Empire State Of Mind
Jay Z feat. Alicia Keys Lyrics


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Yeah

Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
Right next to De Niro, but I'll be hood forever
I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
I used to cop in Harlem, hola, my Dominicanos (dímelo)
Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonald's
Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whippin' pastry
Cruisin' down 8th St, off-white Lexus
Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
Say what up to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tais
Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five
Nigga, I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee (come on, come on, come on)
Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from

In New York (ayy, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (yeah) (okay)
Now you're in New York (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
These streets will make you feel brand new (new)
Big lights will inspire you (come on) (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (you're welcome, OG) (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh) (I made you hot, nigga)

Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can
You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
But I got a gang of niggas walkin' with my clique though
Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Afrika Bambataa shit, home of the hip-hop
Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
For foreigners it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to act
Eight million stories, out there in the naked
City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
Me, I got a plug, Special Ed, "I Got It Made"
If Jeezy's payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade
Three dice Cee-lo, three-card Monte
Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade (come on, come on, come on)
Long live the king, yo, I'm from the Empire State that's

In New York (ayy) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (that boy good) (okay)
Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
(Welcome to the bright lights, baby)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh)

Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is
Lined with casualties, who sip the life casually
Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
Into the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out
City of sin, it's a pity on a whim
Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
"Hail Mary" to the city, you're a virgin
And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
MDMA got you feelin' like a champion (come on, come on, come on)
The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien

In New York (ayy, oh) (uh, yeah)
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (okay)
Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you (okay)
Let's hear it for New York (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh)

One hand in the air for the big city (uh)
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty (uh)
No place in the world that could compare (nah)
Put your lighters in the air everybody say
"Yeah, yeah" (come on, come on, come on)
"Yeah, yeah" (I'm from New York)

In New York (uh, yeah) (ohh)
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do (okay)
Now you're in New York (uh, yeah)
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you (okay)




Let's hear it for New York (uh)
New York (yeah), New York (uh)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jay Z's "Empire State of Mind" are an ode to New York City, with the rapper boasting about his success story and love for the city. In the first verse, he raps about his journey from Brooklyn to Tribeca and his desire to stay true to his roots. He compares himself to Frank Sinatra, asserting that he has made it big and can make it anywhere. He also reminisces about his time in Harlem and the fast food chain McDonald's, representing how far he has come. The second verse is a love letter to the city, mentioning its landmarks, culture, and diversity. He also refers to the city's darker aspects, such as drugs and crime, but ultimately, it's a celebration of everything the city has to offer.


The chorus sung by Alicia Keys elevates the song to an anthem for the city as she encourages listeners to put their lighters in the air and cheers for New York. The lyrics paint a picture of a city of dreams, where anything is possible, and the energy is infectious. It's a celebration of the city, its people, and its culture.


Line by Line Meaning

Yeah
I'm excited to be rapping about my city


Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca Right next to DeNiro, but I'll be hood forever
I've moved from Brooklyn to Tribeca, but I haven't forgotten where I come from


I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
Like Sinatra, I've made it big in New York, and now I can make it anywhere and be loved everywhere


I used to cop in Harlem, hola, my Dominicanos (dímelo) Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonald's Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whippin' pastry Cruisin' down 8th St, off-white Lexus Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
I used to buy drugs in Harlem, but now I'm cruising down Broadway in my Lexus. Even though I'm not from Texas, I'm still representing my home in Bed-Stuy


Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me Say what up to Ty-Ty, still sippin' Mai Tais Sittin' courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high five Nigga I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee (come on, come on, come on) Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from
I'm from Bed-Stuy, just like Biggie. Now I'm a big deal in the music industry and I'm bringing my friends with me. I'm living the high life, sipping Mai Tais and sitting courtside at NBA games. I even wear so much jewelry that I could trip a referee. Everyone can tell I'm from New York just by my attitude


In New York (ayy, ah-ha) (uh, yeah) Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of There's nothin' you can't do (yeah) (okay) Now you're in New York (ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha) (uh, yeah) These streets will make you feel brand new (new) Big lights will inspire you (come on) (okay) Let's hear it for New York (you're welcome, OG) (come on)
I'm welcoming you to New York, the concrete jungle where anything is possible. These streets will make you feel like a whole new person, and the bright lights will inspire you. Let's give it up for New York


New York (yeah), New York (uh) (I made you hot, nigga) Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though But I got a gang of niggas walkin' with my clique though Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock Afrika Bambataa shit, home of the hip-hop Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back For foreigners it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to act Eight million stories, out there in the naked City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made" If Jeezy's payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade Three dice Cee-lo, three-card Monte Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade (come on, come on, come on) Long live the king yo, I'm from the Empire State that's
I'm making a name for myself in New York, and even made the Yankee hat more famous than the Yankees. Although I'm not a Crip, I have a lot of friends with my clique. New York is a melting pot with lots of different cultures, but some foreigners struggle to adapt. With so many people struggling in this city, I'm grateful to have connections like Special Ed. I'm also a fan of gambling and love to play dice and cards. New York has lots of parades, and even though Bob Marley is gone, his music lives on. We also have the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center. Long live the king of New York - me!


There's nothin' you can't do (that boy good) (okay) Now you're in New York (uh, yeah) (Welcome to the bright lights, baby) These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you (okay) Let's hear it for New York (come on) New York (yeah), New York (uh)
In New York, there's nothing you can't do. If you're here, welcome to the bright lights. These streets can inspire you and make you feel brand new. Let's hear it for New York


Lights is blinding, girls need blinders So they can step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is Lined with casualties, who sip the life casually Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style End of the winter gets cold, en vogue, with your skin out City of sin, it's a pity on a whim Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out Everybody ride her, just like a bus route "Hail Mary" to the city, you're a virgin And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end Came here for school, graduated to the high life Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight MDMA got you feelin' like a champion (come on, come on, come on) The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
New York can be overwhelming, with lots of bright lights and fashionable people. However, it's important to avoid getting caught up in the wrong crowd and making bad choices. At the end of the day, New York is a city of sin and that can lead people to do things they wouldn't normally do. Even seemingly good people can get caught up in the wrong crowd. People come to New York for school, but can end up becoming celebrities and getting addicted to fame. Drugs like MDMA can make you feel like a champion, but it's important to be careful. In New York, the city never sleeps, so it might be necessary to take an Ambien to get some rest


In New York (ayy, oh) (uh, yeah) Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothin' you can't do (okay) One hand in the air for the big city (uh) Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty (uh) No place in the world that could compare Put your lighters in the air everybody say "Yeah, yeah" (come on, come on, come on) "Yeah, yeah" In New York (uh, yeah) Big lights will inspire you New York (yeah), New York (uh)
Once again, welcome to New York, where dreams are made of and there's nothing you can't do. Raise one hand in the air for this big city, with its street lights and big dreams. There's no other place in the world that can compare to New York. Let's hear everyone say 'Yeah, yeah' and put their lighters in the air. New York's big lights can inspire you to do great things




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alexander William Shuckburgh, Alicia J Augello-Cook, Shawn C Carter, Angela Hunte, Bert Keyes, Sylvia Robinson, Janette Sewell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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