[Produced by DJ Premier]

[Intro]
Uhh.. yo
Whattup? Whattup?
It's time man (word, it's time?)
Straight up (it's time, man)
Aight, set that shit off (set it off then, n***a)
Set it off (set if off)

[Verse 1]
Broken glass in the hallway, bloodstained floors
Neighbors look at every bag you bring through your doors
Lock the top lock, momma should've cuffed me to the radiator
Why not? It might've saved me later from my block
N.Y. cops, hookers crawlin' off the stroll, coughin'
Stitches in they head, stinkin' and I dread thinkin' they be snitchin'
But who else could it be?
Shook at these unmarked vans, parked in the dark
NARC's — where's your heart?
Hustlers starve, they bust a U-ey, I jog
To my building, come out later wearin' camouflage
See the sergeant and the captain strangle men
N***as gaspin' for air 'til they move no more and just stare
With dead eyes, tired of riots, shit is quiet
Simple-minded fools infiltrate grimy crews
Overcrowded cribs, uncles home from bids, sisters pregnant
Fathers on drugs, moms is smokin', beds is piss-infested
Had eight partners growin' up, eight turned to seven
Seven turned to six n***as, got two in heaven
Six of us holdin' it, now it's five rollin' thick
The 6th one's parole flipped, five n***as went to four quick
When he went O.T., college life
Converted into gangbangin', four n***as still hangin'
Years passin' and slang changin'
Three of us now, 4th n***a ain't around
We all thought he was real, he did the snake shit, fake shit
Beat his ass down
Yo, his mouth could've got us all wasted, what a fuckin' clown
All I got left in the end is two of my best friends
And we all goin' out to the death for these ends!
What?!
[Chorus: Repeats through the bridge]
New York, New York (New York State of Mind)
New York, New York (New York State of Mind)

[Bridge]
You heard about it, you see about it
You read about it, it's in your papers
It's in your daily news ("Get money!")
New York chronicles, every day
The crime rate, the murder rate
The money rate, the paper chase (Aight?)
You know what I mean?
New York state of mind, baby (Oh, yeah!)
Check it out (Yeah)

[Verse 2]
I'm at the gamblin' spot, my hands on a knot
New York Yankee cap cover my eyes, stand in one spot
I take a n***a dough, send him home to his shoe box
"You lost that, n***a, I'd put your dollar in the jukebox"
Hear my favorite song, all these n***as sing along
All the cigarette smoke's cloggin' my lungs
Hoodrats flashin' they tongue
Young thugs blastin' they gun — we got reputations
Bitches and n***as both on parole or probation
Shit is sick, n***as got gats, army fatigues
I got my eyes glued on whoever walk in or leave
'Cause I ain't playin'
N***as'll run up in here and shoot up this shit
Stick yo' ass up, n***as'll find the loot in your kicks
Bunch of triple-cross n***as, just New York n***as
Lift you off your feet when they was just talkin' with you
Some of these dudes the Feds be on 'em, you knew 'em for years
Be the type when you walk in a pub, they offer you beers
That ain't gangsta, n***as is up North with tatted tears
Your name's on the affidavit — you ratted, kid
Faggot-ass n***as that be scared to do they bids
Fuck you! We run you outta N.Y, you can't live
Got your quiet n***as that relocated down South
Comin' back to floss, then you got the jealous loudmouths
All of a sudden, we got Crips and Bloods
D.T.'s runnin' 'round, quick to split yo' mug
It's easy to score, but it's hard to get the shit off
N***as fightin' over hundred sales, jump in the car and drive off
When the fiend come around the block, happy as hell
N***as mad 'cause they ain't get a piece of that sale
Cutthroat connivers, universal ghetto survivors
Go to any hood that's live and make it liver
A lot of n***as schemin' — some real, some n***as frontin'
But I'm a big dreamer, so watch me come up with somethin'
[Outro: Nas]
New York, New York
New York, New York