N.Y. State of Mind
| "N.Y. State of Mind" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Nas | |
| from the album Illmatic | |
| Released | April 19, 1994 |
| Recorded | 1992 |
| Genre | East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop |
| Length | 4:54 |
| Label | Columbia Records |
| Songwriter(s) | Nasir Jones, Chris Martin |
| Producer(s) | DJ Premier |
| Audio sample | |
| |
"N.Y. State of Mind" is a song by hip hop recording artist Nas, taken from his debut studio album Illmatic (1994). The song's production was handled by DJ Premier who sampled two jazz songs: "Mind Rain" by Joe Chambers and "Flight Time" by Donald Byrd.[1] Premier additionally scratches vocals from Eric B. & Rakim's "Mahogany" for the song's chorus.[2] Nas raps two verses on the song in which he talks about his rapping talent and describes the dangerous environment that is the city of New York. Nas has attributed the song "Streets of New York" by Kool G Rap as one of the song's primary influences (Kool G Rap would later sample this song, plus give Nas a guest spot on his album 4,5,6). A sequel to "N.Y. State of Mind" can be found on Nas' 1999 album I Am.... The entire first verse was recorded in one take.
Critical acclaim
"N.Y. State of Mind" ranks #74 on About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs.[3]
Rolling Stone magazine placed the song on its list of "The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time."[4]
Marc L. Hill of PopMatters describes "N.Y. State of Mind" as a standout track on Illmatic claiming that it "provides as clear a depiction of ghetto life as a Gordon Parks photograph or a Langston Hughes poem."[5] The song is also one of a few rap songs to be featured in the Norton Anthology of African American Literature.[6] It is featured on Nas' 2007 greatest hits album as the only non-single song in the album, and on the 1999 compilation Best of D&D Studios, Vol. 1. Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews.com states:
| “ | "[Illmatic] was to be an album steeped in the rich traditions of hip-hop history, mixed with the most advanced verbal styles and fat beats that could be put on wax. And if it couldn't be set off any more right already, the DJ Premier produced "N.Y. State of Mind" was designed to knock you right off your feet. Primo's knack for finding the illest piano loops and matching them to pounding beats was perfected in this track, and paired with a Rakim sample on the chorus that provided the mental link for an analogy most rap heads had already made by now: Nas was the NEW Rakim on the block.[7] | ” |
The song is included on the soundtrack of video games True Crime: New York City and Saints Row 2.[8][9]
References
- ↑ UltraGraphik.com Sampleur: "NY State of Mind" Search
- ↑ Scratchfaq.com: "N.Y. State of Mind" Search
- ↑ Top 100 Rap Songs.
- ↑ "50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ Hill, Marc. "Illmatic (Anniversary Edition) Review". PopMatters. Retrieved January 18, 2008.
- ↑ "Contents | The Norton Anthology of African American Literature | W. W. Norton & Company". books.wwnorton.com.
- ↑ Juon, Steve. "Nas' Illmatic at RapReviews.com". Retrieved January 18, 2008.
- ↑ "Saints Row 2 Soundtrack Songlist revealed". videogamesblogger.com. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ↑ "True Crime: New York City Soundtrack Revealed". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 27 May 2015.