Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays – 9/11 – Jay-Z feat Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind”

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2009, 5× Platinum, 9/11, Actress, Al Shux, Alexander Shuckburgh, Alicia Augello Cook, Alicia Keys, Angela Hunte, Arista, Atlantic, Biggie, Biggie Smalls, Billboard, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Nets, Burt Keyes, Columbia, Def Jam, Empire State Of Mind, entrepreneur, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Quotable, Hip-Hop Quotable Wednesdays, Instagram, iPhone, iPhone 5, iPhone Post, J, Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic, Jeff Bhasker, Jermone Harmon, Kanye West, Key Yemaya Walker, keyboards, Lexus, Mary J. Blige, McDonalds, music, musician, New York, New York City, New York Knicks, No I.D., Notorious B.I.G, Oven Studios, pianist, piano, Platinum, pop, R&B, Rapper, RCA, record producer, Robert Deniro, Roc Nation, Roc the Mic Studios, Roc-A-Fella, Shawn Carter, Shawn Corey Carter, Singer-songwriter, Soul, Spike Lee, Swizz Beatz, Sylvia Robinson, The Blueprint 3, The Inkredibles, The Neptunes, The Notorious B.I.G., Timbaland, Tribeca, Ty-Ty, U.S., United States, Vocals, World Trade Center, WTC

Yeah

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
Yeah I’m out that Brooklyn, now I’m down in TriBeCa
Right next to Deniro, but I’ll be hood forever
I’m the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
I used to cop in Harlem, all of my Dominicano’s
Right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald’s
Took it to my stashbox, 560 State St.
Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons with them Pastry’s
Cruisin’ down 8th St., off white Lexus
Drivin’ so slow, but BK is from Texas
Me, I’m out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
Now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
Say what’s up to Ty-Ty, still sippin’ mai tai’s
Sittin’ courtside, Knicks & Nets give me high five
Nigga I be Spike’d out, I could trip a referee
Tell by my attitude that I’m most definitely from….

What I Learned Sundays – September 11th, 2011 – 10 Years Of (520) Sundays

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1964, 3 A.M, 9/11, American Express, Art Garfunkel, Atlanta Hawks, Blue Lines, California, Chicago Bulls, CNN, CNN Center, EMS, FDNY, Key Yemaya Walker, Michael Jordan, New York, Paul Simon, Philips Arena, September 11th, Simon & Garfunkel, The Sound of Silence, Twin Towers, Washington Wizards, Wednesday Morning, World Trade Center, WTC

I would be remiss if I used the same line that everyone else does to state how the day started as innocently as every other day. How “normal,” the day began.

I was still in my “rookie” year with the Atlanta Hawks organization, headed into my first full season. The evening of September 10th, rumors began to circulate that legendary Chicago Bulls player, and now Washington Wizards General Manager, Michael Jordan, would be making his second return to the NBA. We stayed late in preparation of the next day, making sure we could take on the anticipated work.

The day did not begin as a normal day. Though a crisp, pristine morning, I knew that as I arrived early to our office in CNN Center, the day would be full. I prepared my lunch, in anticipation of not being able to take a break this morning, and was focused and settled to us having a big day.

We knew that at some point we would receive the announcement, which came later in a much more subdued in the subsequent weeks. As I exited the car, and finally sat at my desk, the slight unconfirmed report that a plane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I will be honest, in the Atlanta area, pilot hobbyists have crashed often into houses, buildings and the such, therefore my first innocent thoughts were, “how was someone allowed to fly their personal plane through Manhattan.” Ryan Cameron on Atlanta’s Hot 97 returned to the music. My mind was boggled briefly, as more orders for season ticket began to pile up, and quickly I returned to my job at hand.

New To You Music Sundays – Live – “Overcome”

Tags

9/11, FDNY, live, Overcome, September, September 11th, Twin Towers, World Trade Center

One of my favorite songs, because it rings with me.  Though a song that was became a theme song of the dark days after 9/11/01.


The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.

My 2009 Superlatives: Music

Tags

50 Cent, 9/11, Andy Allo, Antony and the Johnsons, BLACKsummers'night, Blueprint III, Chrisette Michelle, Common, Jay-Z, John Frusciante, Kanye West, KiD CuDi, Kip Malone, Lil Wayne, Maxwell, Michael Jackson, Mr. Hudson, music, ODB, Prom Queen, Raekwon, Rain Machine, Revel The Masses, Santogold, Silversun Pickups, Spike Jonze, Straight No Chaser, Swoon, The Rebirth, TV On the Radio, Unfresh, Va$tie, War Child, Wu-Tang Clan

Alternative album of the Year: Silversun Pickups – Swoon

Hip-Hop Album of the Year: Mos Def – The Estatic

Best Indie Artist of Year (just dropping songs): Blu

The female artists that you should like because she’s good, not because everybody tells you that you should of the Year (the Joi Gilliam Award): Andy Allo – Unfresh

Mixtape of the year 50 Cent – War Child (better than his album)

Hot Album of the Year that I can’t quantify: Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light

Best Video of Year (longform): Kanye West/Spike Jonze “We Were Once A Fairytale”

Going Solo Album of Year: TVoTR’s Kip Malone – Rain Machine

Surprising Sequel to a Classic 90’s Album: Raekwon – Only Built For Cuban Linx Pt II (I can’t even do most Wu-Tang anymore, but they produced a winner here)

Experimental Album of the Year: NASA – The Spirit of Apollo (appearances by ODB, Kanye West, John Fruciante, and Santogold do not hurt) Runner up Basement Jaxx – Scars

Spanish language Album of Year: Nelly Furtado – Mi Plan

Album that “everybody” is “supposed” to love and not criticize of the Year: Jay-Z – BPIII

Guilty pleasure song of year Lil’ Wayne – Prom Queen (Gulity pleasure album the as of yet unrealeased Rebirth)

Best “music” blog (tie): Va$htie (http://www.vashtie.com/blog/) / Kanye blog (http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/) 

Most slept on album of the Year: Mr. Hudson – Straight No Chaser (aka 2009’s 808 and Heartbreaks)

Comeback Album of the Year: Maxwell – BLACKsummers’night

Best Insight into a band of the Year: Revel The Masses (http://www.myspace.com/revelthemasses)

Rainy Day/Chilling at House/Writing album of Year: Norah Jones – The Fall

Best concert of Year I didn’t attend: Jay-Z 9/11 Tribute concert at MSG

Concert of the Year: Maxwell/Common/Chrisette Michelle BLACKsummers’night Tour (Runner up Coldplay at Philips Arena)

Musical event of the Year: Death of Michael Jackson

Album of the Year:KiD CuDi – MAN on the MOON: the END of DAY

Artist of the Year: Michael Jackson