Jay-Z has hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with a song of his own for the first time in his career. It was officially revealed yesterday that his single, "Empire State of Mind," which features Alicia Keys, reached the top of the chart.
Hov has been a part of other collaborations that have hit the chart in the number one spot, such as Rihanna's "Umbrella," Beyoncé's "Crazy In Love" and Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker," but none of the songs from his own albums have ever made it, until now.
Blueprint 3's second single, "Run This Town," which features Kanye West and Rihanna, was the closest the rapper ever came to number one before. Released in August, the single jumped to the third position and then peaked at number two.
"Empire State of Mind," which made its official debut on October 20, was performed live by Jay-Z and Keys at the MTV Video Music Awards and before game two of the World Series at Yankee Stadium.
"Really, 'Empire State of Mind' is about inspiration, it's about hope," Jay-Z said in a statement on Thursday. "I think that's what connects with people."
Jay-Z and Keys debuted the hit song's sequel, "Empire State of Mind 2," earlier this week.
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