ISBN: | 978-5-5105-9190-3 |
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! "Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring vocals and a chorus from R B and soul singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z`s 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 (2009) by his Roc Nation label in October 2009. The song is an anthemic ode to both artists` native New York, and features a music sample of "Love on a Two-Way Street" (1970) by The Moments. "Empire State of Mind" was originally written by Brooklyn natives Angela Hunte and Jane`t "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic who were feeling homesick while on an overseas trip in February 2009. The following month they sent the song in for consideration at Roc Nation, although it received negative reviews. Initially discouraged, the duo sent the song to Jay-Z after a suggestion by an associate of EMI Music Publishing (EMI), and after an incident which they described as an omen.