New York
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys Lyrics

Nasty, yeah, yeah (New York, New York)
New York is tough and gritty

Hey yo black it's time again, yeah, yeah (New York, New York)
It's time for another anthem for New York City

Come here, yeah, yeah (New York, New York)
New York is calling for attention

Hey yo black it's time
It's time to start the song

If you knew my streets
If you knew New York City

You would know all everybody talk about is who got beef
In New York, everyone talks about who is having problems

Who snitchin', who told police
In New York, people talk about who is giving information to the police

Who came home, who still gone, who restin' in peace
In New York, people talk about who is out of prison or who passed away

Now they killin' over music money, not drugs, rap replaced it
In New York, now people are killing over music money instead of drugs

Because thugs with no brains got no patience
In New York, the impatient thugs have no brains

New jacks I pistol whip 'em with the funky rhythm I be kickin'
In New York, newcomers are punished with a good beat

Musician and flatten composition
Music can be used to punish those who need it

A pain, I'm like Saddam Hussein
I am a painful memory, like the sight of Saddam Hussein's dead children

Still alive lookin' at his dead children's burnt remains
I am still here, even though the sight of dead children haunts me

I burnt the game, learnt you lames a new lesson
I destroyed the game and taught a new lesson

Your crew's soft man, ya'll need some new weapons
Your crew is weak, you need better weapons to stand a chance in New York

The P's breathe Warriorz and skullies and Timmies
People in New York wear Warriorz hats and skullies and Timmies boots

Around mixed, spics, niggaz and giddies
In New York, there are people of different races and backgrounds

From my ghetto kings in deep thought we don't blink
In New York, the ghetto kings are always thinking and aware

But don't think we wastin' our time
But we are not wasting our time

It's a New York State of Mind
This is the state of mind in New York

It's like a jungle, out here
It's like a jungle in New York

So much struggle, out here
There is a lot of struggle in New York

And my dream's still unphased
But my dreams are still unphased

Greed still the cousin of death
Greed is still a cause of death

Always feels like always somethin' farther time
It always feels like something is missing in New York

In the Streets of New York
In the streets of New York

All I see is street homes
All I see are homes on the streets of New York

And who it's holdin', our people
And those homes hold our people

Only comforts the brain
Only the brain finds comfort in this

It's like I'm going insane
It feels like I'm losing my mind

The revolution has to start, don't waste no time
We need to start a revolution in New York, don't waste any time

State of crime (New York City)
New York City has a high crime rate

Big dreams (New York City)
New York City has big dreams

Big schemes
New Yorkers have big plans and ambitions

Oh, it's like the game
It's like a game here in New York

Just ain't the same
But it's not the same as before

Baby loves and girls with no shame
There are girls in New York who have no shame

Can't get away (get away), epidemic plague
You can't escape the epidemic plague in New York

Every hood in every state
Every neighborhood in every state is affected

Don't have no reasons 'cause relief is hard to find
People don't have reasons to be hopeful in New York because relief is hard to come by

I'm from the home of a million legends and trend settin'
I am from the home of many legends and trendsetters

A lot of footsteps to follow, I've been steppin'
There are many footsteps to follow, but I've been stepping up

Mind stressin' tryin' to find a record crime shreddin'
My mind is stressed trying to find a record to shred the crime in New York

Time precious, I ain't have rest since nine eleven
Time is precious, and I haven't rested since 9/11

I live fast, hustle like today is my last
I live fast and hustle like today is my last day in New York

I get cash, the struggle's like a day on the Ave.
I make money in New York, but the struggle is like a long day on the avenue

Crack bein' raw, gats squeezin' off
People are using crack and guns in New York

Manhattan squeezin' off, from cats who tease with war
Even Manhattan is not safe from the teasing of those who want war in New York

The eve of the Apocalypse, evil keep movin' politics
New York is like the eve of the Apocalypse, where evil keeps moving politics

Every block is at risk, the metropolitan metropolis
Every block in New York is at risk, in this metropolitan city

The opposite of Liza Minelli and Frank Sinatra
New York City is not glamorous like Liza Minelli or Frank Sinatra

Alicia Keys, Nas and Ra the gangsta's opera
Alicia Keys, Nas, and Ra make up the gangsta's opera in New York

So New York City walk with me, talk gritty
Let's walk together in New York, let's talk gritty and real

It's up to us New York it's our city
New York City belongs to us, let's take care of it

Here the man come with the anthem, hands up
Let's hear the man with the anthem, and put our hands up in New York

It's time the thrill is back New York, let's stand up
It's time for the thrill to come back to New York, let's stand up and take action

New York, New York, New York
This is New York City

New York City, whoa oh
This is New York City

New York City, baby
This is New York City