New York is a loud city. It’s a place where the subways screech and the sirens never actually stop, yet somehow, back in 2009, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Alicia Keys managed to cut through all that noise with a single piano riff. We're talking about "Empire State of Mind." Most people just call it the "New York New York song," even though that isn't the title. Honestly, it’s become the unofficial anthem of the five boroughs. But if you actually sit down and look at the new york new york lyrics jay z penned, it isn't just a travel brochure set to a beat. It’s a gritty, complex, and sometimes confusing autobiography of a man who moved from selling drugs in the Marcy Projects to sitting courtside at the Barclays Center.
People scream these lyrics at weddings, at Yankee Stadium, and in dive bars from Staten Island to the Bronx. Yet, a lot of those people are singing things that aren't actually there. Or they’re missing the point entirely.
That "Concrete Jungle" Line and the Grammar Police
You've heard it a thousand times. Alicia Keys belts out: "Concrete jungle where dreams are made of." It’s catchy. It’s soaring. It’s also, technically, a grammatical disaster. For years, people on the internet—mostly folks who probably weren't invited to many parties—have pointed out that "where dreams are made of" doesn't make sense. It should be "that dreams are made of" or "where dreams are made."
But here’s the thing: music isn't a term paper.
The songwriters, Angela Hunte and Janet Sewell-Ulepic, wrote that hook while feeling homesick in London. They weren't worried about prepositions. They were trying to capture a feeling. When Jay-Z heard the demo, he kept that hook because it sounded like the city feels—grandiose, slightly chaotic, and larger than life. In New York, you don't care if the grammar is "proper" as long as the check clears and the lights are bright.
The Secret Drug Slang Hiding in Plain Sight
If you think the new york new york lyrics jay z wrote are just about sightseeing at the Statue of Liberty, you're missing the "The Blueprint 3" vibe entirely. Jay-Z is a master of the double entendre. He’s always been obsessed with his past as a "hustler."
✨ Don't miss: Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett: Why Fans Are Still Divided Over the Daimyo of Tatooine
Take this line: "If Jeezy's payin' LeBron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade."
For a long time, casual listeners thought he was talking about NBA salaries or some weird ownership flex. Nope. It’s way darker. He’s actually referencing a song by Young Jeezy called "24-23." In that track, Jeezy explains that he used to pay $24,000 (Kobe Bryant’s jersey number) for a kilo of cocaine, but now he pays $23,000 (LeBron James).
Jay-Z, ever the competitive billionaire, jumps in to say he’s paying $3,000—Dwyane Wade’s jersey number.
It’s a massive flex about his "plug" and his connections in the underworld. He’s saying his prices are so low, he’s practically getting it for free compared to everyone else. It’s a bit of a weird thing to brag about in a song that’s played at the Labor Day Parade, but that’s Hov for you. He mixes the high life with the street life constantly.
More Than Just Name-Dropping
- 560 State Street: This is the address of Jay-Z’s old apartment in Boerum Hill. It’s now a very expensive piece of real estate, but back then, it was his "stash spot."
- 8th Street Lexus: He mentions cruising down 8th Street in an off-white Lexus. It’s a nod to his early success when he was still trying to prove he’d made it.
- The Yankee Hat: "I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can." Bold? Yes. True? Maybe. Sales of the NY cap definitely didn't hurt after this song dropped.
The Controversy You Might Have Forgotten
Not everyone was a fan of the lyrics, though. There’s a specific line in the third verse that got some people really worked up: "And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end."
🔗 Read more: Why Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Actors Still Define the Modern Spy Thriller
Religious groups weren't thrilled. They saw it as an attack on faith. But if you look at the context of the verse—which is about the "casualties" of the city, the girls who "step out of bounds" and get caught up in the "in-crowd"—it’s more of a social commentary. He’s saying that in the heat of a New York night, where MDMA and ambition are a dangerous mix, the moral safety net of the church often vanishes. The city is a "City of Sin," and Jay-Z is playing the role of the cynical narrator who has seen too many people lose themselves to the "bright lights."
Why These Lyrics Still Rank in 2026
It’s been over fifteen years since this song came out. Why are we still talking about it?
Part of it is the production. The sample of "Love on a Two-Way Street" by The Moments gives it a soulfulness that feels timeless. But mostly, it’s because the new york new york lyrics jay z delivered are a blueprint (pun intended) for the American Dream. He starts at a kitchen table "whippin' pastry" (another drug reference) and ends up giving high fives to the Knicks and Nets.
It’s the "New Sinatra" energy.
He actually calls himself the "new Sinatra" in the very first verse. It was a gutsy move, but it worked. He took the torch from Frank and made the city's anthem something that belonged to the hip-hop generation.
💡 You might also like: The Entire History of You: What Most People Get Wrong About the Grain
Practical Tips for Understanding the Lyrics
If you're trying to master the track for karaoke or just want to impress your friends at a bar in Brooklyn, keep these three things in mind:
- Don't over-pronounce the "of": In the chorus, Alicia Keys blends "made of" so it sounds more like "may-duh." If you hit the "F" sound too hard, you lose the rhythm.
- Know your NBA numbers: Remember the 24, 23, and 3 rule. It’s the key to the most misunderstood bar in the song.
- Watch the pacing: Jay-Z’s flow on this track is "laid back." He isn't rushing. He’s rapping like a guy who owns the building, not a guy who’s trying to get inside.
Moving Forward with the Music
If you want to go deeper into the history of New York anthems, your next move should be checking out the "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" by Alicia Keys. It’s a stripped-back, piano-heavy version that focuses more on the "feeling" of the city and less on the drug-dealing metaphors of the original.
You should also look into the original sample by The Moments. Hearing how a 1970s soul song was chopped up into a modern masterpiece is a lesson in music production all by itself. New York might change—the shops on 8th Street definitely have—but the feeling of these lyrics stays exactly the same.
Next Steps:
- Listen to the original sample: Search for "Love on a Two-Way Street" by The Moments to see how the riff was transformed.
- Compare the versions: Check out Jay-Z's original versus Alicia Keys' "Broken Down" version to see how the "New York" narrative shifts without the rap verses.