In the song 's music video , which is primarily in black-and-white , Jay-Z and Keys are shown performing the song in various locations in New York . " Empire State of Mind " was released as the third single from '' The Blueprint 3 '' in October 2009 . It has been performed by Jay-Z and Keys multiple times , including during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and the 2009 American Music Awards . Usually when the duo performs the song , an overhead screen shows images of places in New York . Keys recorded a sequel entitled " Empire State of Mind ( Part II ) Broken Down " , which is featured on her fourth studio album '' The Element of Freedom '' ( 2009 ) . Her version was positively received by critics , reached the Top 10 in the UK , the Netherlands and Ireland charts , and peaked at number fifty-five on the '' Billboard '' Hot 100 without an official release . Keys said that she chose to record her own version of " Empire State of Mind " because she wanted to express her own personal feelings about New York
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
Empire State of Mind