Nas - N.y. State Of Mind (audio) -

: A menacing piano chop from Joe Chambers' 1978 jazz piece "Mind Rain" .

A legendary aspect of the song's history is that Nas delivered the first verse in a . DJ Premier recalled that Nas wrote his lyrics on the spot while watching the beat being built . The iconic opening line, "I don't know how to start this shit," was a genuine moment of Nas preparing himself as the beat began to drop . Nas - N.Y. State of Mind (Audio)

The track's production by DJ Premier is a masterclass in the "boom-bap" sound of the mid-90s . Its unique sound was built from scratch using several key samples: : A menacing piano chop from Joe Chambers'

: "Monotone chirps" sampled from Donald Byrd's 1972 track "Flight Time" . The Rhythm : A drum break from Kool & the Gang’s "N.T." . The iconic opening line, "I don't know how