The Knicks are a championship team again for the first time in 53 years, leading to a celebratory spirit across New York City that’s unlikely to subside anytime soon. But while outsiders may be quick to assume that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’s Diamond-certified 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind” has subsequently been placed on a never-ending loop citywide, such thinking would be misguided, at best.
Enter a post on Threads that garnered attention this weekend, despite the fact that many readers might now be asking themselves, “Wait, people actually use Threads?” Yes, they do, including Tamela Julia Gordon, a.k.a. @shewritestolive.
“I promise, New Yorkers are not trying to yuck your yum with ‘Empire State of Mind,’ but it is NOT our anthem,” reads the post in question. “Please play one of these instead.”
The post goes on to cite Ja Rule’s “New York” (previously used by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani), Nas’s “N.Y. State of Mind,” Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” (featured in a new Nike commercial helmed by Josh Safdie), and more as alternative anthem contenders.
The conversation only grew from there, with users on Threads, the X-like platform launched by Meta back in 2023, chiming in with their own picks. The recommendations were plentiful, with the following tracks among those getting shoutouts: Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones;” Jadakiss’s “We Gonna Make It;” Bad Bunny’s “NUEVAYoL;” Busta Rhymes’s “New York Shit;” Rakim’s “New York (Ya Out There);” A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhime;” Beastie Boys’s “An Open Letter to NYC;” and KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s version of “New York Groove.”
A non-“Empire State of Mind” Jay-Z contender, Cam’ron’s HOV and Juelz Santana-featuring “Welcome to New York City,” was also floated. Hilariously, the similarly titled Taylor Swift track “Welcome to New York” got a mention for the entirely opposite reason, with one user urging the general public to refrain from playing it at all. Meanwhile, some were quick to jump to the defense of “Empire State of Mind.”
In light of the Knicks bagging their third chip, and with Jalen Brunson and company rightfully hailed as icons of the league, it’s safe to say that someone is likely holed up in a studio at this very moment, unaware that what they’re working on may become the defining NY anthem of the late 2020s.
