Jay-Z Surprises Fans With "Empire State Of Mind" Remix Ft. Gil Scott-Heron

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Jay-Z debuted the remix of "Empire State Of Mind" during his performance in Paris this weekend.

Jay-Z blessed fans with some new music inspired by his recent performance at Foundation Louis Vuitton. The rapper came through with a remix of his 2009 hit with Alicia Keys, “Empire State Of Mind.” The rework, titled “New York (Concept De Paris),” sheds the big, radio-friendly vibe of the song’s original version for a gritty and bluesy rendition. The mash-up between “Empire State Of Mind” and Gill Scott Heron’s “New York Is Killing Me” brings a beautiful pairing between two of the city’s greatest poets of all time.

The song’s release came shortly after Jay-Z appeared in Paris for a rare performance at ​​Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition. Foundation Louis Vuitton hosted the incredibly rare and intimate performance in front of a smaller crowd. Hov went through the catalog and delivered an exceptional set including songs like “Can’t Knock The Hustle,” “Can I Live,” “U Don’t Know,” “N***as In Paris,” and “Heart Of The City (Ain’t No Love).” He also debuted “New York (Concept De Paris)” when he performed “Empire State Of Mind.”

Jay-Z Takes On Paris

Jay-Z’s performance in Paris led fans to hope that, perhaps, he might be returning with new music soon. The Brooklyn-born rapper has hardly delivered new solo music in recent times. For the most part, he’ll pop out with a guest verse, such as his show-stopping performance alongside Rick Ross and Lil Wayne on DJ Khaled’s “God Did.” He released 4:44 in 2017 before teaming up with Beyonce on Everything Is Love as The Carters and then, linked up with Jay Electronica on A Written Testament.

During an interview with Kevin Hart in 2022, Jay-Z addressed the possibilities of retirement. He seemingly ruled it out, largely because he has a consistent urge to remain creative. However, he’s not necessarily focusing on releasing a new album. “I don’t know what happens next,” he said. “I’m not actively making music or making an album or have plans to make an album, but I never want to say that I’m retired. It’s a gift, so who am I to shut it off. And it may have a different form or interpretation. Maybe it’s not an album, maybe it is. I have no idea, but I’m just going to leave it open.” We’ll keep you posted on any more updates on Jay-Z. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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