The City Is Mine

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“The City Is Mine”
“The City Is Mine” cover
Single by Jay-Z featuring BlackSTREET
from the album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
Released February 3, 1998
Format 12-inch single, Cassette, CD, Vinyl
Genre East Coast hip hop
Length 4:02
Label Roc-A-Fella Records
Writer(s) Shawn Carter
Teddy Riley
Jack Tempchin
Glenn Frey
Gamble and Huff
Producer Teddy Riley

Chad Hugo
Jay-Z singles chronology
"(Always Be My) Sunshine"
(1997)		 "The City Is Mine"
(1998)		 "Wishing on a Star"
(1998)


Blackstreet singles chronology
"Fix"
(1997)		 "The City Is Mine"
(1998)		 "Take Me There"
(1999)

"The City Is Mine" is a the second single from rapper Jay-Z's second album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. It features vocals from Blackstreet and production from Blackstreet member Teddy Riley. Riley samples "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" by The Jones Girls for the song's beat, while Blackstreet interpolates "You Belong to the City" by Glenn Frey and Jack Tempchin for the song's chorus. In addition, a young Chad Hugo plays saxophone on this song. The song's lyrics are braggadocios and end with a controversial line: "I'm the focal point like Biggie in his prime. On the low though - shhh, the city is mine." Some find these lines to be either disrespectful to The Notorious B.I.G., who had died just before the song's release; others view it as a claim that a Jay-Z is a better rapper than legendary New York artists like Nas.

Contents

[edit] Reception

"The City Is Mine" was a little commercial success reaching #52 on The Billboard Hot 100 and #38 on the UK Singles Chart. It was panned by critics for its commercial nature and poor interpolation of Glenn Frey and Jack Tempchin's "You Belong to the City.". All Music Guide's John Bush considers the beat to be the "most commercial" beat on In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 and the interpolation to be "unfortunate."[1] Steve Juon of RapReviews.com describes that track as "some cotton candy sugary rap FLUFF" and its interpolation as a mistake, but still considers the lyrics to be "vintage Jigga."[2]

[edit] Single track list

[edit] US CD

  1. "The City Is Mine (Radio Edit)"
  2. "The City Is Mine (TV Track)"
  3. "A Million and One Questions (Radio Edit)"

[edit] UK CD

  1. "The City Is Mine (Radio Edit)"
  2. "Intro / A Million And One Questions / Rhyme No More (Premier Radio Edit)"
  3. "The City Is Mine (Album Version)"
  4. "Dead Presidents II"

[edit] US Vinyl

[edit] A-Side

  1. "The City Is Mine (Radio Edit)"
  2. "The City Is Mine (LP Version)"

[edit] B-Side

  1. "The City Is Mine (TV Track)"
  2. "A Million and One Questions (Remix)"
  3. "A Million and One Questions (Remix) (TV Track)"

[edit] UK Vinyl

[edit] A-Side

  1. "The City Is Mine (Radio Edit)"
  2. "The City Is Mine (Dirty Version)"
  3. "The City Is Mine (Instrumental)"

[edit] B-Side

  1. "Face Off (Dirty Version)"
  2. "Face Off (Instrumental)"

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bush, John. In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 Review at All Music Guide. Retrieved on July 9, 2007.
  2. ^ Juon, Steve. In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 Review at RapReviews.com. Retrieved on July 9, 2007.

[edit] See also


v • d • e
Jay-Z
Studio albums
Compilations
Collaborations
Singles
"In My Lifetime" · "Dead Presidents" · "Ain't No Nigga" · "Can't Knock the Hustle" · "Feelin' It" · "Who You Wit" · "(Always Be My) Sunshine" · "The City Is Mine" · "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" · "Jigga What, Jigga Who" · "Money, Cash, Hoes" · "Can I Get A..." · "It's Alright" · "Love for Free"  · "Money Ain't a Thang" · "Big Pimpin'" · "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" · "Jigga My Nigga" · "Girl's Best Friend" · "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" · "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" · "Change the Game" · "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" · "Girls, Girls, Girls" · "Jigga That Nigga" · "Song Cry" · "People Talking"  · "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" · "Excuse Me Miss" · "Change Clothes" · "Dirt off Your Shoulder" · "Encore" · "What More Can I Say" · "99 Problems" · "Show Me What You Got" · "Lost One" · "Minority Report"/"Beach Chair" · "Hollywood" · "30 Something" · "Blue Magic" · "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)..." · "I Know"
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