Empire State of Mind
Jay–Z Lyrics

Yeah
Introductory phrase to the song

Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
I've moved from Brooklyn to Tribeca

Right next to DeNiro, but I'll be hood forever
I'm living close to DeNiro but I'll always stay true to my roots in the streets

I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I'm like the new Sinatra because I've made it big in NYC

I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
Since I made it in NYC, I know I can make it anywhere, and people love me everywhere

I used to cop in Harlem, hola, my Dominicanos (dímelo)
I used to buy drugs in Harlem, greeting my Dominican drug dealers

Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonald's
I was reminded of my past when I saw the McDonald's on Broadway where I used to go

Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
I went to my stash spot at 560 State Street

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

Cruisin' down 8th St, off-white Lexus
I'm driving down 8th Street in a luxurious off-white Lexus

Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
I'm driving slowly, but BK (Bed-Stuy) is known for slow driving like Texas

Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
I'm from Bed-Stuy, where Biggie also came from

Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
Now I'm famous and my friends are also successful and with me on this journey

Say what up to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tais
I greet my friend Ty-Ty and we're still drinking Mai Tais (a tropical cocktail)

Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
I'm sitting courtside and the Knicks and Nets players give me a high five

Nigga I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee (come on, come on, come on)
I'm dressed like Spike Lee and I could get so excited that I trip a referee during a basketball game

Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
You can tell that I'm from NYC just by my attitude

In New York (ayy, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
I'm in New York

Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
New York is a concrete city where people's dreams come true

There's nothin' you can't do (yeah) (okay)
In NYC, you can achieve anything you want (OK)

Now you're in New York (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
Now that you're in New York

These streets will make you feel brand new (new)
Walking on these streets will give you a fresh start and make you feel brand new

Big lights will inspire you (come on) (okay)
Seeing the big lights of the city will inspire you to greatness (OK)

Let's hear it for New York (you're welcome, OG) (come on)
Shout out to New York (you're welcome, original gangster)

New York (yeah), New York (uh) (I made you hot, nigga)
New York, I made you a hot spot,

Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
You can find me with the original gangster watching the Yankees at Yankee Stadium

Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
I made the Yankees hat more popular than the team itself

You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
I support the Yankees ('I bleed blue') but I'm not a gangster ('I'm not a Crip')

But I got a gang of niggas walkin' with my clique though
I have a lot of friends rolling with me

Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Welcome to a place where cultures meet and drugs are sold on street corners

Afrika Bambataa shit, home of the hip-hop
This is the place inspired by Afrika Bambaataa, known for the birth of hip-hop

Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
Different types of taxis are available here, just call and they'll come

For foreigners it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to act
It's not fair for foreigners, they can't seem to behave themselves well on the streets

Eight million stories, out there in the naked
There are eight million people with their own stories in NYC, exposed to everyone

City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
NYC can be a sad place where only half of the people will succeed in their dreams

Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made"
I have a connection that helps me out, just like the rapper Special Ed's "I Got It Made"

If Jeezy's payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade
If Jeezy is able to pay Lebron James, I can afford to pay Dwyane Wade

Three dice Cee-lo, three-card Monte
Dice game Cee-lo and card game three-card Monte are popular on the streets

Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Bob Marley is remembered during the Labor Day Parade celebrations

Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade (come on, come on, come on)
The Statue of Liberty is an iconic symbol of NYC, and the World Trade Center should remain in our memories (come on)

Long live the king yo, I'm from the Empire State that's
Long live the king, I'm from the state that's known as the Empire State

There's nothin' you can't do (that boy good) (okay)
In NYC, you can do anything you want (that boy is good) (OK)

Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
Now that you're in NYC

Big lights will inspire you
Seeing the big lights of the city will motivate you

New York (yeah), New York (uh)
New York City, New York State

Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
The bright lights can be blinding, so girls need blinders to stay focused

So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is
Girls need to step out of the sidelines quickly if they don't want to be caught up in the crowd

Lined with casualties, who sip the life casually
The crowd is full of people who casually drink their life away and suffer the consequences

Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
They will slowly deteriorate, so don't make the same mistake Eve made by biting the apple in the garden of Eden

Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
Caught up in the popular crowd, now you're fashionable

End of the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out
As the winter ends and it gets colder, you're still in fashion even with your skin exposed

City of sin, it's a pity on a whim
NYC is known for its sins, and it's a shame when people indulge recklessly

Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Good girls turned bad are everywhere in NYC

Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
A mother took a bus trip and now she's showing off her new breasts

Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
Everyone is having sex with her, like people riding a bus route

"Hail Mary" to the city, you're a virgin
The city is like a prayer, and you're like a virgin losing your virginity

And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Even Jesus can't help you now, so get used to life outside of the church

Came here for school, graduated to the high life
I came here for school, but now I'm living the high life

Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
Celebrities like ball players and rap stars are addicted to being in the spotlight

MDMA got you feelin' like a champion (come on, come on, come on)
Taking MDMA makes you feel invincible (come on, come on, come on)

The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
The city is always active, so you may need some Ambien to sleep

In New York (ayy, oh) (uh, yeah)
I'm still in NYC

One hand in the air for the big city (uh)
One hand in the air to celebrate the big city

Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty (uh)
The city lights, your big dreams, all look pretty

No place in the world that could compare
Nowhere else in the world compares to NYC

Put your lighters in the air everybody say
Hold your lighters up and say

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

In New York (uh, yeah)
In NYC

Big lights will inspire you
The big lights of the city will inspire you

New York (yeah), New York (uh)
New York, New York