Empire State Of Mind

About this song

It is the third single from the album The Blueprint 3. The title alludes to Billy Joel's ballad "New York State of Mind" and Nas' "N.Y. State of Mind." It was the first Jay-Z-lead single to top the Billboard Hot 100, holding the number one spot for five consecutive weeks. The track has been certified 5x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA and earned Grammy wins for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

What it's about

The song is a love letter to New York, the home city of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, which is also known as the Empire State.

Fun facts

• Samples “Love On A Two-Way Street by The Moments” and “Breakthrough by Isaac Hayes”.
• Sampled in 33 other songs, like “Compton State of Mind by Kendrick Lamar (Ft. Alori Joh)”.
• Covered 7 times, including “If I Ain't Got You/Empire State of Mind by Little Mix (Ft. Tulisa)”.
• Written by JAŸ-Z, Alicia Keys, Al Shux, Angela Hunte, Janet Sewell and Sylvia Robinson.
• Produced by Janet Sewell, Angela Hunte and Al Shux.