Empire State of Mind
Jay Z Alicia Keys Lyrics

Yeah
An enthusiastic start to the song, conveying energy and excitement

Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
I used to live in Brooklyn, but now I'm living in the more upscale Tribeca neighborhood

Right next to DeNiro, but I'll be hood forever
I may be living amongst celebrities, but I'll always have my roots in the streets

I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I am the new iconic musician of New York City

I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
I am well-known and loved globally and my success in NYC is proof of my capability to succeed anywhere

I used to cop in Harlem, hola, my Dominicanos (dímelo)
I used to buy drugs in the Harlem neighborhood, where many Dominicans reside

Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonald's
I remember being in this area and going to McDonald's

Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
I took my drug money to my hiding spot at 560 State Street

Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whippin' pastry
I am skilled in cooking drugs, much like a pastry chef

Cruisin' down 8th St, off-white Lexus
I drive an off-white Lexus down 8th Street

Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
I'm from Brooklyn and we have a slower pace of life, despite the stereotypes of Texas being slower

Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
I'm from the Bed-Stuy neighborhood, where fellow rapper Notorious BIG grew up

Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
I am now successful enough to be on the Billboard charts and I brought my friends along for the ride

Say what up to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tais
Shoutout to my friend Ty-Ty and we're still enjoying Mai Tais

Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
I have great seats at basketball games and get high fives from players

Nigga I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee (come on, come on, come on)
I wear clothes that director Spike Lee would wear and I'm so cool I could interfere with a referee

Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
My attitude gives away that I am undoubtedly from NYC

In New York (ayy, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
Repeating the song's central theme - I'm in New York and proud of it

Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
New York is a tough city, but it's also where dreams can come true

There's nothin' you can't do (yeah) (okay)
In NYC, you can achieve anything you set your mind to

Now you're in New York (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
This is a welcoming message to anyone visiting or moving to NYC

These streets will make you feel brand new (new)
Walking around New York can give you a sense of a fresh start or inspire a new feeling

Big lights will inspire you (come on) (okay)
New York's bright lights and energy can be inspirational

Let's hear it for New York (you're welcome, OG) (come on)
Celebrating NYC and acknowledging everyone who's part of it

New York (yeah), New York (uh) (I made you hot, nigga)
Repeating the song title with a boast - I'm the one who made you famous, NYC

Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
You'll find me at Yankee Stadium with my friend OG

Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
I made the Yankee baseball cap so popular that it's now more iconic than the team itself

You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
I'm a big fan of the NY Giants, whose color is blue, but I don't belong to the Crip gang

But I got a gang of niggas walkin' with my clique though
Still, I have a team of people with me

Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
NYC is diverse and where drug dealers are located is an example of this diversity

Afrika Bambataa shit, home of the hip-hop
New York is the birthplace of hip-hop and DJ Afrika Bambaataa is an important figure in that origin

Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
Various taxi companies are available in NY - anyone can afford a cheap taxi ride

For foreigners it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to act
Non-New Yorkers sometimes forget their manners or don't understand the city customs

Eight million stories, out there in the naked
NYC has eight million people with unique stories

City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
NYC can be discouraging and tough - many people don't make it or succeed

Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made"
But I have connections and a good life, much like Special Ed's famous song

If Jeezy's payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade
If rapper Young Jeezy can afford to pay basketball player LeBron James, I can also afford to pay Dwyane Wade

Three dice Cee-lo, three-card Monte
These are popular gambling games in NYC

Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Bob Marley's music was featured in the Labor Day Parade, which marks the end of summer

Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade (come on, come on, come on)
Honoring the iconic landmarks of Statue of Liberty and World Trade Center

Long live the king yo, I'm from the Empire State that's
Paying tribute to New York's status as a royal, powerful state

One hand in the air for the big city (uh)
A gesture of celebratory shouting out to the people of New York City

Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty (uh)
NYC is full of beautiful things and there is potential for big dreams here

No place in the world that could compare
NYC is so unique and fantastic that no other place can compare

Put your lighters in the air everybody say
Inviting others to celebrate together and hold their lighters in the air

"Yeah, yeah" (come on, come on, come on)
A chant for celebration and unity with excitement and energy

Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
The city lights can be overwhelming and people need to take breaks

So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is
The sides of life can catch up to people and push them out of bounds of what's acceptable

Lined with casualties, who sip the life casually
Many people struggle with addiction or fall prey to the tough side of NYC

Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
The longer someone succumbs to negative habits in NYC, the harder it becomes to overcome them

Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
Sometimes it's hard to resist falling in with popular crowds in NYC

End of the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out
Even in the cold months, people get dressed up and show off their skin to stay in style

City of sin, it's a pity on a whim
NYC can be a place where people give into sin or make decisions on impulse

Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
NYC has many temptations and can even cause good people to make bad decisions

Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
A story of someone coming to NYC for a visit, but realizing there's more here for her and choosing to stay

Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
She becomes popular and sought-after in the city because of her beauty

"Hail Mary" to the city, you're a virgin
A reference to praying to the city for help or salvation and showing your vulnerability

And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Being religious isn't enough to protect you from the difficult aspects of life in NYC - you have to be tough and smart

Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
Sports stars and rappers are often addicted to being in the spotlight in NYC

MDMA got you feelin' like a champion (come on, come on, come on)
MDMA (a drug) can give the confidence boost necessary to feel like a winner in the city

The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
NYC is always awake and high-intensity, but sometimes you need to take a sedative to help you adjust or get some rest