Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - MP3 instrumental karaoke

An ode to his home city of New York, Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" was released on October 20, 2009, and quickly became one of the rapper's biggest crossover hits. Composed by the songwriting duo of Angela Hunte and Janet "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic, the track was inspired by their feelings of homesickness during a trip to London in early 2009. A few months later, it was submitted for consideration to Jay-Z's Roc Nation with the hopes the MC and hip-hop impresario would record it. After receiving a negative response from the label, the pair showed it to EMI's Jon Platt, who personally sent the track to Jay-Z the following day. Against all odds, the rapper loved it and recorded it that same night. Featuring soulful vocals by R&B artist Alicia Keys on the chorus, "Empire State of Mind" was Jay-Z's first Number 1 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. The song was later included as the fifth track on Jay-Z's eleventh studio album, The Blueprint 3.