Keys to Misstatements?

Alicia Keys now says that her comments about gansta rap were taken out of context and misstated by reporters at Blender magazine. I wonder about that. It might be nice to see if the magazine and reporter can proffer evidence - audiotapes or notes from the interview that can corroborate their story or undermine Keys' claims that she was misrepresented. Blender says that they stand by the story.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Keys said she was clarifying "comments that were made during my recent Blender magazine interview since they have been misrepresented."

According to an interview in the magazine's May issue, the 27-year-old singer says: "`Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. `Gangsta rap' didn't exist." She also is quoted as saying that she wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck "to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead."

"We stand by our story," Blender spokeswoman Kate Cafaro told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Stay tuned.