The Grammy telecast is adding even more star power in the days leading up to Sunday’s show. Alicia Keys will honor the late legend Etta James with a special performance.

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Jay-Z made a triumphant return to the stage with his first of two sold-out shows at New York’s historic Carnegie Hall on Monday night (Feb. 6). Accompanied by a 36-piece orchestra, the new father entered in a white tuxedo jacket and black bow tie to a standing ovation. He kicked off the evening with “PSA” and “Thank You” before introducing the orchestra’s female conductor and segueing into “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love).”

Brooklyn’s own paid homage to his city with Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” and Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” and referenced Gil Scott-Heron’s “New York Is Killing Me.” An elegant Alicia Keys held court with Hov for their Big Apple anthem “Empire State of Mind” and Jay joined his fellow New Yorker Nas for “N.Y. State of Mind.” Alicia returned to duet with Nas on “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That).”

“I didn’t think I was gonna make it through that one. That was tough,” Hov told concertgoers after performing “Glory,” his touching dedication to his daughter Blue Ivy Carter.

After changing into a more comfortable black jeans and tee, he delivered classics including “Big Pimpin’” and “Jigga” and brought out Roc Nation singer Bridget Kelly for “Young Forever.” Ninety minutes later, he made a grand exit through the balcony. Proceeds from the concert benefitted the United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

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Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz enjoyed a week in paradise. The happy couple vacationed to the island of Kauai with their son Egypt. They evaded the paparazzi for most of their trip, but were caught by the cameras in the airport as they made their way back to the mainland. During their Hawaiian holiday, the “Fallin’” singer celebrated her 31st birthday amongst the lush greenery.

“I’ve never seen a starrier sky I’ve never felt a more beautiful breeze I’ve never been more alive And It brings me to my knees!” tweeted Alicia, who will return to work on her upcoming album.

Meanwhile, a source close to Swizz Beatz refutes reports that the super-producer was the CEO of Megaupload, the file-sharing site that was shut down. However, he is still involved with the company. “He’s not walking away from this,” the source tells MTV News.

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Alicia Keys lent her Grammy-winning voice to honor Steven Spielberg at the 23rd Annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton last night. Looking classy in a black cocktail dress and cropped blazer, the R&B songbird sat at the piano and belted out “Empire State of Mind (Part II)” and “No One” for the Hollywood A-listers including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Sofia Vergara, and Viola Davis. The legendary director was the recipient of the David O. Selznick Achievement Award.

Alicia is in the process of completing her fifth album, due later this year.

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Alicia Keys spent her holiday break getting some inspiration. The Grammy-winning singer and her husband Swizz Beatz checked out pop artist Mr. Brainwash’s latest art exhibit in Los Angeles over New Year’s weekend. Alicia posed under the colorful paint cans in the shape of a heart and admired the portrait of a young Michael Jackson made out of broken records.

“If you’re in the LA area you should absolutely go! It’s like a fantasy!” wrote Alicia on her Tumblr page. “Huge installations of everything u can imagine from oversized polaroid cameras to cars shoved into a hole. Huge 10 foot tall spray cans and Darth Vader made out of tires and one of my personal favorites, his crazy cool broken record series where iconic pictures are made out of broken records. Everyone will love this exhibit. All ages. It’s like a fun house!”

Swizz is a big art collector, owning pieces by Brainwash and Jean-Michel Basquiat, among other famed artists.

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Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz spent Christmas on the court with their son Egypt. The happy couple made a public appearance with the 14-month-old at the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics game at Madison Square Garden. The loving family had a blast, spending the holiday with celebrities including Spike Lee and Chris Rock.

“Egypt at his 1st NY Knicks game today Merry X mas to everybody,” tweeted Swizz following the family outing.

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Alicia Keys stepped out in SoHo with her loved ones on Thursday (Dec. 22). Dressed in a denim jacket, jeans, and sneakers, the curvaceous singer strolled to a park with her 15-month-old son Egypt, while her younger brother Cole pushed the stroller. Little Egypt stayed fly like his parents in a camouflage vest and high tops as his mom showered him with love.

While Alicia has been focusing her time on her Broadway play Stick Fly, she is close to completing her fifth album. “I think we got a couple more months and we’re ready to fly,” she recently told “GMA’s” Robin Roberts.

Check out more pics from the family outing below.

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Alicia Keys was smiling from ear to ear as she sat down for an interview with Robin Roberts on “GMA.” Seated in the Cort Theater on Broadway, where her show Stick Fly plays, the singer explained what’s it like to produce her first Broadway show and joined the cast for an interview and some singing.

She also revealed that she is in the final stages of recording her fifth album. “I think we got a couple more months and we’re ready to fly,” she told Roberts.

But she’s in no rush. “You deserve the best and I want to give you the best, so when you hear this music you’re blown away, like you’re filled,” she said.

While she’s in love with her work, seeing her son Egypt grow up brings her the most joy. “Experiencing that and seeing that, it makes me really happy.”

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Singer, actress, philanthropist, and now Broadway producer Alicia Keys joined the cast of her new play Stick Fly on Friday’s “106 & Park.” Beaming in blue, Egypt’s mother spoke about her DJ alter ego AK-47, her obsession with Tumblr, the joy of motherhood (“I think the best part is watching a person start to get familiar and understand what’s happening in the world”), and her next album.

“I’m in the kitchen cookin’ up some music,” she told hosts Rocsi and Terrence. “It’s about to be crazy.”

Watch the three-part interview below.

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