(Nas) (Alicia Keys) Nasty, yeah, yeah (New York, New York) Hey yo black it's time again, yeah, yeah (New York, New York) Come here, yeah, yeah (New York, New York) Hey yo black it's time
(Nas) If you knew my streets You would know all everybody talk about is who got beef Who snitchin, who told police Who came home, who still gone, who restin in peace Now they killin over music money, not drugs, rap replaced it Cause thugs with no brains got no patience New jacks I pistol whip 'em with the funky rhythm I be kickin Musician and flatten composition A pain, I'm like Saddam Hussein Still alive lookin at his dead children's burnt remains I burnt the game, learnt you lames a new lesson Your crew's soft man, ya'll need some new weapons The P's breathe Warriorz and skullies and Timmies Around mixed, spics, niggaz and giddies From my ghetto kings in deep thought we don't blink But don't think we wastin our time It's a New York State of Mind
(Chorus #1 - Alicia Keys) New York, New York, New York New York City, whoa oh New York, New York, New York New York City, baby
(Alicia Keys) It's like a jungle, out here So much struggle, out here And my dream's still unphased Greed still the cousin of death Always feels like always somethin farther time In the Streets of New York (New York state of mind, New York State of mind)
(Alicia Keys) All I see is street homes And who it's holdin, our people Only comforts the brain It's like I'm going insane The revolution has to start, don't waste no time In the Streets of New York (New York state of mind, New York state of mind) C'mon
(Chorus #2 - Alicia Keys) New York, New York, New York, New York oh State of mind (New York City) New York, New York, New York, New York oh State of crime (New York City) New York, New York, New York, New York oh Big dreams (New York City) New York, New York, New York, New York oh Big schemes
(Alicia Keys) Oh, break the game Just ain't the same Baby loves and girls with no shame Can't get away (get away), epidemic plague Every hood in every state Don't have no reasons cause relieve is hard to find
(Break - Alicia Keys) In the streets of New York (New York state of mind) - 4X (*New York state of mind is also repeated in background*)
(Rakim) I'm from the home of a million legends and trend settin A lot of footsteps to follow, I've been steppin Mind stressin tryin to find a record crime shreddin Time precious, I ain't have rest since nine eleven I live fast, hustle like today is my last I get cash, the struggle's like a day on the Ave. Crack bein raw, gats squeezin off Manhattan squeezin off, from cats who tease with war The eve of the Apocalypse, evil keep movin politics Every block is at risk, the metropolitan metropolis The opposite of Liza Minelli and Frank Sinatra Alicia Keys, Nas and Ra the gangsta's opera So New York City walk with me, talk gritty It's up to us New York it's our city Here the man come with the anthem, hands up It's time the thrill is back New York, let's stand up
(Chorus) - w ad libs
(Rakim - talking behind Chorus) Oh yeah, crucial Keys Your God Rakim Allah New York City, Nasty Nas A. Keys, yeah, c'mon