Alicia Keys' Musical and Personal Journey

Alicia Keys has dominated hip-hop and R&B music since first bursting onto the scene in 2001. She has released four hit albums, several number one singles, and thrilled fans throughout the world with her live performances.

This one-woman dynamo is also a best-selling author, an actress, and a tireless advocate for charitable causes.

Success did not just come overnight to Alicia. The biracial daughter of an Italian-American mother and an African-American father from Jamaica, Alicia grew up in the treacherous Hell's Kitchen section of New York City.

She had to learn how to avoid danger while staying focused on her dream. It was a dream that required practice, patience, and persistence in the face of several false starts.

However, Alicia never gave up and never gave in, and today she has achieved superstardom.