Alicia Keys Brings Out Jay Z and Nas at Times Square Concert

Alicia Keys surprised her hometown with a star-studded concert in the middle of Times Square on Sunday (Oct. 9).

Presented by TIDAL, the show featured a slew of Keys’ famous friends, including TIDAL boss Jay Z.

Q-Tip started the surprises by introducing Keys’ new song “She Don’t Really Care.” Then Nas joined Alicia for a performance of the Q-Tip-produced “One Love” classic. As if that wasn’t enough, Questlove and John Mayer popped up for a rendition of “If I Ain’t Got You.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night came when Jay Z emerged from the back of the stage to perform their New York anthem “Empire State of Mind.” With bright lights surrounding them, the duo celebrated in the heart of the Big Apple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCtIhbz4O9M

While the presidential debates were airing on television, Alicia took a moment to voice her disapproval of Donald Trump. “Whose name rhymes with scum,” she said. “Has the nerve to talk about grabbing pussy?”

“You know what I say to that?” she asked while throwing up the middle finger. “We, our ancestors, everybody who’s come before us, everybody has worked too hard to get us the liberty, the opportunity, to vote.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLF3VUiLG1Q

Keys used the show to perform new music, including songs like “Holy War,” “Blended Family,” and the aforementioned “She Don’t Really Care,” which are set to appear on her forthcoming album HERE, due Nov. 4.

Alicia and TIDAL are set to join forces once again on Oct. 15 when she joins Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Lauryn Hill, Common, T.I., Robin Thicke, and many more at the TIDAL X: 1015 concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.