Now that the year is almost over, it is pretty clear that “Empire State of Mind” was one of the biggest records to come out in 2009. Whether you like the song or not, it is hard to deny the tremendous impact it had on pop culture, and also the city of New York.
The track was constructed using the opening bars of “Love On a Two Way Street” by The Moments. The first four bars were used as the main loop for the song, and then the fifth and sixth bars were brought in at the end of each verse. The sample was time stretched to raise the tempo, and then topped off with some hard hitting drums. With the piano as the main instrument in the sequence, the casting of Alicia Keys for the hook was the perfect fit. A special record that will forever be a time stamp in my mind for 2009.