“And somehow, someway, you figure it out because that’s what this city makes you do.” “We’ve all had that moment on the train, when you’re broken and alone and surrounded by a complete bustle and you think ‘I don’t have it’ or ‘I don’t know how,’” she says. She says “Empire” isn’t just about overcoming challenges, but about the challenges themselves. I think he packaged it in a way that makes it relatable and aspirational.” Songwriter Angela Hunte, who cut that first demo before it hit Jay Z’s desk, is a first generation Trinidadian American who grew up in a community of immigrants. “The message to the common man is a lot more powerful. “Darker moments are more relatable than glitz and glamor,” Chery says. While “New York, New York” is blindingly positive and hopeful, “Empire” doesn’t shy from discussing the city’s seedier underbelly.
Their street cred cemented their status as city icons, because in the quintessential New York narrative, the hustler is the hero. “Gangsterism in America isn’t just about crime and money, it’s about the triumph of the weak over authority and adversity,” says Kaplan. As members of historically disenfranchised groups (Italian Americans like Sinatra occupied a racial “middle group” in the early-mid 20th century), their shadowy pasts are seen as markers of authentic struggle. In his first verse, Jay Z boldly and prophetically dubs himself “the new Sinatra.” Both self-made men share histories of entanglements with crime and gangsterism (Jay Z was a drug dealer and indicted for stabbing, while Sinatra fraternized with-and even idolized- the mob). The rapper geographically maps his rags to riches story, from “copping in Harlem” and “stashing at 560 State Street,” to counting De Niro as his as Tribeca neighbor.Įarly in the “Empire” rise, Jay Z happily cited the two songs’ similarities, often playing parts of “New York, New York” before “Empire” in sets. While “New York, New York” is a more general story of “come up” and ambition, “Empire” delves into Jay Z’s biography. Lyrically, “New York, New York” and “Empire” bolster New York’s foundational myths of opportunity, freedom, and mobility-and the assumption that good things come to those who hustle. And what’s that song about? The fulfillment of that dream.” He grew up in Hoboken, staring out across the great water to the Emerald City, dreaming of succeeding there. “He also felt a strong bond with the lyrics. “ felt it was a hit and he wanted hits, especially at this point in his career,” says James Kaplan, author of Frank: The Voice and Sinatra: The Chairman. NYT critic Ben Sisario wrote in 2009, “Jay Z started spreading the news in September, and since then he has taken every prominent opportunity to remind us: he has a candidate for the New York anthem, and he wants our vote.”Īs intended, “Empire” earned a reputation as the 21st century “Theme from New York, New York.” The song from Martin Scorsese’s 1977 flop of a film only became the theme to New York, New York when Frank Sinatra began performing it in 1980. It was the mark of a successful campaign. “Empire” was nominated for three Grammys and won two.
The New York Times, Rolling Stone, MTV, the Village Voice, NME and Entertainment Weekly all listed it as one of the top songs of 2009. The song wasn’t just ubiquitous it was critically acclaimed. “What song has come out in the past 10 years that feels more celebratory, more like an anthem, or more aspirational than ‘Empire State of Mind’”? “It just sounds like a victory,” says Carl Chery, Head of Urban Music at Spotify. It was a victory for its creators, and for the city it repped. After its release earlier that fall, the instant hit ascended to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 by November 26th, and remained there for five consecutive weeks. Jay Z and Alicia Keys’s cinematic record impacted New York like no hometown anthem had in years.
The city was buzzing with pride, and seemingly every cab, bodega, radio station, and bar was bumping the same infectious song: “Empire State of Mind."
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And on November 4th, the new Yankee Stadium was christened with the team’s first World Series win in nearly a decade. The Great Recession, which caused 8 million Americans to lose their jobs and 2.5 million businesses to close their doors, was ending. Earlier that year, a charming state senator from Illinois, who had campaigned on messages of hope, became the first African American president of the United States. Where were you the first time you heard "Empire State of Mind"? For most New Yorkers, it was in the fall of 2009, a time that signaled the promise of better days ahead.
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