As one of the leading ladies of R&B, Alicia Keys' life has been profiled so much that some of her devotees could say they know everything about her. However, being one of those stars that prides herself on staying as private as possible, TheDrop.fm did a little hunting and found some things that may surprise you about the Grammy-winning artist.

Here's 10 Things You Didn't Know About Alicia Keys.

Alicia Keys‘ is currently performing on her Set the World On Fire tour and wants to get to know her fans in every city. During her worldwide trek, the songstress is asking fans to send in photos of themselves in their cities, and with those photos, she will create a new music video for her song ‘Hallelujah’ in every city on her tour. To submit your photos to the ‘Your City, Your Video’ project, go here. The next deadline for photo submissions for the tour dates in Prague, Vienna, Zurich, Munich and Lyon is Mon., June 3. The submission period for dates prior to that has closed.

  • 10

    Alicia Keys created her own mobile app.

    Before she was named creative director of Blackberry, the 'Girl on Fire' singer was already deep into the mobile world with the creation of her own app for kids. 'The Journals of Mama Mae and LeeLee' is a storytelling app that delves into the relationship between a little girl in New York City and her mother. Inspired by her own relationship with her grandmother as well as her son, Egypt, the app features a variety of stories, games and even music Keys penned exclusively for it. Not only will kids enjoy it, but their Alicia Keys-loving parents will love it, too.

  • 9

    Bob Dylan is an Alicia Keys fan.

    Although their music may be on two sides of the musical spectrum, the legendary folk singer has praised Keys for her talent and once said, "There's nothing about that girl I don't like." The admiration is so great that he even mentions her in his song, 'Thunder on the Mountain.' "I was thinking 'bout Alicia Keys, I couldn't keep from crying / While she was born in Hell's Kitchen, I was livin' down the line," he sings.

  • 8

    Her 'MTV Unplugged' album debuted at No. 1.

    While it's not surprising that an Alicia Keys album would top the Billboard charts, she wowed everyone when her 'MTV Unplugged' album -- a live record -- achieved the same feat on the Billboard 200 chart. Not only was she the first female artist to have an 'Unplugged' album do so well, but that LP was the first 'Unplugged' chart-topper since Nirvana's record in 1994.

  • 7

    She adopted an African village.

    Being a big supporter of eradicating HIV/AIDS in Africa, Alicia Keys has been doing her best to spread awareness of the issue and help parts of the continent in any way she can. One way she did that was by adopting a village in Soweto, South Africa. She and hubby, Swizz Beatz traveled to the area to do a little documentary and not only fell in love with the place but also were compelled to help develop it.

  • 6

    The singer designed her own line of Reeboks.

    She may be rocking the highest stilletos on the red carpet, but Alicia Keys is also a bit of sneakerhead. Growing up wearing Reebok 5411s, her love of the shoe sparked a partnership with the brand in 2012. Considering Swizz Beatz has also been working with Reebok for years, this working relationship was just meant to be.

  • 5

    Beyonce and Alicia are childhood friends.

    Alicia Keys and Beyonce have known each other since they were teenagers. Since both were signed to Sony, the two would end up sharing the stage -- Beyonce as a Destiny's Child member and Keys doing her solo set. The two have stayed close since then. Keys has even admitted that her son, Egypt, and Bey's daughter, Blue Ivy, get together for play dates.

  • 4

    She could get the lead in an upcoming Lena Horne biopic.

    With a number of films already under her belt including 'The Nanny Diaries' and 'The Secret Life of Bees,' Alicia Keys has had the opportunity to portray a number of different characters. However, there is one role that the singer would like to take on: Lena Horne. Not only does she have a great admiration for the legendary singer and actress, but they do look a great deal alike. So when Keys revealed that she has been in talks about playing Horne in an upcoming biopic, it seemed like her dreams came true. Although the film is still in the planning stages, there may be a chance we will see the songstress doing something on her bucket list.

  • 3

    Dr. Deepak Chopra helped Alicia and Swizz Beatz tie the knot.

    Instead of a minister or judge, Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz asked well-known holistic health guru Dr. Deepak Chopra, who is a good friend, to preside over the couple's Mediterranean wedding.

  • 2

    The New York native was on 'The Cosby Show.'

    Before she was belting notes and playing masterpieces, Keys was a child actress trying to catch a break in New York City. And luckily for her, that moment happened when she was picked up to be an extra on 'The Cosby Show.' Not only did she play one of Rudy's friends and guests at her slumber party, but she was the lucky girl who got to sit on Bill Cosby's knee.

  • 1

    She controlled the colored lights of the Empire State Building.

    When Alicia Keys released her R&B version of 'Empire State of Mind,' it seemed only natural for New York City to take notice. Last year, the born-and-bred New Yorker showed so much love for the city in that track that the Empire State Building gave her the opportunity to play with the building's infamous lighting set-up to create a light show that corresponded with the tune -- being the first artist to ever have that opportunity. Mariah Carey once lit up the infamous structure, but not in the same fashion as Keys.

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