[mrkredo]

Just before acclaimed R. and B. singer John Legend sings the national anthem, rapper Jay-Z and Alicia Keys are set to perform “Empire State of Mind” at last night’s World Series game between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Speakeasy previously wondered if Jay-Z would have to clean up the raw lyrics to the song. Now, according to some reports, they may perform a more family-friendly version.

Jay-Z’s representative did not return a request for comment.

“Empire State of Mind” is part of a long tradition of songs that celebrate the Big Apple.

Other cities have inspired music, but there’s something about New York–the challenge it poses to newcomers looking to succeed, the size of the metropolis, the diversity of its residents–that inspires songwriters to compose in bulk about it, with songs like “Take the ‘A’ Train,” (the Billy Strayhorn composition that was adopted by Duke Ellington); “Living for the City” (Stevie Wonder); and “M79″ (Vampire Weekend).

It may also have to do with that fact that, if you’re a real New Yorker, other cities hardly seem worth writing about.

Below, a few of our favorite tunes about the Big Apple. Feel free to offer your own nominations in the comments to this post.


"Across 110th Street"(1972) opening sequence REMIXED




Billie Holiday - Autumn in New York



New York New York by Frank Sinatra



The Beastie Boys - No Sleep Till Brooklyn



Ryan Adams - New York, New York

[mrkredo]

Anyone?

[UluaipouOMalo]

Alicia K's obviously very gifted, and Jay-Z must be pretty cool as his wife and father-in-law are hard working, lovely, down to earth types. ESoM is a tame collaboration but I think it'll resonate with anyone who's personally struggled, tested and triumphed in NY. Every other challenge after that is a cake walk. The lyrics say it all. NY, what's not to love?

[mrkredo]

UluaipouOMalo, on 30 October 2009 - 06:49 PM, said:

Alicia K's obviously very gifted, and Jay-Z must be pretty cool as his wife and father-in-law are hard working, lovely, down to earth types. ESoM is a tame collaboration but I think it'll resonate with anyone who's personally struggled, tested and triumphed in NY. Every other challenge after that is a cake walk. The lyrics say it all. NY, what's not to love?

That Empire State of Mind tune is stuck in my head today. Please take it away from me.

[7TRAINMAN]

No no no no no...Jay Z is a Hack!!

Give me Franky or the Beastie Boys any day!!!

[mrkredo]

7TRAINMAN, on 01 November 2009 - 11:25 PM, said:

No no no no no...Jay Z is a Hack!!

Give me Franky or the Beastie Boys any day!!!

Is that because they sang it at the Yankees world series opener?

[7TRAINMAN]

mrkredo, on 02 November 2009 - 12:22 AM, said:

Is that because they sang it at the Yankees world series opener?

no its b/c he is a crappy rapper...hahaha

I prefer underground or non-mainstream hip-hop.

I still watched the game..just rooting for the Yankees to loose!

[mrkredo]

Alicia Keys did well though. Here is official video where they included a lot of epic NYC locations. I don't like Jayz part myself but when Alicia Keys start to sing, I do this:


Official Empire State of Mind Video

[mrkredo]

Empire State Of Mind Lyrics

[Jay-Z]
yeah
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 (Hey yo)
Right there off of Broadway
Brought me back to that McDonalds
Took it to my stash spot
560 State Street
Catch me in the kitchen like Simmons whipping Pastry
Cruising down 8th street
Off-white Lexus
Driving so slow
(but BK, it's from Texas!!)
Me I'm out that BedStuy
Home of that boy Biggie
now I live on Billboard
and I brought my boys with me
Say what up to Ta-ta
Still sipping Mai Tais
Sitting courtside
Knicks and Nets give me high-5
N**ga, I be Spiked out
I could trip a referee
...tell by my attitude that I'm MOST DEFINITELY FROM...

[Alicia Keys]
New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing 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


[Jay-Z]
I made you hot n-gga,
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game,
sh-t I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can,
you should know I bleed Blue, but I ain't a crip tho,
but I got a gang of n-ggas walking with my clique though,
welcome to the melting pot,
corners where we selling rocks,
Afrika bambaataa sh-t,
home of the hip hop,
yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back,
for foreigners it ain't fitted act like they forgot how to act,
8 million stories out there and they're naked,
city it's a pity half of y’all won’t make it,
me I gotta plug a special and I got it made,
If Jeezy's payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne 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 thats…

[Alicia Keys]
In New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing 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

Welcome to the bright light..

[Jay-Z]
Lights is blinding,
girls need blinders
so they can step out of bounds quick,
the side lines is blind with casualties,
who sip the lite 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 them,
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 your 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

[Alicia Keys]
New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing 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

[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 yeaaahh
come on, come,
yeah,

[Alicia Keys]
New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing 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

[End]

[Danny]

i know when anyone heard the song in a bar or lounge/club, they'd all go crazy. being born and raised here with so much new york pride, i know the song definitely sparked some feelings for me. however this, like so many other popular songs out there, gets heavy air-play. you get sick of a song when it's played that much

[tamara]

wonderful ...i love the song ..i sing it when am driving and the radio on.....new yooooork

[Doctor Manhattan]

mrkredo, on 29 October 2009 - 02:10 PM, said:

"Across 110th Street"(1972) opening sequence REMIXED

A nearly-forgotten Motown hit, rehabilitated by Quentin Tarantino in the soundtrack of "Jackie Brown", his 1997 filming of Elmore Leonard's novel (neither the book nor the movie is set in NYC, though).

Crossing 110th Street meant going into Harlem, which was a very different place in the 1970s than it is now.



Which reminds me of a song by the Velvet Underground about "going up to Lexington 125", and another famous NYC song by Lou Reed:



I can't help but quote this YouTube comment to the previous:

Quote

I moved from Canada to the states to start a band with my high school friend. I went home again four months later. Trust me, It's like a goddamn third world country down there. I'm never going to the USA again.

Our video response: