N.Y. State of Mind Lyrics

[Produced by DJ Premier]

[Intro]
Yeah, yeah
Ayo, Black—it's time, word (Word, it's time, man)
It's time, man (Aight, man, begin)
Yeah—straight out the fuckin' dungeons of rap
Where fake niggas don't make it back
I don't know how to start this shit, yo—now;


[Verse 1]
Rappers; I monkey flip 'em with the funky rhythm, I be kickin'
Musician, inflictin' composition of pain
I'm like Scarface sniffin' cocaine
Holdin' an M16, see, with the pen I'm extreme

Now, bullet holes left in my peepholes
I'm suited up with street clothes, hand me a 9 and I'll defeat foes
Y'all know my steelo, with or without the airplay
I keep some E&J, sittin' bent up in the stairway
Or either on the corner bettin' Grants with the cee-lo champs
Laughin' at base-heads, tryna sell some broken amps
G-packs get off quick, forever niggas talk shit
Reminiscin' about the last time the task force flipped
Niggas be runnin' through the block shootin'
Time to start the revolution, catch a body, head for Houston
Once they caught us off-guard, the MAC-10 was in the grass, and
I ran like a cheetah, with thoughts of an assassin

Picked the MAC up, told brothers "Back up!" — the MAC spit
Lead was hittin' niggas, one ran, I made him back-flip

Heard a few chicks scream, my arm shook, couldn't look
Gave another squeeze, heard it click, "Yo, my shit is stuck!"
Tried to cock it, it wouldn't shoot, now I'm in danger

Finally pulled it back and saw three bullets caught up in the chamber
So, now I'm jettin' to the buildin' lobby
And it was full of children, prob'ly couldn't see as high as I be

(So, what you sayin'?) It's like the game ain't the same
Got younger niggas pullin' the triggers, bringin' fame to their name

And claim some corners, crews without guns are goners
In broad daylight, stick-up kids, they run up on us
.45’s and gauges, MAC's in fact
Same niggas will catch you back-to-back, snatchin' your cracks
In black
, there was a snitch on the block gettin' niggas knocked
So hold your stash 'til the coke price drop

I know this crackhead who said she gotta smoke nice rock
And if it's good, she'll bring you customers and measuring pots

But yo, you gotta slide on a vacation
Inside information keeps large niggas erasin' and their wives basin'

It drops deep as it does in my breath
I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death
Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined
I think of crime when I'm in a New York State of Mind
[Chorus]
New York state of mind
New York state of mind
New York state of mind

New York state of mind

[Verse 2]
Be havin' dreams that I'm a gangsta, drinkin' Moëts, holdin' TEC's

Makin' sure the cash came correct, then I stepped
Investments in stocks, sewin' up the blocks to sell rocks
Winnin' gunfights with mega-cops

But just a nigga walkin' with his finger on the trigger
Make enough figures until my pockets get bigger
I ain't the type of brother made for you to start testin'
Give me a Smith & Wesson, I'll have niggas undressin'
Thinkin' of cash flow, Buddha and shelter
Whenever frustrated, I'ma hijack Delta
In the PJ's, my blend tape plays, bullets are strays
Young bitches is grazed, each block is like a maze
Full of black rats trapped, plus the Island is packed
From what I hear in all the stories when my peoples come back

Black, I'm livin' where the nights is jet-black
The fiends fight to get crack, I just max, I dream I can sit back
And lamp like Capone, with drug scripts sewn
Or the legal luxury life, rings flooded with stones, homes

I got so many rhymes, I don't think I'm too sane
Life is parallel to Hell, but I must maintain
And be prosperous, though we live dangerous
Cops could just arrest me, blamin' us; we're held like hostages
It's only right that I was born to use mics
And the stuff that I write is even tougher than dykes
I'm takin' rappers to a new plateau, through rap slow
My rhymin' is a vitamin held without a capsule
The smooth criminal on beat breaks
Never put me in your box if your shit eats tapes
The city never sleeps, full of villains and creeps
That's where I learned to do my hustle, had to scuffle with freaks
I'm a addict for sneakers, 20's of Buddha and bitches with beepers
In the streets I can greet ya, about blunts I teach ya
Inhale deep like the words of my breath

I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death
I lay puzzled as I backtrack to earlier times
Nothing's equivalent to the New York state of mind

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About

Genius Annotation

Nas displays complex lyricism with his “N.Y. State of Mind” over a track from Gang Starr’s DJ Premier. The chorus samples a Rakim line from the track “Mahogany,” which is fitting since Nas was being heralded as the second coming of the God MC. The track is considered one of Nas' greatest songs, and the duo produced a sequel five years later for Nas' third album, I Am…. Alicia Keys used DJ Premier’s beat for her 2003 track “Streets of New York,” which featured verses from Nas and Rakim. Complex listed “N.Y. State of Mind” in the #9 spot on their list of The 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats of All-Time.

Nas said the following about the track

The music just spoke to the people that needed to know what was in my head and what it was like in the minds of everybody in New York at that time—that’s what I thought. I thought the sound sounded like what was in everyone’s head at some point, or that sound represents a certain section of your mind. […] There was a lot going on in New York, especially in the ‘90s, same as today. That song—I think it’s timeless in a lot of ways.

In an interview with XXL, DJ Premier gave some background information on “N.Y. State of Mind”:

That was actually the second beat that I did [for Illmatic]. The first one was ‘Represent.’ I just had the drum pattern going with the funny little—it sounds almost like an astronaut signal at the beginning…I found that Joe Chambers sample [‘Mind Rain’], which is where that’s from. I usually don’t disclose my samples, but I cleared it, so it’s all good. Found the sample, and when they heard that melody, Nas and them was in agreement, like, ‘Yo, hook that up, that’s hot.’ So I hooked it up, and Nas started writing.

Right at the beginning of the record, when he says, ‘Straight out the dungeons of rap, where fake niggas don’t make it back.’ And then there’s kind of like a silence, where the music is building up, and you hear Nas go, ‘I don’t know how to start this shit.’ He just wrote it, and he was trying to figure out how to format it, like when to come in. I’m waving at him in the control room like, ‘Look at me, go in for the count.’ So right when he looks up and sees me counting, he just jumps in. He did the whole first verse in one take, and I remember when he finished the first verse, he stopped and said, ‘Does that sound cool?’ And we were all like, ‘Oh my God!’ It was like, I don’t even care what else you write.

He also praised Nas adapting to the New York sound:

On ‘New York State of Mind’ it was literally him watch[ing] me drop the needle. ‘What you think of that, you like that?’ And I’m [like,] ‘It’s alright.’ ‘Okay, keep going.’ You know it’s a record so I’m like bringing it to that point where I think it needs to start. Boom, I said, ‘Oooh, let me hook that up.’ The sound that ran hip-hop was our sound [and] Nas matched that. He wasn’t like ‘unh uh, shorty, get your sound up,’ know what I’m saying? It wasn’t ‘get your sound up,’ it’s like he blends right in.

Producer Large Professor revealed that “N.Y. State of Mind” is his favorite song on Illmatic:

The intensity and just the pureness, like, it captured the whole New York perfectly. As a fan of Nas, as a fan of Preem, as a fan of hip-hop, like, it was just like, ‘Yo, this is crazy.’

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Nas say about "N.Y. State of Mind"?
Genius Answer

Nas told Rolling Stone:

[“N.Y. State of Mind”] is one of my favorites, because that one painted a picture of the City like nobody else. I’m about eighteen when I’m saying that rhyme. I worked on that first album all my life, up until I was twenty, when it came out. I was a very young cat talking about it like a Vietnam veteran, talking like I’ve been through it all. That’s just how I felt around that time.

Nas told XXL:

I had most of it already written, and the original [rhyme] was probably close to 60 bars, so I just broke it up. When I got in the studio, we heard that record. We were just listening to records. I would sit with Premier for hours on end in D&D Studios. When he started putting it together, I just pieced the stuff that I had & wrote a couple of new things in there, too.

What has producer DJ Premier said about this song?
Genius Answer

DJ Premier via Complex:

That was just amazing because it happened in this room. Actually, anything from ‘92 and on, we did it here. It was just amazing watching him work because I was already a fan of him when he did “Back to the Grill,” “Halftime,” “It Ain’t Hard to Tell,” and “Live at the Barbeque.” So when I heard him on those records I was like, “Yo, I got to do something that’s on the same level.” So I came in here, and flipped the ill, gutter, Joe Chambers sample (“Mind Rain”). I can tell you because it’s cleared. [Laughs.] Nas watched me build the beat from scratch. And he wrote the verse in the studio. If you listen to “N.Y. State of Mind” you’ll hear him going, “I don’t know how to start this shit,” because he literally just wrote it. Before he started the verse, I was signaling him going, “One, two, three,” and he just goes in like, “Rappers I monkey flip’em, in the funky rhythm.” He did that in one take. After he did that first verse, he goes, “How was that? Did that sound all right?” And we were just like, “Oh, my God! The streets are going to go crazy when they hear this!”

It was one take, but he would format it before. He’ll sit at the front, cover his mouth when the beat’s playing, and would mumble it. So we can’t hear what he’s saying. He was real quiet, but he would bring his whole army. Rest in peace to Drawz, by the way. He just died not too long ago. I remember [Nas] bringing Slate, Wallet Head, basically, all the people he was shouting out. They would be like, “Can we go in [the booth] too?” They just wanted to feel it, you know? It was just funny to watch them all in the booth doing “Represent,” and yelling in the background.


During an interview on Genius Level, Primo said:


During an interview on Mass Appeal, Primo said:

Was Nas the first rapper to say the line I never sleep cos sleep is the cousin?
Genius Answer

Nah, when genius asked him about it he’d said that it was a huge thing around Queens for a while.

What certifications did this track receive?
Does Nas think that NY State of Mind is his best song?
Who first coined the term "New York State of Mind"?
Did nas record this song in one take?
Are there any official live performances of this track?
Credits
Produced By
Written By
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Mixed At
Performance Rights
Scratches
Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Recorded At
D&D Studios (New York City)
Release Date
April 19, 1994
Songs That Sample N.Y. State of Mind
Streets of New York by Alicia Keys (Ft. Nas & Rakim), Beat Breaks by DJ Premier (Ft. Nas), Streets of New York (City Life) (Unplugged) by Alicia Keys, Padova Muore by Massima Tackenza (Ft. DJ MS), Sem Sono by SonoTWS (Ft. Kamau & Matéria Prima), Siempre con Hambre by Selok, Headcrack by Rome Streetz & Futurewave, Death's Cousin by Hodak, Young Gun Killers by Latitude Nord, ​cRhyme Pays by Jalil & DJ DeeVoe, Le vrai by Mayhem X, NY State of Mind by 38 Spesh (Ft. Ché Noir & RJ Payne), Metamorphose by L'Bassline, NY State Of Mind Freestyle by PRXJEK, Anna From Woohside (Beat Suite) by Stretch and Bobbito, Ain't From Thah Falls (Instrumental) by SOB Hijo, Gimme Mine by 2for5, L'uomo senza sonno by Murubutu (Ft. DJ T-Robb & MezzoSangue), Sleep by N-Wise Allah, Quem é da Área by Sain (Ft. BK'), The Message by Avie Fresh, Night Writers by Blueprint (Ft. Slug & Wordsworth), Trips Down Memory Lane by K. Jayz, Monster Mash (Bonus Remix) by L.I.F.E. Long & Bunty Beats (Ft. Poison Pen & Prince Po), Monster Mash by L.I.F.E. Long & Bunty Beats (Ft. Poison Pen & Prince Po), Detroit State of Mind by ​eLZhi, Twenty-Three by MC Lars (Ft. Amie Miriello & James Bourne), Highs 2 Lows by Nujabes (Ft. Cise Starr), Buckwild by DJ Unknown & DJ Mekalek (Ft. Gaston, J-Treds, Louis Logic & Wiseguy (Rap)), Misconceptions 3 by Lecrae (Ft. Jackie Hill Perry, JGivens & John Givez), The Renaissance by Pro Era, High 2 Lows by Cise Starr, Sneakers by Raekwon, 4, 5, 6 by Kool G Rap, Big Picture by Peja (Ft. Dj Danek & Śliwa), California State of Mind by Erv Dowd (Ft. Vince Exito), ORA 2 Freestyle by COZ, Thurrock State Of Mind* by Chazer Wazer, N.Y. State of Mind Cypher (Freestyle) by ​​wifisfuneral, Lloyd Banks (2017) | Funk Flex | #Freestyle066 by Lloyd Banks, Royce da 5'9" (2018) | Funk Flex | #Freestyle090 by Royce da 5'9", Disposiçao (FreeVerse) by Nego Max, Troublemaker (N.Y. State of Mind Freestyle) by Lupita Nyong'o, Il Resto è Storia by DJ Shocca (Ft. Inoki & Nitro), Orange Swag [Bonus] by Madd Frank, NY State of Smart by ILL BILL (Ft. Nems), Never Sleep by Brapis (Ft. Juli Giuliani), NY CTY by Bash, The Outcast, New York Never Sleeps by The Heralds of Extreme Metaphors (T.H.E.M.), Interlude by Ghost The Beatmaker, Give Me a Reason by Boldy James & The Alchemist (Ft. Vince Staples), Crime State of Mind/Food (Interlude) by Crimeapple & Big Ghost LTD (Ft. DJ Grouch & Lukey Cage), ABSOM by Fell th, N.Y. State of Mind, Pt. III (Streets of New York) by Nas (Ft. Alicia Keys, Alicia Keys, Rakim & Rakim) & The Message by Nas
Songs That Interpolate N.Y. State of Mind
Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst by Kendrick Lamar, Cleveland State Of Mind by ​mgk, N.Y. State of Mind, Pt. III (Streets of New York) by Nas (Ft. Alicia Keys, Alicia Keys, Rakim & Rakim), A London State of Mind (The Sunglasses Hip-Hop) by Amiah’s Playtime (Ft. King MXM), World Premier by ILL BILL, Bonkers by De, Detroit State of Mind (Remix) by ​eLZhi, REAL GOD (INTERNET RAPPER DISS) by Marius DC, Hometown Minorities by IJ Route, From The Ground by Danny Brown (Ft. Kelela), AM/PM by $UICIDEBOY$, Dreams by The Game, The Message by Nas, Cursă by Deliric & Silent Strike, ​deposition regarding the green horse for rap by ​milo, P-Rex by Isaac Haze (Ft. DJ Crypt & DJ Rookie), More Than Money by YM7, Buonanotte by Emis Killa (Ft. Maruego), 1 DOLLAR & 1 DRØM by AMAL (DNK), The Baiter by GTProductions (Ft. BPark), Thepplumeetwhenuronurown by Kiddus (UK), Cleveland State Of Mind [Single Version] by ​mgk (Ft. Ashley Simpson & Johnny Bravo (Rapper)), Takeover (MTV Unplugged) by JAY-Z, Lifeline by K Quarn, Schlummertaste by Enoq (Ft. Zwang), ONE & ONLY by JAY (Oz), Bestia by Dawidh, ABSOM by Fell th, Omega Man MK II by Trem One (Ft. Q-Unique), Город жив? (Is The City Alive?) by Панки Житикары (Zhitikara Punks), Black August in IIII parts by Curly Castro, Sleep When I'm Gone by DJ Khaled (Ft. Busta Rhymes, CeeLo Green, Ester Dean & The Game) & Omertà by The Afghan Whigs
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