Like the early Rodgers-Hart hit “Manhattan” (as in “I’ll take Manhattan. To some degree, “Empire State of Mind” fits perfectly with other big-time New York tributes. Yet in 2009 who but Jay-Z could pull it off, if he can pull it off at all?
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It takes more than shout-outs to Spike Lee, however, to make a true New York anthem a song that embodies the spirit of the city and burns itself into the collective consciousness, destined for stadium sing-alongs and movie soundtracks. His boast about being the new Sinatra is no accident, nor are the lines that follow: “Since I’ve made it here,” he raps, “I can make it anywhere.” And with “Empire State of Mind” he is shooting not only for popularity but also for a symbolic crown: the king of New York music. Bloomberg or the New York Yankees, whose victories last week seemed almost foregone conclusions, Jay-Z is the kind of invincible New York archetype who nevertheless campaigns relentlessly for dominance. 11, or at MTV’s Video Music Awards two days later, or at Yankee Stadium for Game 2 of the World Series, then perhaps you caught the recently released love-letter-to-skyscrapers video, or heard it blasting out of a car somewhere. If you didn’t see him perform it at Madison Square Garden on Sept. The song, “Empire State of Mind,” breaks down as roughly 50 percent rote Jay-Z chest-beating (“I’m the new Sinatra”), 30 percent tourist-friendly travelogue (“Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade”) and the rest a glorious Alicia Keys hook. JAY-Z started spreadin’ the news in September, and since then he has taken every prominent opportunity to remind us: he has a candidate for a new New York anthem, and he wants our votes.
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