Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys! TM
Alicia Keys Defining Herself
He Said She Said By Maria and Nicholas Gonzalas
Introducing:
Pravini Jay-Z’s
Allflaws UK Underground
40/40 Club
JULY 2008
Take a look inside his New York Night Club
30, Healthy, & Beautiful
“tips to look years younger” truflavamagazine.com
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LUXURIES
MACY’S BURDINE’S BLOOMINGDALE’S
contents departments 16
He said, She Said
32
Nightclub Spotlight “Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club”
features 7
Aspiring Model
30 Featured Artist “Pravini” 36 Featured Artist “Allflaws” 40 Aspiring Model
reviews 10
30, HEALTHY, & BEAUTIFUL “tips to look years younger”
22
Alicia Keys
24
Tyler Perry’s “The Family That Preys”
MODEL Name: Homeown: Age: Height: Weight:
Lance Piere Boston, MA 24 6’ 1” 170 lbs
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30, HEALTHY, “tips to look
Unfortunately, there’s no Fountain of Youth. Until it’s found we have to rely on simple methods to achieve a more youthful appearance. Don’t let your skin, hair and clothing betray your age! There are several ways you can to look and feel younger if you give them a try. By testing some skin care routines and finding out what works best with your type and complexion you can discover what you should and shouldn’t be doing to reduce your pores, even out your tone and look younger. Start with the basics, skin care and make-up.
Maintain Your Skin You already know that you should be using sunscreen and following a skin care regimen, but do you do it? Learn from other’s mistakes. Applying sunscreen and avoiding the sun’s strong UV rays are preventive measures that many women don’t think of until it’s too late. Start today by using a foundation with SPF and you’ve begun preventing fine lines and wrinkles that you will fret over in just a few short years. You should determine your skin type and find a moisturizer for the daytime and nighttime hours. It’s confusing with all of the products available but don’t be reluctant to try a few. Alpha-hydroxy creams can be very effective in reducing fine lines and are easily found over-the-counter. Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Cream is fabulous for a quick moisturizer after washing your face and light enough to wear under your make-up. Some creams can actually reverse lesser signs of aging but what works well for some will not always work on everyone. Test until you’ve found something that you’re satisfied with.
Makeup Tricks The methods you used for applying your makeup will need to change as you get older. What worked years ago will no longer be attractive if it accentuates skin problems that accumulate as years pass.
, & BEAUTIFUL years younger”
To even out your skin tone, apply foundation lightly so it doesn’t settle into lines and wrinkles, making them more prominent. You can avoid using loose powder but if you insist, brush it on lightly. Remember to blend it into your neck so you don’t appear to have a “mask” on. Frost eye-shadows can enhance wrinkles, so use sparingly. This doesn’t mean you’re stuck with boring matte colors, many brands have addressed this problem with gorgeous shimmer shadows that don’t have a tendency to fall into the same creases that you’re trying to hide.
Eat Healthy Our bodies don’t need the high-calorie foods we ate in our youth. Metabolism slows down as years pass, so it’s time to eat healthy and keep indulgences to a minimum. Your skin, hair and nails will not only look healthier, you’ll feel healthier as well. In the process you’ll probably shed some unwanted pounds and be able to wear clothes you couldn’t imagine wearing before.
Hairstyles Today’s society isn’t near as uptight. Thanks to fine actresses and models, we’re not stuck in a cliché of how we should look at any age. Long or short, you can color your hair and wear it in whatever style you like. Trendy hairstyles can look good on just about anyone as long as it flatters their face. Since hair tends to get darker with age, add some highlights to frame your face. Updos, ponytails and French braids are youthful styles to try, but they may show some gray hair you’d rather not reveal. To remedy this you can wear these styles after a fresh new application of hair color, use instant color, or learn to live with it. It may not be as noticeable as you think. CONTINUED ON PG. 18
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TRUFLAVA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jai Michaels jmichaels@truflava.com EDITOR - IN - CHIEF Joann Moore jmoore@truflava.com STAFF WRITER A. Thomas Murphy atm@truflava.com STAFF WRITER Tracie Snyder tsnyder@truflava.com MARKETING DIRECTOR Darryl Rankin drankin@truflava.com MARKETING ADVISOR Chantel Burke chantel@truflava.com ADVERTISING Chad Taylor ctaylor@truflava.com TALENT SCOUT Kayla Torrance kayla@triworldent.com Published By Triworld Entertainment
P R E S I D E N T JD. DORSEY jd@triworldent.com jd@truflavamagazine.com
Gemini (May 21-June 21) It builds character and discipline to commit yourself to tall orders. Giving in to pressure can be a good thing when it comes from those who’re on your side. Do not agree to do anything for people you don’t trust.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) It’s not that you feel entitled to have more than other people do. But you do feel entitled to enjoy it more. You may stop and realize at some point today that the sweet life suits you Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You’re getting in touch with your wild nature. It could cause you to take a lone journey, or you could go the opposite way and do something that’s extremely popular and so zany that until today, you didn’t think it was for you at all. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Being a resourceful person, you have all you need at any given moment. It doesn’t stop you from wanting more, but even when you have a craving, it’s manageable. You stay cool.
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) Confidence is knowing you’re in charge of your security. You can provide for yourself and you don’t depend on anyone else to keep you warm and fed. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Someone is doing his or her best to please you. The effort is admirable, even if the effect is disappointing. You get the chance to be classy by complimenting the good intent. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Doing whatever you feel in the moment can have magic results. Especially if you’ve already planned what you’ll do. Important events shouldn’t be left to chance. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) The spirit of adventure in the air makes it hard for you to follow any direction except where curiosity leads. Live it up by refusing to feel pressured by anyone’s expectations. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) There’s something on your mind that you can’t seem to unravel on your own. Luckily, you have angels, elders and wise souls around you who are happy to lend help. Aries (March 21-April 19) You’re happy when you’re busy. The only problem is that all the tasks you should be doing now don’t compel you one bit. Blow them off and do what you want. Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’ve protected your work well by not showing it to people before it’s complete. In this way you’ve maintained the integrity of your original impulse. It’s now safe to get feedback.
HOROSCOPE
Cancer (June 22-July 22) It’s nearly impossible to feel optimistic about life when you’re tired. And it’s pointless to take action when you don’t feel cheerful about the outcome. The best thing to do is rest up.
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Dear Maria & Nicholas, I used to think love wasn’t for me just yet. Most of the guys I’ve dated have broken my heart, and I have a problem with trust. But then this guy and I kissed at a party, and he asked me out, and now I’m REALLY falling for him. He’s cheated on girls in the past, and I admit my past isn’t too great either. I don’t want to get serious with someone who’s not worth it. What do I do? -Amy L. Austin, TX.
Maria: Girl, you have got to quit over-thinking things. Everyone in the world could write me a paragraph about their fears, insecurities and embarrassing past (whether it’s too scandalous or not scandalous enough). Think you’re the only one who’s got mixed feelings about the guy you’re dating? Shoot. If you didn’t, I’d wonder what was wrong with you.
Nicholas: But if you let those feelings get the best of you, then you’re missing out on the whole point of dating: having fun.
Quit wondering whether or not you’re ready for love. Relax. You’re dating, not getting a root canal.
Dear Maria & Nicholas, I’m going out with a guy who is late all the time. On top of that, sometimes he just won’t show up or even call. Do I have to put up with it, or is there something, short of breaking up with him, that I can do? -Terri Miller, Columbus, OH.
Nicholas: Being late a couple times is forgivable. Shoot, it’s okay even if he’s late a lot, as long it doesn’t bug you that much.
But if he ditches you or abandons you just once – and he doesn’t apologize a ton for it – then something’s wrong. Because he’s basically saying, “You’re easy to forget. And there’s cooler stuff going on in my life than you.”
Maria: You can talk to him about it – but based on the way he’s been acting, he’s not going to change. More likely he’ll just keep doing the same lame things till you can’t take it anymore. Save some time and dump him now. If that sounds rash, then, well, fine...go ahead and talk to him. But make sure he knows that if it happens just once more, his ass is grass.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in He Said, She Said is not the opinion of Truflava Magazine or its affiliates.
By Maria and Nicholas Gonzalas JULY 2008
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911 GT2
CONTINUED ON PG. 11
Fashion Secrets
Tiffany & Co.
You don’t have to be a fashion diva to look younger. You can use today’s fashion NEW YORK trends to your advantage. It’s surprising how many clothing styles can actually flatter the figure of an older woman. Low rise jeans are not only comfortable, they can reduce the appearance of belly bulges. Jeans and shirts in stretchy fabrics such as Lycra give you some slack where you need it the most. If you buy the correct sizes, you can look 10 lbs. lighter. The latest trends in shoes and accessories are not off-limits to a woman over 30. Shoes that look formidable are actually come fortable if you just try them on. Use jewelry to your advantage and draw the eyaway from problem areas. Selective chunky jewelry can make you look more “hip.” There’s a fine line between trying too hard and really looking younger. It’s up to you to find that line, don’t cross it, and you’ll fool even the most intuitive people. i
Diamonds Are Forever www.tiffany.com
PE R F O R M A N C E
In order to find herself, she had to leave the music industry, take a trip down the Nile and learn how to tear down the walls she’d spent most of her life building. CONTINUED ON PG. 42
Alicia Keys
THE FAMILY THAT PREYS Academy Award®-winners Jennifer Hudson & Kathy Bates, and Academy Award®-nominee Alfre Woodard star as the matriarchs of two very different families being torn apart by greed and scandal in the contemporary drama “Tyler Perry’s The Family That Prays.” The sixth feature film by Perry chronicles the inner workings of two families—one upper-crust and the other working class—that become inextricably linked by scandal. Wealthy socialite Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates) and her dear friend Alice Pratt (Alfre Woodard), a working class woman of high ideals, have enjoyed a lasting friendship throughout many years. Suddenly, their lives become mired in turmoil as their adult children’s extramarital affairs, unethical business practices and a dark paternity secret threaten to derail family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved. Alice’s self-centered newlywed daughter Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) is betraying her trusting husband Chris (Rockmond Dunbar) by engaging in a torrid affair with her boss and mother’s best friend’s son William (Cole Hauser). While cheating on his wife Jillian (Kadee Strickland) with a string of ongoing dalliances with his mistress Andrea, William’s true focus is to replace the COO of his mother’s lucrative construction corporation. Meanwhile, Alice’s other daughter Pam (Taraji Henson), a kind but no nonsense woman married to a hard working construction worker (Tyler Perry), tries to steer the family in a more positive direction. While paternity secrets, marital infidelity, greed and unsavory business dealings threaten to derail both families, Charlotte and Alice decide to take a breather from it all by making a cross-country road trip in which they rediscover themselves and possibly find a way to save their families from ruin in “Tyler Perry’s The Family That Prays.” In Theatres September 12, 2008.
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I sense, therefore I am
THE NEW FRAGRANCE FOR WOMEN
Pravini came a long way from the day she was born on January 9, 1985 in The Hague in the Netherlands, to the soulful and talented artist she is today. Encouraged by her mother to take piano lessons at the tender age of 6 she found the love of her life in music. After graduating from high school she left Europe on her own to participate in the summer performance program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. There she sharpened her skills as a musician, playing the keys and writing her own songs. After her return to Holland she recorded her first demo containing 4 tracks, all written by Pravini and produced by Sage. A year later she released her first single and video entitled “Cuz I’m A Lady.” By doing this she broke boundaries by being the first Dutch Indian R&B soul singer releasing a single and music video on The Box. That same year she recieved her first award, the HSFN music award, for her accomplishments as an artist. In 2006 she teamed up with the Beat-lockz crew from St. Maarten and talented producers, The Quinn. Like always she wrote the lyrics and the music. Produced by the Beat-Lockz, they combined their unique styles and blended them together into a new product that carried their signature: Quinn’s thick instrumentals along with Pravini’s sassy but sincere lyrics, melodic flows in tight harmonies, smooth but powerful vocals and her touch on the keys. Because of her background and her ability to reach and touch people she was asked to become the goodwill ambassador of the Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), an international human rights organization with the objective of promoting human rights for those areas where severe violations have victimized relatively large populations. Now Pravini is taking it to an interPhotograph By Francita Rijhiner national level by collaborating with some of the most talented myspace musicians. Beatmakers like Joe Burn’em, Mighty Quinn, Phraim, Timeless and La Le’ from the States and Willy Wizz from France are all contributing to her debut album in the making. All the tracks featured on this album will be available on myspace for the preview. The album will contain some of Pravini’s most personal songs and shows her perspectives on life, love and music. Music that is inspired by soul, jazz, hiphop and R&B, all fused into a unique style that Pravini has been able to make her own and all written by this talented artist, who is to this day still one of the few female Indian soul singers doing it big. Look out for Pravini’s exclusive interview in an upcoming issue of Truflava Magazine. Pravini’s music can be sampled on MySpace [ myspace.com/pravinimusic] and purchased online at [cdbaby.com/cd/pravini]. 30
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PRAVINI
6 West 25th Street New York, NY 10010 (212) 832-4040
NEW YORK - THE 40/40 CLUB,
an all-American sports bar and lounge owned by hip hop mogul Jay-Z and partner Juan Perez (6 West 25th Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway), opened its doors to the public in the Summer of 2003. Created by the three longtime friends, 40/40 is 8,000 square feet of pure sports and entertainment in an opulent lounge setting, providing a unique experience not found elsewhere in New York City. “I love sports and wanted to create an environment that is conducive to my lifestyle, while being able to watch the games at the same time,” said Jay-Z. The $4 million multi-level space includes a 24’ X 8’ slate bar, a 16-foot wide staircase furnished with sleek seating on the steps, 15 LCD TV’s, 8 plasmas (three of which are 60”), four 12’ X 12’ two-sided big screen TV’s, a premium Cognac Room and three private VIP rooms. Two of the VIP rooms, the “Rémy Lounge” (appropriately named after Rémy Martin, Jay-Z’s cognac of choice) and “Jay-Z’s Room” are 24´ X 16´ each, and the third VIP room, “The Hall of Fame Lounge, “ is 46´ X 20´. They are fully equipped with their own personal entertainment centers. 60” plasma TV’s, Italian leather wrap-around couches, X-Box, Play Station 2, all controlled by their own touch-screen remotes. Each of the VIP rooms can hold from 15 to 150 people,depending on the size of the event. The Cognac Room, sponsored by Cohiba, is state of the art and complies with all New York State smoking laws. The room features exclusive cigar pieces on display including limited edition lighters, cigar cutters and cigar pieces made exclusively for Cohiba. Recently constructed is the Club Space. Opened on October 2004, the Club Space boasts an additional 2,000 sq. ft. Equipped with 12’ X 12’ two-sided big-screen TV’s, three 60” plasma flat-screen televisions, VIP seating accommodations and a separate 15´ x 24´ Slate Bar, The 40/40 Club Space has a capacity of 250 people, perfect for any occasion. CONTINUED ON PG. 44
Your style. Your future. Your life.
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ALLFLAWS In the summer of 2004 ALLFLAWS was created by vocalist and producer Gabriel Curran. Since then ALLFLAWS have become one of the freshest alternative acts to grace the UK underground scene. On the way ALLFLAWS have become renowned for their intense rousing and captivating live performances, which really capture the true essence of the music. A vast array of genres are present in the music, creating an interesting and radical new sound that does not fit into any contemporary mould or trend. The ALLFLAWS entity could be defined as an eclectic hybrid of hip-hop, dance, trip-hop, industrial and rock music. Influences coming from Public Enemy, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Pink Floyd, Rage Against the Machine and Depeche Mode. The core of the music is Gabriel’s original poetic vocals that provide great intrigue, depth and diversity. Providing something unconventional for the listener. From the raw, dark and sinister to the surreal ambiguous and subliminal, Gabriel’s unique vocal presence provides something which is cutting edge and different. This merger of deep innovative vocals with eclectic electronic arrangements creates an overall sound that is profound and new. Since the birth of ALLFLAWS Gabriel has manifested two albums; ‘Talking in the Dark’ and ‘These Walls are Lies’. For these albums Gabriel was assisted by Producer, guitarist and engineer Dave Garnam. Gabriel is currently in partnership with guitarist Elliot Guise who is working on the live circuit and future recordings. ALLFLAWS are currently gigging in the UK and Europe whilst writing new material.
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BCBGMA
XAZRIA
LaNisha and TaNisha are 21 year old aspiring models from Oakland, California. They have been modeling for about a year now. Both these ladies are 5’6�, 112 lbs. They love to travel, watch sport, and anything to do with fashion. Look-out for these models on the rise.
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ALLURE
LE NOUVEAU PARFUM DE CHANEL
continued from pg. 22
It’s early Friday evening in Pittsburgh and Alicia Keys is about to emit some deeply bizarre sounds. These trills and jabbers will loosen her vocal cords, exercise her diaphragm and guard against any accidentally bizarre sounds when she takes the stage at the Mellon Arena. Her valet, a skinny guy named Francis, enters her dressing room, adjusts the height of an electric Yamaha keyboard, then disappears to get his boss some potato-spinach soup. The decor suggests a mail-order catalogue called Diva Comfort Depot: Floral-printed scarves enshroud floor lamps; scented candles glow atop ottomans draped with light-purple fabric; dainty white ramekins cradle dried fruits; and in the corner, a humidifier puffs out little steam clouds of calm. The tableau is a portable monument to mood. On tour, every night, this is where Keys goes “to get my head right.” Which is why she’s kicking us out. “You,” she says bluntly, “need to leave now.” She is not unkind about it; if we are in the room, she explains, she “won’t be able to vibe” with her vocal coach, and to be fair, if we were about to perform some warm ups that split the difference between do-re-mi and the call of a marmoset, we’d probably want want to cut down on witnesses, too. Still, the evacuation order is abrupt. A few minutes ago, Keys was bounding onto the stage, tugging us along, giddily describing her show: the video screens, the dance routines, the spinning grand piano. “Isn’t that cool?” she asked, poking at a vintage Moog synthesizer stage right. Earlier, when she’d known us only a half-hour, she pulled some photo-shoot-freebie Gucci sunglasses from her handbag and offered them up: “I could see you in these. 42
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Are they too girlie for you?” They were, but her warmth was surprising. Keys is a bona fide superstar in a business running low on the species—her latest album, As I Am, has sold well over 3 million copies in just over three months. At 28, she’s won 11 Grammys. She’s buddies with Bono and Prince. But there she was, gushing about spinning pianos and offering designer swag to a stranger with a tape recorder. Now, though, as suddenly as we were invited in, we’ve been expelled from the sanctum. Back to making chitchat with the security dude in the hallway, Keys’s ululations muffled by a locked door. She’s the first to admit it: Alicia Keys has some serious boundary issues. She began writing music at 14, and at 20, when her debut, Songs in “A” Minor, came out, she was instantly anointed a Legend in the Making. A classically trained pianist and ’60s-soul throwback with a hip-hop pulse, Keys inherited the throne Lauryn Hill abdicated when she became the R&B Howard Hughes. But Keys has done it while hiding behind an impenetrably pleasant facade, revealing nothing. “I’m the best wall builder that ever lived,” she declares. She’s smiling, but she isn’t proud: It’s this trait that recently pushed her to the brink of a nervous breakdown. She built her first wall as an 11-year-old, to deal with the pimps and strip-club shills who’d catcall at her in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, as she shuttled between music lessons, ballet classes, school and the apartment she shared with her single mom. Keys took to camouflaging herself in cornrows, baggy jeans and Timberlands. “One hundred times a day, it was ‘come dance for me,’ ‘come work with me,’” Keys recalls.“ At 11! So my mentality was Protect yourself. And that took me right into the music game.” She kept the wall up (and the cornrows on) when, signed to a contract with Columbia Records at 16, she had to fend off the advances of music producers more interested in sex than music. “I was meeting all these people who just wanted to use me,” she says. “Or be with me.” continued on pg. 46
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continued from pg. 33
The 40/40 Club is named after one of baseball’s most prestigious achievements. A benchmark for power and speed, The 40/40 Club includes players who hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in one season -- only Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Jose Canseco (1988) and the newest fourth member, Alfonso Soriano (2006) can call The 40/40 Club home. The four jerseys of these men grace an area of the lounge to honor their great accomplishment. “When we were thinking of a name, we wanted something exclusive -- the 40/40 Club in baseball is as exclusive as it gets,” said Jay-Z. The décor of 40/40 is a mix of memorabilia from this country’s greatest games coupled with Manhattan sophistication. Six chairs suspended from the ceil ing transcend guests from a sports bar to a lavish lounge in a matter of seconds. Lush purples and charcoal glazing adorn the walls while rich slate imported from South America makes up the flooring, bars and tabletops. The furniture on the 16 foot wide slate stairs was produced in Marcy Place, Jay-Z’s childhood neighborhood. The 40/40 is accented by over 300 pillows that were, designed by owner Juan Perez’s childhood friend’s mother and handcrafted in her home in Washington Heights. Autographed jerseys given by various famous players who wear the number 40 hang from all points of the lounge along with other famous jerseys, such as Michael Jordan’s number 23 and Lawrence Taylor’s number 56. “Memorabilia Hallway” connects the main floor to the private rooms and houses used jerseys, balls, bats and other used game equipment. “We tried to create a place that would be favorable to both men and women, and we think we have found it with the combination of sports and an upscale hip lounge,” said owner Juan Perez. Executive Chef Juan Javas created a menu that is sure to please both the sports fan and the casual diner. Guests will be enticed by the Latin-Soul lounge food, with menu selections like “The Picnic” (fried deviled eggs and southern-fried chicken sticks, with our own signature 40/40 sauce), mouthwatering skewers, and a variety of tasty mini treats including burgers, tacos, and pizzas. The 40/40 Club is open 7 days a week from 4:00PM - 4:00AM. All major credit cards accepted, except for American Express. i 44
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“I always felt I had to be this machine,” she continues. “Like I couldn’t show any weakness.” Those feelings were only confirmed when rumors started circulating, almost the day Songs in “A” Minor dropped, that Keys was a closeted lesbian. “It doesn’t bother me, because I’m straight,” she says. “Every great, strong woman has been called gay.” Problem was, a little more than a year ago, she discovered that she couldn’t take the wall down anymore. Not for her manager, not for her mom, not for her closest friends. “It was like talking to a robot sometimes,” says Erika Rose, a childhood buddy who spent several years working as Keys’s dayto-day manager (and self-described “bulldog”). “She was always, ‘I’m fine! I’m great!’ I’d put my hands around her neck, like, ‘Tell me you’re not fine!’” Keys was hustling across the country from task to task—touring, shooting roles in two movies, starting work on a new album—when she realized the robot had taken over. Part of her wanted to scream, part of her wanted to drop off the planet, but instead she kept flashing the same dead smile of acquiescence. “These people were coming at me, asking these things, and they didn’t really care about me, but I had to give them everything. What did I have left for myself?” she says. “I felt I had to turn on thisthing to make it through.” Soon, it even warped her music. The songs she wrote, her manager says, “came out dark, weird, just not her.” As Keys puts it: “I was hanging off the edge of a cliff. Something had to give, or I was gonna lose my mind.” That’s when she pulled the battery out of her BlackBerry and flew 6,500 miles across the globe, by herself. All to get her head right. And, while she was at it, sing her lungs out at the top of a pyramid. i
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