Song meaning of Empire State of Mind by JAY-Z (Ft. Alicia Keys)

JAY-Z is like "I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca," but he still wants to maintain his street cred, so he brags about being "hood forever." He's basically saying he's the new Frank Sinatra because he's made it in New York City. He used to buy drugs in Harlem and eat McDonald's on Broadway, but now he's ballin' and living in a high rise on Billboard. Even though he's super rich now, he still hangs with his boys and drinks Mai Tais while watching the Knicks and Nets. He's got so much bling, he could trip a referee just by walking. Alicia Keys is singing in the chorus about how New York is the place where dreams are made of, but it's also a concrete jungle where girls need blinders. Everyone's caught up in the in-crowd and good girls turn bad. Basically, the song is about how in New York you can make it big, but you might also lose yourself in the process.