[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, all of my Dominicanos Right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald's Took it to my stash spot, 560 State St. Catch me in the kitchen like the Simmons' whipping 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 TyTy, still sippin' Mai Tai's Sittin' courtside, Knicks & Nets give me high five Nigga, I be spiked out, I could trip a referee Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from....
[Chorus — Alicia Keys:] New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothin' you can't do Now you're in New York These streets will make you feel brand new The lights will inspire you Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
(You welcome OG—I made you hot, nigga!)
[Verse 2 — Jay-Z:] 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 add 8 million stories, out there in the naked City it's 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 Molly 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
[Chorus]
(That boy good... welcome to the bright light, baby.)
[Verse 3 — Jay-Z:] Lights is blinding, girls need blinders Or they could step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is Lined with casualties, who sip to life casually Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style Anna Wintour gets cold, in 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 The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
[Chorus]
[Bridge — Alicia Keys:] One hand in the air for the big city Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty No place in the world that could compare Put your lighters in the air Everybody say "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" (c'mon, c'mon) I'm from...