Empire State Of Mind
158_Jay-Z Feat. Alicia Keys Lyrics

Yeah
An expression of agreement or affirmation.

Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
I am no longer living in Brooklyn and have moved on to living in Tribeca.

Right next to DeNiro, but I'll be hood forever
I might be living near DeNiro but my roots and upbringing will never leave me.

I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I am the new Sinatra, and now that I've made it in New York, I am capable of achieving success anywhere.

I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
I have the power and ability to succeed anywhere and people love me everywhere.

I used to cop in Harlem, hola, my Dominicanos (dímelo)
I used to buy drugs in Harlem and greet my Dominican friends warmly.

Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonald's
Going up Broadway, I remember the McDonald's I used to go to.

Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
I took the drugs to my stashbox at 560 State Street.

Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whippin' pastry
You can find me in the kitchen cooking like a Simmons, making pastry.

Cruisin' down 8th St, off-white Lexus
I am driving an off-white Lexus down 8th Street.

Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
I am driving slowly, even though I'm from BK, which is known for being fast-paced like Texas.

Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
I am from Bed-Stuy, which is where Biggie Smalls is from.

Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
I now have my name on a billboard and have brought my friends with me.

Say what up to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tais
Say hello to Ty-Ty, who is still drinking Mai Tais.

Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
I am sitting courtside at Knicks and Nets games and both teams give me high fives.

Nigga I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee (come on, come on, come on)
I am dressed like Spike Lee and could potentially trip a referee during a game.

Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
My attitude says everything you need to know about where I'm from.

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
New York is a tough place where people come to achieve their dreams.

There's nothin' you can't do
Anything is possible in New York and in life.

Now you're in New York
Now that you are in New York, anything is possible.

These streets will make you feel brand new
Being in New York will give you a new perspective and a sense of rebirth.

Big lights will inspire you (come on) (okay)
Seeing the bright lights of New York will inspire and motivate you.

Let's hear it for New York (you're welcome, OG) (come on)
Let's celebrate and give recognition to New York (original gangster).

New York (yeah), New York (uh) (I made you hot, nigga)
New York has become popular and I played a part in that.

Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
You can find me with OG at a Yankee game.

Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
My fame has made the Yankee hat more famous than the team itself.

You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
I support the Yankees (who wear blue) but I am not affiliated with the Crips gang.

But I got a gang of niggas walkin' with my clique though
I have a group of friends and associates who are loyal to me.

Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Welcome to the diverse, multicultural city where we sell drugs on the street corners.

Afrika Bambataa shit, home of the hip-hop
This is where Afrika Bambataa and hip-hop music originated.

Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
Various types of taxis are available and can be hailed by calling out to them.

For foreigners it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to act
For tourists and people who are not from here, it can be difficult to adapt and know how to act accordingly.

Eight million stories, out there in the naked
There are eight million stories to be told about people out there in the city.

City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
The city is ruthless and many people will not succeed here.

Me, I got a plug, Special Ed 'I Got It Made'
I have a connection that allows me to have success and prosper like in Special Ed's song 'I Got It Made'.

If Jeezy's payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade
If Jeezy is able to pay LeBron James, then I am able to pay Dwyane Wade.

Three dice Cee-lo, three-card Monte
I am playing Cee-lo and three-card Monte.

Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
I am at the Labor Day Parade to celebrate, and pay tribute to the late Bob Marley.

Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade (come on, come on, come on)
I am paying my respects to the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center.

Long live the king yo, I'm from the Empire State that's
Long live the king, I am from the Empire State.

One hand in the air for the big city (uh)
I raise one hand in the air to celebrate the big city.

Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty (uh)
The street lights, big dreams, and the city itself are all looking pretty and worth admiring.

No place in the world that could compare
There is no other place in the world that can compare to New York City.

Put your lighters in the air everybody say
Hold your lighters up high and let's all say together...

"Yeah, yeah" (come on, come on, come on)
"Yeah, yeah"

Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
The bright lights are blinding and require girls to wear blinders so as not to get distracted.

So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is
This allows them to quickly step out of bounds without getting distracted, because the sidelines are...

Lined with casualties, who sip the life casually
The sidelines are lined with people who have failed due to casual and carefree attitudes towards life.

Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
Their situation has gradually become worse and they should not succumb to temptation like Eve did in the Bible by biting the apple.

Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
Being caught up in the in-crowd means that you are now fashionable and considered stylish.

End of the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out
At the end of winter, it gets cold, and the trend is to wear revealing clothing.

City of sin, it's a pity on a whim
New York is a city known for its sins and it's unfortunate how easily influenced people can be.

Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Good girls turning bad is common in this city.

Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
Mom took a bus trip and now has a large chest due to plastic surgery.

Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
Everybody has had a turn with her, much like people do on a bus route.

"Hail Mary" to the city, you're a virgin
People pray the 'Hail Mary' to New York like it is a virgin, untouched and unspoiled.

And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Even Jesus can't save you from the harsh realities of life after the church services end.

Came here for school, graduated to the high life
I came here for school and graduated to living the high life.

Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
Famous athletes and musicians are addicted to being in the public eye and the attention it brings.

MDMA got you feelin' like a champion (come on, come on, come on)
MDMA makes you feel like a champion and motivates you to do more.

The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
New York is a city that never sleeps and you may need medication to help you fall asleep at night.