Alicia Keys appeared on Nicki Minaj's Beats 1 radio show, Queen Radio, to pay tribute to not one, but two different queens. She sat down for a conversation with Nicki (who introduced her by saying "I have to keep it real/Alicia just walked in here looking like a snack, a whole meal!") and finished with a bone-chilling rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman" as a tribute to the recently deceased singer.
The specifics of the caption are important, especially considering the recent storm of criticism Nicki's been facing, with a Pitchfork article alleging that she contributes to the "normalization of predatory behaviour" by working with 6ix9ine and supporting her brother (what about everyone man who worked with 6ix9ine, XXXtentacion, NBA Youngboy, the list goes on?). The clout-chasing bottom-feeder DJ Akademiks chimed in too, quoting sales numbers that, according to Nicki, are "wrong" and "FAKE NEWS."
At least Alicia is falling prey to the double standards. It's good to see someone paying Nicki the respect she deserves, whether she's right or wrong to do what she does. In her own words:
