Empire State Of Mind (New York) (Prod. By Al Shux)
[Verse 1: Jay-Z] Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn Now I'm down in Tribeca Right next to DeNiro 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 Right there up on Broadway Brought me back to that McDonalds Took it to my stash spot 560 State street Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whipping pastry Cruising down 8th street Off-white Lexus Driving 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 sipping mai tais Sitting courtside Knicks and Nets give me high fives Nigga I be Spiked out, I can trip a referee Tell by my attitude that I most definitely from
[Hook: Alicia Keys] New York Concrete jungle where dreams are made, oh There's nothing you can’t do Now you’re in New York These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Let's hear it for New York
[Verse 2: Jay-Z] 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 walking with my clique though Welcome to the melting pot Corners where we selling rocks Afrika Bambaataa 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 add 8 million stories out there in the naked City, it's a pity half of y’all won’t make it Me I gotta plug Special Ed "I Got It Made" If Jeezy's paying LeBron, I’m paying Dwyane Wade 3 dice Cee-lo, 3 card Marley Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley Statue of Liberty, long live the World trade Long live the king yo I’m from the Empire State, that's:
[Hook]
Welcome to the bright light
[Verse 3: Jay-Z] Lights is blinding Girls need blinders So they can step out of bounds quick The side lines 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 And in the winter gets cold en vogue with your skin out The city of sin is a pity on a whim Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with 'em Mommy took a bus trip and 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 ends Came here for school, graduated to the high life Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight MDMA got you feeling like a champion The city never sleeps, better slip you a Ambien
[Hook]
[Bridge: Alicia Keys] One hand in the air for the big city Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty No place in the world that can compare Put your lighters in the air, everybody say "yea!"