Empire State Of Mind

"Empire State of Mind" is a song by hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring guest vocals of R&B and soul singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. The song was released as the third single from Jay-Z's eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3 on his Roc Nation label. The song is an anthemic ode to both artists' native New York City, featuring a sample of "Love on a Two-Way Street" by The Moments. Jay-Z and Keys performed the song at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, as well as the American Music Awards of 2009. It is also the plate music for New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, and it was used in the trailer for Sex and the City 2. The single has been commercially successful in the United States. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Jay-Z's first number-one single on the chart as a lead artist. "Empire State of Mind" reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart on October 4, 2009. The song also reached number 2 in the Irish Singles Chart on September 25, 2009 with no official release. Alicia Keys has recorded an answer song to 'Empire State of Mind' titled 'Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down', it features on the album The Element of Freedom and has charted within the top 30 of the UK Singles Chart. "Empire State of Mind" is an anthemic hip hop song with influences of electropop and orchestra pop. It features a sample of "Love on a Two-Way Street" by The Moments. The title is a reference to New York's eponym "The Empire State", and may also be a reference to Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind". Jay-Z's former rival Nas also titled one of his songs "N.Y. State of Mind". The song is an anthem to Jay-Z's hometown, New York City. The song also mentions NBA superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and teams New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets. "Empire State of Mind" was originally created by singer-songwriter-producer Angela Hunte, a Brooklyn native, along with writing partner Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic. Hunte grew up in the same building — 560 State Street, an address which is mentioned in the song — where Jay-Z lived. However, they never collaborated on a song before. The creation of the track was inspired during an overseas trip of Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic to London in February, both feeling nostalgic. Hunte was sick during that summer while Sewell-Ulepic's mother was ill. Hunte recalls, "We said to ourselves, 'we complain so much about New York -- about the busy streets, about the crowds and the pushing, about the subway system -- but I would trade that for anything right now.' Before we left the hotel that night, we knew we would write a song about our city." It was reported that fellow New York MC Nas, who himself has a song called "N.Y. State of Mind", was supposed to be featured on the song but declined because of a busy touring schedule, an ongoing divorce case with his ex-wife Kelis, and his ongoing work with Damian Marley on their collaboration album titled Distant Relatives. Jay-Z stated in an interview that after hearing the piano loops, he immediately thought of Keys and wanted her to be featured. Keys recalls, "There was a first phone call, and Jay hit me up like, 'I feel like I have this record that's going to be the anthem of New York.'" Keys later recorded the sequel of the song called "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down", which is included on Keys' fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom. Contrary to previous reports, the sequel does not feature Jay-Z. The song received airplay from numerous radio stations and gained a huge number of downloads, specifically after the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. The song was released as the third single from the album to Rhythmic Airplay on October 19, 2009, the same day as Alicia Keys's single "Doesn't Mean Anything". The song was featured on episode 12 of the third season of Gossip Girl titled "The Debarted". It was also featured on WWE Monday Night Raw for a Madison Square Garden episode shot there.

[Intro: JAY-Z] Yeah [Verse 1: JAY-Z & Alicia Keys] Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca Right next to De Niro, but I'll be hood forever I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere I used to cop in Harlem, hola, my Dominicanos (Dímelo!) Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonald's Took it to my stash spot, 560 State Street Catch me in the kitchen, like a Simmons whippin' pastry Cruisin' down 8th Street, off-white Lexus Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas Me? I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me Say "What up?" to Ty Ty, still sippin' Mai Tais Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high fives Nigga, I be spiked out (Come on), I could trip a referee (Come on) Tell by my attitude (Come on) that I'm most definitely from [Chorus: Alicia Keys & JAY-Z] In New York (Ayy, uh, yeah; aha) Concrete jungle (Yeah) where dreams are made of There's nothin' you can't do (Yeah, okay) Now you're in New York (Aha, aha, aha; uh, yeah) These streets will make you feel brand-new (New) Big lights will inspire you (Come on) (Okay) Let's hear it for New York (You welcome, OG; uh) New York (Yeah), New York (Uh, I made you hot, nigga) [Verse 2: JAY-Z & Alicia Keys] Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though But I got a gang of niggas walkin' with my clique though Welcome to the meltin' pot, corners where we sellin' rock Afrika Bambaataa shit, home of the hip-hop Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back For foreigners, it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to add Eight million stories out there in the naked City, it's a pity half of y'all won't make it Me? I gotta plug Special Ed, "I Got It Made" If Jeezy's payin' LeBron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade Three dice cee-lo, three-card Marley Labor Day Parade—rest in peace, Bob Marley Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade (Come on, come on) Long live the king, yo (Come on)—I'm from the Empire State, that's [Chorus: Alicia Keys & JAY-Z] In New York (Ayy; uh, yeah) Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothin' you can't do (That boy good, okay) Now you're in New York (Uh, yeah, welcome to the bright lights, baby) These streets will make you feel brand-new Big lights will inspire you (Okay) Let's hear it for New York (Uh) New York (Yeah), New York (Uh) [Verse 3: JAY-Z & Alicia Keys] Lights is blinding, girls need blinders Or they could step out of bounds quick, the side lines is Lined with casualties who sip the life casually Then gradually become worse—don't bite the apple, Eve! Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in-style Into the winter gets cold, en vogue with your skin out City of sin is a pity on a whim Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them Mami took a bus trip, now she got her bust out Everybody ride her, just like a bus route "Hail Mary" to the city, you're a virgin And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end Came here for school, graduated to the high life Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight MDMA (Come on) got you feelin' like a champion (Come on) The city never sleeps (Come on), better slip you a Ambien [Chorus: Alicia Keys & JAY-Z] In New York (Ayy, ow, uh, yeah) Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothin' you can't do (Okay) Now you're in New York (Uh, yeah) These streets will make you feel brand-new Big lights will inspire you (Okay) Let's hear it for New York (Uh) New York (Yeah), New York (Uh) [Bridge: Alicia Keys] One hand in the air for the big city (Oh) Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty (Oh) No place in the world that could compare (Nah) Put your lighters in the air, everybody say "Yeah, yeah" (Come on, come on) "Yeah, yeah" (Come on) [Chorus: Alicia Keys] In New York (Uh, yeah, oh) Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothin' you can't do (Okay) Now you're in New York (Uh, yeah, yeah) These streets will make you feel brand-new Big lights will inspire you (Okay) Let's hear it for New York (Uh) New York (Yeah), New York (Uh)