"Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z, featuring vocals sung by American singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album, The Blueprint 3 (2009), by his Roc Nation label in October 2009. The song was written as a tribute to both artists' hometown, New York City, and features a music sample of "Love on a Two-Way Street" (1970), written by Sylvia Robinson and Bert Keyes and performed by The Moments. "Empire State of Mind" was originally written by Brooklyn natives Angela Hunte and Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic who were feeling homesick while on an overseas trip in February 2009. The following month they submitted the song to Jay-Z's Roc Nation, whose reviews were a discouragement. Following an incident that Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic describe as an omen, they took the suggestion of an associate of EMI Music Publishing and resubmitted it to Jay-Z, who kept the "New York" singing part on the hook, changed the verses, and recorded it as a single.