Empire State Of Mind
Alicia Keys and Jay-Z Lyrics

Yeah
The singer agrees or affirms something being mentioned or presented.

Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
The singer used to live in Brooklyn, but now he's moved to the more upscale neighborhood of Tribeca.

Right next to DeNiro, but I'll be hood forever
The singer is neighbors with famous actor Robert DeNiro, but he'll always keep his roots close to him.

I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
The artist sees himself as a new version of legendary singer Frank Sinatra, and believes he can make it anywhere now that he's succeeded in New York City.

I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
Since the artist has made it in New York City, he feels that people all around the world will love and accept him.

I used to cop in Harlem, hola, my Dominicanos (dímelo)
The singer used to buy drugs in the Harlem area, and sends a greeting to his Dominican friends.

Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonald's
The singer refers to a McDonald's on Broadway as a spot he'd visit frequently in the past.

Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
The artist took something (possibly drugs) and stored it in his stashbox, located at 560 State Street.

Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whippin' pastry
The artist can be found in the kitchen, and references Reverend Run of Run-DMC as he's cooking something up.

Cruisin' down 8th St, off-white Lexus
The artist is driving an off-white Lexus down 8th Street.

Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
The singer drives slow, but notes that people from his hometown of Brooklyn (BK) drive similarly to those from Texas.

Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
The artist grew up in Bed-Stuy, a neighborhood of Brooklyn that was also home to the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.

Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
The singer is now a successful musician, with his name featured on a billboard, and he's brought his friends along for the ride.

Say what up to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tais
The singer greets his friend Ty-Ty and notes that he is still drinking Mai Tais.

Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
The singer is sitting in the front row of a basketball game featuring the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets, and other people at the game give him high-fives.

Nigga I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee (come on, come on, come on)
The artist is wearing spiky jewelry, which he associates with filmmaker Spike Lee, and jokes that he could trip a referee with his necklace.

Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
The artist's demeanor and personality makes it clear that he's from a certain place.

In New York (ayy, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
The singer is referencing New York City.

Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
New York City is an industrial metropolis where people go to achieve their goals and aspirations.

There's nothin' you can't do (yeah) (okay)
New York City is seen as a place where anything is possible.

Now you're in New York (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
The artist is saying that the listener has now entered and experienced New York City.

These streets will make you feel brand new (new)
The energy and vibe of the city can make one feel refreshed and reinvigorated.

Big lights will inspire you (come on) (okay)
The brightness of the city's lights can have a motivating and inspirational effect on people.

Let's hear it for New York (you're welcome, OG) (come on)
The artist is acknowledging and celebrating the city of New York.

New York (yeah), New York (uh) (I made you hot, nigga)
The singer is shouting out New York City again and asserting that he's responsible for its popularity.

Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
The singer can be found at Yankee Stadium with his OG (original gangster) friend.

Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
The singer humorously asserts that he's made Yankee hats more popular than the Yankees baseball team itself.

You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
The artist supports the New York Giants football team, whose color is blue, but is not affiliated with the gang Crips.

But I got a gang of niggas walkin' with my clique though
The artist has a lot of friends and associates with him.

Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
The singer references New York City's multicultural and diverse population, but also acknowledges that drug dealing occurs in certain neighborhoods.

Afrika Bambataa shit, home of the hip-hop
The singer references hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambataa and notes that New York City is the birthplace of hip-hop music.

Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
The artist references various types of cabs in the city and invites people to call them over.

For foreigners it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to act
The artist feels that foreigners in the city often act as if they've forgotten how to behave themselves.

Eight million stories, out there in the naked
There are countless experiences and stories to be found in the city.

City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
While the city offers opportunities, many people will not succeed in achieving their dreams.

Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made"
The artist has a connection or supplier he refers to as a 'plug,' and references the 1989 rap song 'I Got It Made' by Special Ed.

If Jeezy's payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade
The singer humorously suggests that he's contributing to the Miami Heat basketball team's payroll, just like rapper Young Jeezy is rumored to be doing for LeBron James, but for a different player, Dwyane Wade.

Three dice Cee-lo, three-card Monte
The singer references gambling games of Cee-lo dice and Three-card Monte, which are often played on the streets of New York City.

Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
The singer is enjoying himself at the Labor Day Parade, and pays tribute to late musician Bob Marley.

Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade (come on, come on, come on)
The artist references the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center, which were both symbols of New York City that were affected by tragedy.

Long live the king yo, I'm from the Empire State that's
The artist pays tribute to the outsize influence and legacy of the Empire State, referring to himself as its representative.

There's nothin' you can't do (that boy good) (okay)
New York City is seen as a place where anything is possible; this line also references a line from the movie "The Godfather," spoken by a character who is impressed with Michael Corleone's actions.

Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
The singer is saying that the listener has now entered and is experiencing New York City.

(Welcome to the bright lights, baby)
A phrase of welcome to the bright lights of New York City.

These streets will make you feel brand new
The energy and vibe of the city can make one feel refreshed and reinvigorated.

Big lights will inspire you (okay)
The brightness of the city's lights can have a motivating and inspirational effect on people.

Let's hear it for New York (come on)
The singer is celebrating and giving a shout out to New York City.

New York (yeah), New York (uh)
The artist shouts out to New York City once again.