Released: May 14, 2002

Featuring: JAY-Z Juelz Santana

Songwriter: Just Blaze Cam’ron JAY-Z

Producer: Just Blaze

[Intro: Jay-Z, Cam'ron & (Just Blaze)]
Turn the motherfucking music up
Just Blaze, man, you owe me nigga
Uhh, 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 headquarters
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)
Ladies and gentlemen
Killa Cam, Young Hov' is definitely in the building
Brooklyn, Harlem World
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)
Stand the fuck up!

[Verse 1: Jay-Z (Cam'ron)]
I'm a BK brawler
Marcy projects hallway loiterer
Pure coke copper, get your order up
I bring 'em to Baltimore in the Ford Explorer
But 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
With Cam, once again if you pan left of his 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 throw, 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)

[Chorus: Juelz Santana (Just Blaze)]
It's the home of 9/11, the place of the lost Towers
We still banging, we never lost power, tell 'em
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)
Y'all fucking with BK's banger and Harlem's own gangster
Now that's danger, there's nothing left to say but, oh!
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)

[Verse 2: Cam'ron]
(Killa, uh, Harlem, Killa!)
Yo, there's a war goin' on outside no man is safe from (word?)
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 on the waist, two on the ankle, two to just spank you (faggot)
You get jammed with them jammers
Blammed with them blammers
Hot here, ask Mase he ran to Atlanta
You think you know what life do, mink on the motor-cycle
Trinkets they so delightful, blinging in so much ice fool (bling!)
In front of Sparks body Castellano
Block away watch by Gotti and Gravano
It's la costra nostra, someone close approach ya
They'll toast ya: gopher, bread loafer your chauffeur (over)
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.. (get 'em), Killa

[Break: Just Blaze]
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)

[Chorus: Juelz Santana (Just Blaze)]
It's the home of 9/11, the place of the lost Towers
We still banging, we never lost power, tell 'em
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)
Y'all fucking with BK's banger and Harlem's own gangster
Now that's danger, there's nothing left to say but, oh!
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)

[Verse 3: Cam'ron & Jay-Z]
Listen, yo I'm from 101, West to Hund 40th, the shit is live
5th floor, 56, you know the zip, district five
You're on 22nd, hit you from two-one
That's on Lenox, 7th Ave was News One
Coverage at Centre Street, got Brafman defending 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 bitch back up
Killa, I pinch that button, I grip that snub to hit that thug
Lay up in a pitch black tub
You looking at rich black thugs that 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
Niggas'll drive by in the day, murder you in the dark
That's why the, Johnny gun I'm holding
Wet niggas up like the Johnny-pump is open
Homie, I play hard

[Chorus: Juelz Santana (Just Blaze)]
It's the home of 9/11, the place of the lost Towers
We still banging, we never lost power, tell 'em
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)
Y'all fucking with BK's banger and Harlem's own gangster
Now that's danger, there's nothing left to say but, oh!
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)

[Outro: Cam'ron (Just Blaze)]
Uh huh, y'all niggas, man, y'all can't fuck around, man
It's the Roc bitch, Killa
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)
My nigga Jigga, Sigel, Beans
Diplomats man, Hoffa, Dash
Get the fuck off our dick, no homo
(Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City!)
Bullshit, whatever y'all wanna say for two minutes, man
I own this shit right now, man, I ain't going nowhere
(Welcome to New York City!)

Cam’ron

Cam'ron and Rap Genius founder VeggieCrumble (aka Ilan Zechory)

Cameron “Cam'ron” Giles is perhaps the quintessential Rap Genius artist. Funny (like us), boastful (ditto), clever (yup), and rich (well..)

Killa Cam started out alongside Big L, Ma$e, his cousin Bloodshed (R.I.P.) and others in the short-lived group Children of the Corn. He had several successful solo albums, but it’s his 2004 record Purple Haze that stands as the quintessence of all things Cam'ronian.