Alicia recently spoke about her career and childhood and how music saved her from being a prostitute and a drug addict, in an interview with The Guardian.
She said, “I am that person [the underdog]”, she added, “The one that wasn’t supposed to make it out of Hell’s Kitchen, who was supposed to end up being a prostitute, a young mother at 16 years old, or addicted to drugs.”
“I am the one who was supposed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and got injured or killed.” she said. She continued, “had what looked like movie theatres, but it was all porno places, with hookers on every corner. I had to always wear something very baggy, very dark, always had my hair back; I felt like if people saw me, they might try to touch me. That’s why I’ve always been such a tomboy – I’ve never been the one in pretty dresses and nails, because I could not have nails and hair. And for a lot of girls it still is a safety risk to walk the streets.”