Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Before the release of The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z had accomplished almost everything possible in rap. He had set records for album sales and turned his career into a multimillion dollar business. Despite clearly moving into the corporate world, Jay-Z was not quite done with rap.
Despite all of his accomplishments, Jay-Z had yet to land a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. On the album, Jay-Z bragged about never topping the charts. But, his New York-themed anthem, "Empire State of Mind" with Alicia Keys, would go on to change his career.
Jay-Z knew the song would be special, even as he was performing it during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Lil' Mama would walk on stage right as he was performing. Her interruption left him very upset, but he played it off. A few months later, an official video came and the song stayed on the top of the charts well into 2010.
The song was considered one of 2010's biggest hits and it was nominated for a Grammy as 'Record of the Year.' While Jay-Z has won a Grammy before, he had never topped the charts before. Now, he has dominated the top of Billboard and he is close to winning a Grammy for his biggest hit yet.