8 things you didn't know about Alicia Keys

It's official! Alicia Keys will be a guest star on "Empire" Season 2, Episode 9.

In "Sinned Against," the sultry singer will act as Skye Summers, a pop star who connects with Jamal and produces a unique hit song.

Here are eight things you might not have known about the popular singer.

1. Her "MTV Unplugged" album debuted at No. 1.
The live record topped the Billboard 200 chart in 2005, making her the first female artist to have an "Unplugged" album do so well and making the LP the most successful "Unplugged" release since Nirvana's 1994 record.

2. She once controlled the colored lights of the Empire State Building.
In 2012, Keys performed "Empire State of Mind" at the Empire State Building in New York. While she sang, the building's ESB lights blinked in sync with the songs she performed.

3. She adopted an African village.
Keys, a supporter of HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and eradiction, adopted a village in Soweta, South Africa. She and her husband pledged to help build schools, train individuals to gain important skills and give other forms of support to the villagers.

4. She designed her own line of Reeboks.
Keys has said she grew up wearing Reebok 5411s, and her husband, Swizz Beats, has worked with the brand in the past. She partnered with the sneaker brand in 2012.

5. Beyonce is her childhood friend.
Alicia Keys and Beyonce were both signed to Sony Music when they were teenagers, so the girls ran into each other often. Keys has said that her son, Egypt, and Beyonce's daughter, Blue Ivy, have gotten together for play dates.

6. She created a mobile app.
Keys' app, The Journals of Mama Mae and LeeLee, is an educational storytelling app that explores the relationship between a young girl and her mother. In it, a young character from New York guides children through stories, games and music Keys created exclusively for the app. Keys has said she was inspired by her own relationship with her grandmother and her relationship with her son.

7. Dr. Deepak Chopra played a part in her wedding.
When Keys married producer Swizz Beats, health guru and family friend Dr. Copra presided over the wedding, acting in place of a minister or judge. The two were married in a private home on the Mediterranean Sea.

8. She was on "The Cosby Show."
She acted as one of Rudy's friends at a sleepover when she was a child.