Have you noticed her styling lately? she always shows up on Morning Joe looking like she spent all night dancing on a banquette and didn't make it home to comb her hair or wash her face. I believe the young people would call her a "hot mess." #businessweek
@crookedE: There used to be a chart on the web that traders could use to predict the market's activity each day based on the appearance of Maria's cowlicks on CNBC. #mariabartiromo
@crookedE: Lately? She's always looked like that to me. I used to yell at the TV and tell her to put some Preparation H on her baggy undereyes. #mariabartiromo
I dig this song a great deal, but I keep coming back to one question when asking if "Empire State of Mind" joins or replaces "New York, New York": What happens when Jay-Z is 60?
Sinatra nailed "New York, New York" in his latter years despite his age (64) and that the song wasn't originally written for him (Liza Minnelli). Would anyone wants to hear Jay-Z perform this song in his 60s, or hear someone else try it?
I can't believe no one has invoked the Beastie Boys here. Compare and contrast: "Big lights will inspire you" with "Dear New York this is a love letter/To you and how you brought us together/We can't say enough about all you do/'Cause in the city we're ourselves and electric too." Like, come ON.
Also, have to say it: Zeke Turner was way ahead of the curve on this last week: [www.mediaite.com]
@RachelSklar: Zeke was right at the curve, but I wouldn't say he was ahead of it on this one. The tipping point was City Hall. Jay-Z rapped about running New York in front of Mayor Bloomberg, who was booed. I'd say that's a moment. A VMA, a World Series Performance, and a good video is one moment short of the curve. #jayz
I honestly and unironically enjoy Keys' soaring vocals on this. Fuck haters saying it's trite. She's singing of the beauty, glamour and inspiration NYC does have for the unjaded. I was jaded, away from NY for a long while. To return is to be exhilarated anew. And I love this romantic, hopeful optimism in Alicia's part.
Jay-Z is still bragging about turning nice girls into whores. I'm feeling mightily over praising guys like this merely for their massive success. Ultimately not my thing I guess. #jayz
@Baroness:
Wow, who knew I could comment without signing up?
Just wanted to state for the record that Jay was not "bragging" about corrupting nice girls. Listen to the song more carefully, and you'll hear he was illustrating the flip-side of NYC's hypnotic nature. They come for education, stay for the glamor, and end up far different (and presumably worse-off) people.
That said, I agree that while Keys often grates, there's an undeniable beauty in her theatrical vocals on the hook. #jayz
@Baroness: I don't think he's bragging about that...I think he's talking more about the girls who come to NYC all young, pretty and wanting to make it and get taken advantage of. #jayz
Jay-Z is so overrated. He was lucky enough to be the last guy standing after Tupac and Biggie were murdered. I will give Jay this, he is a master at marketing and publicity. He's also ruthless (check his list of enemies which include Dame, Beans and Biggs, people he used to call his family before he threw them under the bus).
@heywhat: Amen. This is why you'll never see me asskissing this rhyme-jacking dude or making him out to be the GOAT. These fans of his obviously have no clue what hip hop is, but are simply jumping on the bandwagon of one rapper who, for all intents and purposes, is part of the reason why its run into the fucking ground. #jayz
Ok very nice write-up. But let me hip you to the hip-talk. Ty-Ty is Jay-Zs best friend. They grew up together. When the Cavs were playing in the playoffs last year you see both of them salute Lebron at the end of the game.
It's called Empire State of Mind because Nas (onetime-inspiration-turned-nemesis-turne...) recorded NY state of Mind (after Billy of course) for his classic Illmatic album many moons ago and if you really wanted to do a direct comparison, this is the track you'd want to dissect as there are a number of similarities. There were rumors Nas was supposed to appear on the track.
Beanie Sigel was once Jay-Zs protege and when Jay signed his latest deal he had to leave him and the rest of his old roster back at Def Jam. Of course Beanie feel neglected/slighted so he gotta take it to his former mentor/boss. But he's not the only rapper who's got beef, Game from the west coast has thrown a number of lyrical jabs at him.
50 Cent is probably the biggest threat Jay is facing (ironically he was mentor/boss to Game with whom he shares a running beef as well). 50 has the money and the name and the smarts but not the clout. Few outside of rap could give a rats ass about him aside from he beefed with Kanye (publicity stunt) to sell some records.
Aside from these asides, very good assessment. #jayz
Neon McDonald's arches are the most recognizable trademark behind Alicia Keys' piano scenes. Those big lights really will inspire you... Or at least get you a hankering over a Filet-O-Fish. #jayz
The Sinatra song is aspirational, it's about someone dreaming of going to New York to become a success, while a cursory listen to the Jay-Z rap is that it'd appeal to those from the city, but I don't know why a kid in Peoria or someone who recently moved to town would want to crank it. It's not about them.
IOW: The Jay-Z thing might play better with natives, but the city's economy and its place among capitals relies a great deal on convincing folks to move to town.
I went to a basketball game at Columbia University once, in their dinky little high school-sized gymnasium. They lost. At the end, they played "New York, New York," as if they were in some huge stadium like Yankee Stadium. At that moment, I knew the song had gotten old. #jayz
@Hockeymom: It still jerks my tears here in Yurp, 3500 miles away. But I vote for JZ. Enough already with the old chestnut (and to be fair, Tony Bennett should have had the hit instead of Frank. HE'S from Astoria, after all. #jayz
@Hockeymom: I have a distinct young childhood memory of my father listening to the song, stopping it, rewinding it, over and over and over, and then I realized that he had written down all the lyrics on a little notecard. Awwwwww #jayz
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Jay-Z is frat-boy rap. Sinatra is frat boy crooning. #jayz
11/08/09
Sinatra nailed "New York, New York" in his latter years despite his age (64) and that the song wasn't originally written for him (Liza Minnelli). Would anyone wants to hear Jay-Z perform this song in his 60s, or hear someone else try it?
It might be cliché these days, but "New York, New York" has proven it's staying power. The jury's still out on "Empire State of Mind." #jayz
11/08/09
Also, have to say it: Zeke Turner was way ahead of the curve on this last week: [www.mediaite.com]
But it's still a pretty great hook. #jayz
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Jay-Z is still bragging about turning nice girls into whores. I'm feeling mightily over praising guys like this merely for their massive success. Ultimately not my thing I guess. #jayz
11/08/09
Wow, who knew I could comment without signing up?
Just wanted to state for the record that Jay was not "bragging" about corrupting nice girls. Listen to the song more carefully, and you'll hear he was illustrating the flip-side of NYC's hypnotic nature. They come for education, stay for the glamor, and end up far different (and presumably worse-off) people.
That said, I agree that while Keys often grates, there's an undeniable beauty in her theatrical vocals on the hook. #jayz
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Oh, and Ty-Ty is his childhood friend. #jayz
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11/07/09
It's called Empire State of Mind because Nas (onetime-inspiration-turned-nemesis-turne...) recorded NY state of Mind (after Billy of course) for his classic Illmatic album many moons ago and if you really wanted to do a direct comparison, this is the track you'd want to dissect as there are a number of similarities. There were rumors Nas was supposed to appear on the track.
Beanie Sigel was once Jay-Zs protege and when Jay signed his latest deal he had to leave him and the rest of his old roster back at Def Jam. Of course Beanie feel neglected/slighted so he gotta take it to his former mentor/boss. But he's not the only rapper who's got beef, Game from the west coast has thrown a number of lyrical jabs at him.
50 Cent is probably the biggest threat Jay is facing (ironically he was mentor/boss to Game with whom he shares a running beef as well). 50 has the money and the name and the smarts but not the clout. Few outside of rap could give a rats ass about him aside from he beefed with Kanye (publicity stunt) to sell some records.
Aside from these asides, very good assessment. #jayz
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IOW: The Jay-Z thing might play better with natives, but the city's economy and its place among capitals relies a great deal on convincing folks to move to town.
Plus, there's a lot of chest-thumping.
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