‘Empire State of Mind’ has been one of the last to join the long list of songs dedicated to New York. The singer Alicia Keys and the rapper Jay-Z perform, with this song, an exercise of exaltation towards their city of birth.

The story of this song begins with a call in which Jay-Z contacts Alicia Keys and tells her. “Look, I have a song up my sleeve that will be the anthem of New York City.” Could you dethrone the repeated “New York New York” that Frank Sinatra performed and come out on top? After listening to “Empire State of Mind” it is clear that yes. It is a song of longing, written by a New Yorker who very much missed her city, Jay-Z’s former neighbor in his youth and who after seeing that her song was rejected in various circuits, reaches the magician’s hands. Jay-Z modifies the lyrics, maintains the piano loop, and with regard to that piano, he immediately thought of the female voice: Alicia Keys. Round story for one of the best songs of 2009.

Empire State Of Mind Lyrics

Yeah, 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
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, I could trip a referee
Tell by my attitude that I’m most definitely from

Alicia Keys & Jay-Z
In New York (ayy, aha)
Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
There’s nothin’ you can’t do (yeah)
Now you’re in New York (aha, aha, aha)
These streets will make you feel brand-new (new)
Big lights will inspire you (come on)
Let’s hear it for New York (you’re welcome, OG), New York, New York
(I made you hot, nigga)

Jay-Z
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’ rocks
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 Monte
Labor Day Parade rest in peace, Bob Marley
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade
Long live the king, yo I’m from the Empire State, that’s

Alicia Keys & Jay-Z
In New York (ayy)
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There’s nothin’ you can’t do (that boy good)
Now you’re in New York (welcome to the bright light, baby)
These streets will make you feel brand-new
Big lights will inspire you
Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York

Jay-Z
Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
So they can 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
And when winter gets cold, en vogue with your skin out
The 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 ends
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
MDMA got you feelin’ like a champion
The city never sleeps, better slip you a Ambien

Alicia Keys & Jay-Z
In New York (ayy, ah) (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
New York (yeah), New York (uh)

Alicia Keys
One hand in the air for the big city
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin’ pretty
No place in the world that could compare
Put your lighters in the air, everybody say, yeah, yeah (come on, come on)
Yeah, yeah (come on)

In New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There’s nothin’ you can’t do (okay)
Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand-new
Big lights will inspire you
Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York

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GSR

My name is Gourav Singh, and some of my favorite hobbies include watching movies and television series, playing sports, and listening to music. For my blog posts, I prefer to write about themes that are lighthearted and fun to read and write about. To keep things light and entertaining, I'll include funny observations on life or a summary of the most recent entertainment news. Check out my blog if you're in the mood for some light entertainment.