Alicia Keys will be joining the New York Knicks championship parade on Thursday (June 18) as the Big Apple celebrates the first NYK title in 53 years.
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Knicks owner James Dolan revealed that Alicia Keys will be performing that star will be performing her Jay-Z collab “Empire State of Mind” to close out the parade during the City Hall ceremony following a trip down the Canyon of Heroes. (The song is one that Knicks fans belted out in the streets of New York as they celebrated team’s championship.)
“When we get to City Hall, we have a special performance by Alicia Keys … singing ‘Empire State of Mind,'” Dolan told FOX 5‘s Good Day New York on Wednesday (June 17). As for whether Jay-Z would be joining her on stage, Dolan didn’t seem as optimistic, offering a simple, “I don’t think so.”
According to a press release, the performance is tentatively slated for 1 p.m. ET.
Keys also confirmed her plans to perform at the parade during a FaceTime call with New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who asked the Grammy-winning singer to pop out to City Hall.
“Like how could I not? This is my city and the city’s on fire,” she said in a video of the call posted to Instagram Wednesday. “There’s so much love in the city. It’s crazy. Everybody just united, feeling amazing. I’m excited.”
“New York, we’ve been waiting for this one!!! My brother @oanunoby said the city is calling….. Meet me tomorrow at City Hall to celebrate our World Champion @nyknicks!!!!!! Don’t worry @egyptdean_ wouldn’t let me miss this,” Keys added in the caption.
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The Knicks clinched their first title since 1973 on Saturday night (June 13) with a 94-90 win in game five over the San Antonio Spurs. Keys couldn’t tune in to the game, as she was hosting the premiere of her Girl From Hell’s Kitchen documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival.
However, she still celebrated in style, hosting impromptu afterparty that saw her perform “Empire State of Mind,” and she was joined by fellow NYC legend Nas on stage.
Jay-Z released “Empire State of Mind” featuring an assist from Keys in September 2009, with the track peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks that year. The Al Shux-produced anthem also became the adopted soundtrack of the 2009 New York Yankees, who won the World Series that season.
The Knicks parade begins at 10 a.m. ET in Battery Park and continues through the Canyon of Heroes before wrapping up with a ceremony at City Hall.
Watch Dolan talk about the Knicks parade and Alicia Keys’ performance below:
