Streets of New York

[Nas] (Alicia Keys) Nasty, yeah, yeah (New York, New York) Hey yo black it's time again, yeah, yeah (New York, New York) Come here, yeah, yeah (New York, New York) Hey yo black it's time (*"yeah, yeah, hey yo black it's time" - continues throughout song*) [Nas] If you knew my streets You would know all everybody talk about is who got beef Who snitchin, who told police Who came home, who still gone, who restin in peace Now they killin over music money, not drugs, rap replaced it Cause thugs with no brains got no patience New jacks I pistol whip 'em with the funky rhythm I be kickin Musician and flatten composition Of pain, I'm like Saddam Hussein Still alive lookin at his dead children's burnt remains I burnt the game, learnt you lames a new lesson Your crew's soft man, ya'll need some new weapons The P's breed Warriorz in skullies and timmies Around micks, spics, niggas and guineas For my ghetto kings in deep thought we don't blink But don't think we wastin our time It's a New York state of mind [Hook #1 - Alicia Keys] New York, New York, New York, New York City, whoa ohh New York, New York, New York, New York City, gritty [Alicia Keys] It's like a jungle out here So much struggle out here And my dreams steal my rest Sleep's still the cousin of death Always feels like a race against father time In the Streets of New York (New York state of mind, New York state of mind) [Alicia Keys] All I see is street hoes And bullet holes in our people Only crime fills the brain Feels like I'm going insane The revolution has to start, don't waste no time In the Streets of New York New York state of mind (New York state of mind) C'mon [Hook #2 - Alicia Keys] New York, New York, New York, New York ohh State of mind (New York City) New York, New York, New York, New York ohh State of crime (New York City) New York, New York, New York, New York ohh Big dreams (New York City) New York, New York, New York, New York ohh Big schemes [Alicia Keys] Oh, it's like the game Just ain't the same Baby thugs and girls with no shame Can't get away (get away), epidemic plague Every hood in every state Don't have no reasons cause believin's hard to find [Break - Alicia Keys] In the streets of New York (New York state of mind) - 4X (*"New York state of mind" is also repeated in background*) [Rakim] I'm from the home of a million legends and trend settin A lot of footsteps to follow, I've been steppin Mind stressin tryin to find direction, crime spreading Time precious, I ain't have rest since 9/11 I live fast, hustle like today is my last I get cash, the struggle's like a day on the Ave Crack, D and raw, gats squeezin off Manhattan streets in awe from casualties of war The eve of the Apocalypse, evil people in politics Every block is at risk, the metropolitan metropolis The opposite of Liza Minelli and Frank Sinatra Alicia Keys, Nas and Ra the gangsta's opera So New York City walk with me, talk gritty It's up to us New York it's our city Here the man come with the anthem, hands up It's time the thrill is back New York, let's stand up [Hook] - w/ ad libs [Rakim - talking behind Hook] Oh yeah, crucial Keys And your God Rakim Allah New York City, Nasty Nas A. Keys, yeah, c'mon