JAY-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” Goes Nine Times Platinum
July 3, 2023 9:33PM EDT
NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys perform onstage during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on September 13, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
- JAY-Z and Alicia Keys released “Empire State of Mind” in 2009 as a New York City anthem. Roc Nation announced on Instagram that the song has reached 9x Platinum on June 28, 2023.
- The track continues to grow after 14 years, gaining momentum each year. The song was released as a single on September 1, 2009, and went gold and platinum in two months.
- By April 2010, ‘Empire State of Mind’ had gone triple-Platinum in just seven months. Angela Hunte and Janet Sewell-Ulepic sang the hook originally and wrote the original version of the song. The duo sent the track to JAY-Z’s Roc Nation.
- Jay liked the chorus, changed the verse, and recorded it himself. Jay initially considered Mary J. Blige, but once he heard the piano loop, he chose Alicia Keys.
- “Empire State of Mind” was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks after its release, and it was the first JAY-Z track to top the charts with Hov as the lead artist.
- What is your memory of “Empire State of Mind?”
