The inspiration behind “N.Y. State Of Mind”
[above4]
Credit: Danny Clinch/Tribeca Film
While the “N.Y. State of Mind” title comes from one of Billy Joel’s hit records of the same name, the song is actually an inspiration from Kool G Rap’s “Streets Of New York.” Surprisingly enough, confirming his dominance in the art of lyricism, Nas reportedly recorded the first verse in one take, and at the top of his head. While the rapper has said, himself, that he isn’t sure whether he wrote lyrics down, or did it one take, other engineers in the studio have said he did, in fact, kill it all in one.
[ad2]
