Intro: Jay-Z & [Cam'Ron]
Turn the motherf**in' music up
Just Blaze, man, you owe me n***a
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Welcome to the Empire State
Home of the World Trade
Birthplace of Michael Jordan
Home of Biggie Smalls
Roc-A-Fella headquaters
Ladies and gentlemen, k**a Cam, Young Hov is definitely in the building
Brooklyn, Harlem World
Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City
Stand the f** up
[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
I'm a B.K. brawler, Marcy projects hallway loiterer
Pure coke copper, get your order up
I bring 'em to Baltimore in the Ford Explorer
It's gonna cost you more if I gotta get 'em to Florida
Rucker game attender; with the Bent parked
On the sidewalk with the temp plates on the fender
I ain't hard to find you catch me front and center
At the Knick game, big chain in all my splendor
Next to Spike if you pan left to right
I own Madison Square, catch me at the fight
But damn once again if you pan left at the ice
It be the man that write checks with the hand that don't write
I go off the head when I'm rambling on the mic
And I go off the feds when I'm scrambling at night
And it was often said I brought hammers to the fight
But we from New York City, right Cam? (Ya damn right)
[Hook: Juelz Santana]
It's the home of 9-11, the place of the lost towers
We still bangin', we never lost power, tell em
Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City
Y'all f**in' with BK's banger and Harlem's own gangster
Now that's danger, there's nothing left to say but
Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City
[Verse 2: Cam'ron]
Yo, there's a war goin' on outside no man is safe from
It don't matter if you three feet or eight-one
You'll get eight from the nine and straight blown
Wig split, melon cracked, all that on day one
Carry eight guns, two in the trunk
Two in the waist, two in the ankle, two to just spank you
You get jammed with them jammers, blammed with them blammers
Hot here, ask Mase he ran to Atlanta
Think you know what life do, minks on the motor-cycle
Trinkets they so delightful, blinging with so much ice fool
In front of Sparks body Castellano
Block away watch by Gotti and Gravano
It's la cosra nostra, someone close approach ya
They'll toast ya: gopher, bread loafer, your chauffeur
Old coke they raise up and snort, blaze up ya fort
Jay, Puff, Shyne: cases was caught
Midnight pitch fights, another victim
Watch him fore he watch you, k**a
Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City
[Hook]
It's the home of 9-11, the place of the lost towers
We still bangin', we never lost power, tell em
Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City
Y'all f**in' with BK's banger and Harlem's own gangster
Now that's danger, there's nothing left to say but
Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City
[Verse 3: Cam'ron & Jay Z]
I'm from 101, west a Hund 40th, this sh** is live
5th floor, 56, you know the zip, district 5
You're on 22nd, hit you from two-one
That's on Lenox, 7th Ave was News One
Coverage at Centre Street
Got Brafman defendin' me
Cause New York'll miss me if I'm locked in the penitentiary
The judge said "Is this that thug, from the Kit-Kat club?"
But I got enough chips stacked up to make the b**h back up
k**a, I pinch that bu*ton, I grip that snub to hit that thug
Lay up in a pitch black tub
You lookin' at rich black thugs to get that love
And we won't stop til I get back Blood
Holla at em Hov
I'm from Flushing, Marcy, Nostrand, Myrtle and Park
n***as'll drive by in the day, murder you in the dark
That's why the Johnny gun I'm holding
Wet n***as up like the johnny-pump is open
Homie, I play hard
[Hook]
It's the home of 9-11, the place of the lost towers
We still bangin', we never lost power, tell em
Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City
Y'all f**in' with BK's banger and Harlem's own gangster
Now that's danger, there's nothing left to say but
Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City
[Outro: Cam'Ron]
You all n***as, man
Y'all can't f** around, man
It's the ROC b**h, k**a
My n***a Jigga, Siegel, Beans
Diplomats, man, holla, Dash
Get the f** off our dick - no h*mo
Probably own this city for two minutes, man
I own this sh** right now man, I ain't going nowhere
Welcome to New York City