JAY-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” was a culture-defining anthem for New York. The song went 5x-platinum and took home two Grammys but according to Alicia Keys, the collaboration almost didn’t happen. The Grammy Award-winning singer spoke with Ebro Darden for Beats 1 and revealed a few mishaps nearly kept the song from taking flight.
“For a minute, it wasn’t even going to come together,” she said. “He couldn’t find me, he couldn’t get in touch with me for whatever reason. Different people in the middle and the whole thing. So just imagine that song never happened.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsZlY0Vz4-o
Fortunately for Hip Hop, the two artists finally managed to connect. Even still, Hov wasn’t happy with the first draft, and Alicia thinks she knows the reason why.
“I actually cut it in L.A.,” she said. “I think that was the problem. You’re not supposed to cut a song about New York in L.A. It’s just wrong.”
The lack of her signature ad-libs also irked Jay, and Keys admitted to being ill the first time she recorded. She was initially embarrassed when he asked her to re-record but later realized it was for the best. She flew back to New York to redo her vocals and add the precious ad-libs, and the rest was history.
Keys is still going strong 11 years later. She kicked off 2020 with her new song “Underdog” and recently released an acoustic version as well as a remix. COVID-19 might have pushed back her ALICIA album, but the singer still managed to put out a memoir titled More Myself: A Journey in March.
Watch the full interview below.
I RESPECT THE PERFECTIONIST ON JIGGA’S PART. REALLY WORKED OUT FOR HIM IN THIS CASE.
I will never understand the love for NYC. I’m in upstate NY, and my sister and brother in law have lived there for many years… Whenever I visit, there really isn’t anything I love about it… A lot of things I hate there, like the dirty streets and people, nasty shitty transit… Over crowded, and really nothing in particular that is fun to see as a tourist… With that said, I’ve been to DC multiple times, and that’s a cool little city!
NYC think they the other city in the world…it nly good for finding u cnt get in ur town. (Syracuse 315)
Upstate New York is completely different from the city. Don’t think you’ll like the city any better but still, upstate ny is way too boring. Thats where people go when they retire.
Uh, I know it’s different. I’ve stayed in NYC for weeks at a time, many times. How else do u think I have formed an opinion about the city lol? I understand it’s very different. Much of upstate is boring, but not if your in the more populated counties.
NY State of Mind > Empire State of Mind
TBH…her version alone with just the piano for half the song with the drums coming in towards the end is a far superior “song”…but I guess I understand putting the Jay-z version on a pedestal since it was the actual single version of the song. She didn’t need Jay or the Hiphop version of this song, I would’ve been fine with just hers
Yeah that version with just that piano is hot but this was a Jay-Z song , so we would never have even had the piano version if Jay didn’t want her on the song or didn’t like her vocals and went with someone else. It’s crazy because this really always feels like it’s her song and Jay-Z is the feature.
The hook is wack..Jay killed the flow though
I think Its some of his wackest rhymes, dead serious. Few good lines, and definitely a great song, but waaaay too many shit lyrics
Very very interesting.
Dope record. One of my favorite songs all time
Her solo version is better. I thought Jay’z raps were kind of corny, but I guess he had to use some of that sutff to make it work for the masses.
Keys really should’ve dropped the Nas and Rakim joint. That was way better than Empire State of Mind
so we all weren’t spared the airing of dirty laundry in the public domain.
Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
Who listens to blueprint 3