Segment featuring Alicia Keys and Jay-Z pre-recorded for Tony Awards
At the Tony Awards on Sunday, the performance of “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys created a buzz, but rumors surfaced that their performance may have been prerecorded.
According to sources and a report by The New York Times, their segment, shown on a video screen onstage, was indeed prerecorded. Their performance concluded a medley of songs from Hell’s Kitchen, performed live by the musical’s cast at the Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater.
Keys, who is a producer on the musical and provided its score, which includes both preexisting and new songs like “Empire State of Mind” and “Fallin’.”
Following the cast performance onstage, Keys played piano and sang “Empire State of Mind” before joining Jay-Z on a video screen, where he appeared rapping his lyrics. The performance continued with Keys joining him on the stairs.
No official comment was given by a spokesperson for Hell’s Kitchen or Jay-Z regarding why the segment was prerecorded.
Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation is also a producer of the musical, which won two Tony Awards on Sunday, including best actress in a musical for Maleah Joi Moon and best featured actress in a musical for Kecia Lewis.