Beatz were married on the French island of Corsica on July 31, 2010. On October 14, 2010, Keys gave birth to a son, Egypt Daoud Ibarr Dean, in New York City.
1997
Warrior
Alicia Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh, If I can teach somethin' so dear
And hope somebody learn somethin' from it
And give it back
[Nas]
They can't break me or shake me
They too fake to come kill me
They mistake me I'm filthy
Rich off the ghetto madness, so now they want to dare me
It's gonna be a murder confront me, the burners are empty
Middle Passage I made it I'm from the land of David
The Nazarene of Bethlehem they had me wrapped in blankets
That bunch of backward gangsters
That sign of Alpha Davis
Snitches with smile-like faces got you blowin' trial I hear this
Hopin' my child can see through this tryna be a good daddy
I was there when she was born and she'll be there when I'm buried
Kind o' waitin' is scary
All my years have prepared me
What I fear is my temper, I subject to the center
Right through a man's soul
Straight through his eyes, straight through his heart I'm still alive how did I make it this far
'Cause I been high I been low, searchin' for a way to go
Every single night I pray
And Lord I'm on this battleground, lost just waitin' to be found
I guess it's just a warrior's way
[Chorus 1: Alicia Keys]
This is the song, for my warriors
A warrior song Bravehearted and strong, definition of a warrior
Definition of a warrior
Gonna keep marchin' on, to the sound of her own beatin' drum
[Nas]
Like King Nasir fightin' the
British regime I can't cope my existence is hope for younger teens who lost in their world
Earlier this year I buried my queen in a gold casket
Your mother's the closest thing to
God that you ever have kid I'm askin, what would you do at your own mom's funeral
Want to pick her up out of it, this can't be real
Tellin' my daughter grandma's gone, but
I can't keep still I can't go on, responsible for so many
Her last days at the hospital
Visits from family I'm tryin' not to bust shots at niggas
Wishin' death on other nigga's mothers ain't right but why mommy
She raised me in the projects alone
Her untimely exit from her, heavenly body
Got me ready to embody somethin' quickly
Can't be happy, fuck a party she can't party with me
So your apologies are burnin' ya own souls
To the kids with no parents at home, grab a whole
[Chorus 2: Alicia Keys]
This is the song, for my warriors
A warrior song
Bravehearted and strong, definition of a warrior
(Uh, warriors)
Gonna keep marchin' on, to the sound of her own beatin' drum
[Nas]
Fight 'til the fight is over, for my peoples I die see
When you thought they were soldiers they turned out to be nobodies
I think they out to get me, helpless was livin' sinful If you was me
All this pain I'm feelin would bend and killed you
(I'm a Warrior)
It only made me stronger
But in my head it gets darker who wishin' evil on ya
Sometimes I wish I was dead
But I took heed to the cause
(I'm a Warrior, yeah)
'Cause I been high I been low, searchin' for a way to go
Every single night I pray
And Lord I'm on this battleground, lost just waitin' to be found I guess it's just a warrior's way
[Chorus 1: x3]
[Nas]
To my warriors
To all these, baby Krucial
Keys! Braveheart y'all
This to all my warriors, who breathe with the heart of a lion
To everybody that lost their mother, their father
Rest in peace moms!
My mother's last words:
Never give up
A true warrior, who raised me in the hood, in a war
Love ya girl, why'kno keep marchin'
Yea yea yea, you never give up
To all my warriors, haha
Braveheart, Braveheart
Definition of a warrior
The lyrics of Warrior Song by Alicia Keys and Nas are a representation of the struggles that humans go through in their lives. The song is a reflection of Nas's personal experiences, as he talks about his life growing up in poverty and the various hardships that he faced. He is resilient and powerful, and this trait comes out in the song. The lyrics also discuss the passing of his mother and the impact it had on him. He uses his experiences to inspire and motivate others to never give up, get over life's challenges and move forward.
The chorus of Warrior Song mentions the idea of a person being a "warrior" and the symbolism behind it. The idea of being "Bravehearted and strong" is what sets a true warrior apart. The song depicts the warrior as a person with a strong heart and an unwavering determination to succeed. Throughout the verses, we see Nas reflecting upon his struggles and how he has overcome them to become the person he is today. The song also talks about the importance of perseverance and the need to keep moving forward, even when things get difficult.
Overall, the song portrays the idea of a warrior as someone who is not only strong but also compassionate and loving towards others. While it may be difficult to face challenges in life, it is essential to never give up and keep marching on towards one's goals.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh, If I can teach somethin' so dear
Nas reflects on the importance of passing down valuable knowledge to others.
They can't break me or shake me
Nas describes his resilience and inner strength.
They too fake to come kill me
Nas acknowledges that his opponents lack the courage to confront him directly.
Think they faith this was satan
Nas suggests that those who oppose him are misguided or misled in their beliefs.
They mistake me I'm filthy
Nas presents himself as an unconventional, unorthodox figure who defies easy categorization.
Rich off the ghetto madness, so now they want to dare me
Nas draws attention to his success despite coming from a disadvantaged, impoverished background.
It's gonna be a murder confront me, the burners are empty
Nas dismisses any threats of violence against him by emphasizing that he's well-prepared to defend himself.
Middle Passage I made it I'm from the land of David
Nas references his African heritage and the struggles of his ancestors who were brought to America as slaves.
The Nazarene of Bethlehem they had me wrapped in blankets
Nas alludes to his religious upbringing and the ways in which he's been shaped by his faith.
Snitches with smile-like faces got you blowin' trial I hear this
Nas warns against the dangers of being betrayed by those who pretend to be friends or allies.
Hopin' my child can see through this tryna be a good daddy
Nas expresses his desire to be a positive role model for his child and impart his lessons learned.
I was there when she was born and she'll be there when I'm buried
Nas emphasizes the unbreakable bond between himself and his child, and the significance of family ties.
All my years have prepared me
Nas asserts that his experiences have toughened and equipped him for any challenges he may face.
What I fear is my temper, I subject to the center
Nas admits that his emotions can get the best of him but he acknowledges a need to stay grounded and centered.
Right through a man's soul
Nas suggests that he can quickly size up a person's true character and intentions.
Straight through his eyes, straight through his heart I'm still alive how did I make it this far
Nas marvels at his own capacity for survival and resilience.
'Cause I been high I been low, searchin' for a way to go
Nas reflects on the ups and downs of his life journey and the constant need to find direction.
Every single night I pray
Nas reveals his spiritual side and expresses his faith in a higher power.
And Lord I'm on this battleground, lost just waitin' to be found
Nas feels a sense of aimlessness and longing for direction while facing the challenges of life.
I guess it's just a warrior's way
Nas embraces the fight and struggle as part of his identity and way of life.
This is the song, for my warriors
Alicia Keys dedicates the song to those who embody strength, courage, and resilience.
Bravehearted and strong, definition of a warrior
Keys describes the character traits that define a true warrior.
Gonna keep marchin' on, to the sound of her own beatin' drum
Keys encourages listeners to persevere and stay true to themselves, even in the face of adversity.
Like King Nasir fightin' the British regime
Nas references his own struggle against oppressive forces by drawing a comparison to a historic figure.
I can't cope my existence is hope for younger teens who lost in their world
Nas recognizes the significance of his own achievements and the message of hope it can inspire in others who need guidance.
Earlier this year I buried my queen in a gold casket
Nas reveals the tragic loss he's experienced in his personal life, likely referring to the death of a loved one.
Your mother's the closest thing to God that you ever have kid
Nas emphasizes the importance and reverence he has for mothers, who are often the most influential figures in a person's life.
Want to pick her up out of it, this can't be real
Nas expresses his disbelief and grief over the death of a loved one and the desire to undo the situation.
Tellin' my daughter grandma's gone, but I can't keep still
Nas reveals the pain he's had to grapple with in delivering difficult news to his own child.
I can't go on, responsible for so many
Nas feels weighed down by the burdens of leadership and responsibility he carries.
Her last days at the hospital, visits from family
Nas has painful memories of the final stages of a loved one's life and the final goodbyes made by family members.
I'm tryin' not to bust shots at niggas
Nas expresses his frustration and anger but acknowledges a need to restrain himself from rash actions.
Wishin' death on other nigga's mothers ain't right but why mommy
Nas grapples with the unfairness of death and tragedy, and the temptation to lash out against others.
She raised me in the projects alone
Nas remembers the sacrifices and love shown by his own mother, who has played a significant role in his life.
Her untimely exit from her, heavenly body
Nas alludes to the death of a loved one and their transition to the afterlife.
Got me ready to embody somethin' quickly
Nas is motivated by grief and loss to take action and make changes in his life.
Can't be happy, fuck a party she can't party with me
Nas reveals the sadness and futility of celebrating while mourning the loss of a loved one.
So your apologies are burnin' ya own souls
Nas suggests that remorse and apologies can be too little too late, and may even compound the guilt of the wrongdoer.
To the kids with no parents at home, grab a whole
Nas appeals to young people who lack parental guidance or support, encouraging them to find strength within themselves.
Fight 'til the fight is over, for my peoples I die see
Nas is willing to fight and sacrifice himself for the sake of his community and those he cares about.
When you thought they were soldiers they turned out to be nobodies
Nas expresses his disappointment with people who don't live up to expectations or let others down.
I think they out to get me, helpless was livin' sinful
Nas feels targeted and persecuted, but he also admits to making mistakes in his own life.
All this pain I'm feelin would bend and killed you
Nas suggests that the emotional pain he's experienced would have destroyed anyone lesser or weaker than himself.
It only made me stronger
Nas emphasizes the transformative and strengthening power of adversity and pain.
But in my head it gets darker who wishin' evil on ya
Nas reveals the difficult struggles he still faces, particularly around the negativity and ill will of others.
Sometimes I wish I was dead
Nas acknowledges the mental and emotional toll that comes with constantly facing adversity and loss.
But I took heed to the cause
Nas recognizes the importance of staying true to his values and principles, even in the face of difficulty.
To my warriors
Nas addresses and uplifts his fellow warriors and those who embody resilience and perseverance.
This to all my warriors, who breathe with the heart of a lion
Nas describes the characteristics and qualities of those he considers to be true warriors.
To everybody that lost their mother, their father, Rest in peace moms!
Nas recognizes and empathizes with the pain and loss experienced by those who have lost their loved ones.
My mother's last words: Never give up
Nas cherishes the final message of strength and resilience imparted to him by his own mother.
A true warrior, who raised me in the hood, in a war
Nas honors his mother as a strong, resilient figure who influenced his own character and sense of identity.
Yea yea yea, you never give up
Keys reinforces the message of perseverance and resilience in the face of difficulty and adversity.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALICIA AUGELLO-COOK, ALICIA J AUGELLO-COOK, NASIR JONES, FELA KUTI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jack-Hammer Jackson
the chorus gives me chills. So glad that keys did the hook
Maria Guerrero
This song makes me tear up! Those who've been through alot will understand the meaning of this song!❤👍🏻
Incognito Jones
Listen to Nas Heaven. It’s off the same album God’s Son. Nas song to his mom Called Dance is also beautiful. Listen to those two tracks. You will not regret it!
Andrew Flood
LOVE THIS SONG !!!!!
Christopher Miller
Flawless production. Flawless song!!
Guesch00
"This is the song of a warrior! A warriors song, like my own! Brave-hearted and STRONG! Definition of a Warrior!"
Whoa! Hip-Hop LIVES!
Ben Wilder
Guesch00 I love that hook and the beat when it change for chorus
kabelo maboa
lyrical king, salute Nas. Keys did her thing a well, beautiful song
이승조
how can he rap on the rhythm like this... G.O.A.T
Lamont Williams
One of his best songs for sure