Alicia Keys was in a reminiscing mood on Wednesday, as she shared a number of throwback holiday snaps from her one bedroom childhood apartment.
The Fallin’ singer, 41, contemplated her humble beginnings, writing: ‘Wow! This is the one bedroom apartment that my mother raised me in! Apt #11-L. I’ll never forget.’
In the snaps little Alicia – who now lives in a $20million 11,000 square-foot mansion in La Jolla, California – can be seen posing next to Christmas trees and opening gifts throughout the years.
Continuing with the caption, the Grammy Award winner explained the reason for why the management would not give the family a two bedroom apartment.
‘The building wouldn’t give us a 2 bedroom cause I was a girl, so the room was sometimes my mothers, sometimes mine, most of the time ours (depending on my age).’
‘Every Christmas we put the tree right there in that corner in our small but cozy living room and we would decorate it together, just the 2 of us, while she played jazz albums on a record player.’
She went on to express the excitement she felt as a child: ‘I’ll never forget that night before anticipation and how excited I was about what surprises might come in the night.’
The superstar continued in reference to a photo of her opening a gift that contained roller skates: ‘And I’ll never forget those roller skates. I was dyin’ for them so I could skate on those hard concrete New York City Streets!!’
She wrapped up her post writing, ‘Awww look at lil Alicia. I send that girl such big love. I thank her for still living in me and keeping me full of wonder and curiosity!’
The superstar has certainly come a long way, as she and her husband Swizz Beatz now live in a sprawling mansion.
Last year the couple gave fans a personal tour of their nearly 11,000 square-foot cliffside mansion, which they snapped up for over $20million in 2019 after eight years of ‘manifesting’ the purchase.
The La Jolla, California property – famously dubbed the Razor House – was born from the mind of architectural designer Wallace E. Cunningham and is said to have inspired Tony Stark’s futuristic residence in Marvel’s Iron Man.
Speaking to Architectural Digest, Alicia and her husband of 11-years have since renamed the home ‘Dreamland’ and, with the help of interior designer Kelly Behun, have made it a ‘warm’ place to raise their family.
The couple share two sons Egypt, 12, and Genesis, seven.
‘We wanted something that felt warm, something that feels like places we’ve traveled around the world,’ said the 43-year-old record producer in regards to the contrast between the modern furnishing and the historic cultures they’ve grown to love.
