Skip to main content
News

Jay-Z releases new version of 'Empire of State of Mind' featuring Gil Scott-Heron: Listen

The rapper debuted the mash-up at the opening of the Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition

Jay-Z poses in a green baseball cap

Jay-Z has released a mash-up of his 2009 hit ‘Empire State of Mind’ with Gil Scott-Heron’s ‘New York Is Killing Me’ called ‘New York (Concept de Paris)’. You can listen to it below.

The rapper gave a rare performance at Paris’ Louis Vuitton Foundation earlier this month to mark the launch of the Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition. He premiered the new mash-up during the show. ‘New York (Concept de Paris)’ was engineered by Jay-Z's longtime collaborator Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton.

Scott-Heron's song ‘New York Is Killing Me’ appeared on 'I'm New Here' from 2010, the 15th and final studio album by the celebrated jazz poet and pianist who died in 2011.

The new single follows Jay-Z last year joining Meek Mill, Big Sean and others in campaigning for a new law that would limit the use of rap lyrics as evidence in court.