Jay-Z, Alicia Keys Perform ‘Empire State of Mind’ at Tony Awards

June 17, 2024 587 31 4

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performed their classic duet “Empire State of Mind” at the 2024 Tony Awards.

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Perform and Tonys

After teasing the set over the weekend, Hov and Alicia graced the stage at the annual award show, which took place at David H. Koch Theater in New York City on Sunday night (June 16). Alicia was scheduled to perform but surprised the crowd by bringing out Jigga. “Had to do something crazy. It’s my hometown,” the R&B singer says while traversing through the crowd to get to the stage. Hov, making a rare public performance, gives a rousing rendition of the 2009 track with Keys providing the vocals.

“Brooklyn. New York City in the Tonys tonight,” Jay yells at the close of the performance.

“Empire State of Mind” Surpasses 1 Billion Streams

Alicia Keys teased the duet performance with a video promo on June 15. In the ad, she walks up to Jay and puts her arm on his shoulder.

“1 Dream. 1 Song. 1 Billion streams [three prayer hands emojis],” Keys wrote in her caption on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Thank you! We love you. What’s next…[eyes and shushing face emojis].”

“Empire State of Mind,” released on Jay-Z’s 2009 Blueprint 3 album, is one of his biggest songs to date. It has been certified nine-times platinum by the RIAA and has surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. The Big Apple ode also won Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2011.