Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind

Jay-Z, real name Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York), is an American rapper and former president and CEO of Roc A Fella Records. He is more commonly known by a variety of stage names including Jay-Z, S. Carter, Jigga, Hova, J-Hova, Hov, and Young Hov. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and successful American blend artists of the mid-90s and early 2000s and is known for his use of metaphors, freestyling abilities, word play, flow, and blending of street and popular hip hop. He is one of the most respected rappers in the music industry, and is admired for his ability to craft songs from memory without the use of pen and paper. He married his long time girlfriend Beyonce in April 2008 after dating for over seven years. He is one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip-hop record label which also launched the careers of artists such as Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Freeway, and Teairra Mari.

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981 in Hell’s Kitchen, New York), better known as Alicia Keys, is a Grammy award winning American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, composer, pianist, poet and actress. Keys is a world renowned artist who has sold over 35 million albums worldwide and won numerous awards, including twelve Grammy Awards, seventeen Billboard Music Awards, and five American Music Awards since releasing her debut album, Songs in A Minor, in 2001. Since then she has released 2003’s The Diary of Alicia Keys, 2007’s As I Am and 2009’s The Element of Freedom. She is currently in a relationship with famed producer and rapper Swizz Beatz.

She grew up in Harlem, New York City, New York and started playing piano aged seven. After leaving Columbia Records, Keys met Clive Davis who headed Arista at the time (2000). When he established his new label J Records, Alicia was signed. Her big break came after appearing on Oprah Winfrey and in June 2001 her debut album, Songs in A Minor, charted at #1.

She has sinced released the albums The Diary Of Alicia Keys in 2003 and As I Am in 2007. Her fourth studio album The Element of Freedom was released December 2009.