J Cole

Alicia somehow managed to miss J Cole’s beeline (Picture: Getty Images)

Alicia Keys’ life could have been so different as she has confirmed rapper J Cole did indeed attempt to flirt with her when they were teens. 


The Falling hitmaker, who is happily married to producer Swizz Beatz, was asked about J Cole’s claims that he tried to approach her at a concert. 


According to the No Role Modelz rapper, he strategically went to one of Alicia’s concerts in hopes of speaking to her after the show. 


However, he wasn’t famous at the time and so J Cole found it a little awkward making the first move. 


During her recent interview on Complex’s 360, presenter Speedy Morman said: ‘[J. Cole] has this very crazy story. He was 14 and you were 19, at the time, and you were both in Texas. 


‘He went to a show, and he had plans for you guys to cross paths, and he was gonna give you a look [that would] make you come up to him. And it didn’t happen that way!’ 




J Cole

J Cole had a huge crush on Alicia when he was a teen (Picture: Getty Images)

‘Did you ever hear that story?’ he asked. 


Alicia then revealed: ‘I heard the story, and I think the story is amazing. Definitely can’t say that I remember the look. I don’t know if the look made it to me. He might have had the look, but I might not have been there. I might have been too far to see the look.’ 


The singer continued: ‘I don’t remember it, but he clearly remembers it, and it’s a good vibe, you know, because it’s really cute because everybody has a story like that. 


‘You know that person that they just ‘if I could just get in front of them they would feel me I know it.’ 




Alicia Keys' Keys album cover

Keys, a double-sided album, is out now (Picture: RCA)

It all worked out in J Cole’s favour as, now that he’s a star himself, he’s been able to work with her on music that is yet to be released.


Alicia, 40, has just released her new album Keys, which might be her most experimental album yet with big jazz and blues numbers with few typical radio-friendly hits. 


During an album playback, attended by Metro.co.uk, the singer explained: ‘The album that I had before this is called Alicia and I always knew that Keys was going to come, it’s just waiting for it’s right time to be ready.


‘It’s a homecoming for me, bringing me back to my basics, my lane… It’s very much about my relationship with the piano, it’s about the rawness, the emotion.’ 


She added: ‘I really want to invite people into this world. It looks a certain way, it feels a certain way. There’s an elegance about it, a magnificence about it.’ 


Alicia Keys’ eighth studio album Keys is out now.