The last time the Yankees ascended to the World Series spotlight in 2009, Jay-Z was nearly as ubiquitous as Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. The iconic rapper had just released "Empire State of Mind," his first and only song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts, and the team famously adopted it as its anthem, with Jeter selecting it as his walk-up music that fall. (A-Rod, for his part, used a host of Jay-Z songs over the years, most frequently this one.)
The zenith of the star-studded partnership between 2009's best team and biggest rapper came before Game 2 of the World Series, when Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performed "Empire" before a hyped-up crowd at Yankee Stadium. The synergy continued the following year, as Jay-Z teamed with Eminem for the first concert at the new Yankee Stadium.
"This was exactly what we needed," Nick Swisher said years later. "This was the boost we needed in the right direction. Not only was it them just coming out and performing, it was New York coming together as one. It was crazy. You felt the energy shifting."
Fifteen years later, Jay-Z -- and his biggest hit -- are back in full effect to soundtrack highlights of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in a new hype song created by MLB. But he's not alone: Fitting for this classic East Coast-West Coast battle, the late, great Tupac Shakur is weaved in over clips of Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts for a spot appropriately titled, "Empire State of California Love."
For the record, unlike Jay Z, there's no word as to whether 2Pac was actually a Dodgers fan -- he did wear a red L.A. cap in one of his videos -- but former closer Kenley Jansen used "California Love" to great effect at Chavez Ravine.
Native Angeleno Ice Cube, on the other hand, is confirmed to be a Dodgers die-hard, and he will perform special World Series versions of a few of his hits prior to Game 2 on Saturday. The Yankees counter with South Bronx's own Fat Joe, who will appear at Yankee Stadium for a pregame set before Game 3 on Monday. Both performances will take place after the National Anthem and will be shown during FOX Sports' coverage of the games.
Yankees or Dodgers? East Coast or West Coast rap? Both are a matter of preference. But everyone can agree that it's going to be an incredible week no matter who you root for -- or what you listen to.