New York Raining

Album: Empire: Original Soundtrack from Season 1 (2015)
Charted: 29
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Charles Hamilton raps and Rita Ora sings on this soaring piano ballad, which featured in the two-hour final episode of the first season of Empire. The duo perform the tune during a party for the character Lucious Lyon, played by Terrence Howard.
  • Hamilton and Ora filmed their scene on a freezing Chicago day. "It was two degrees out!" Hamilton exclaimed to Billboard magazine. "We filmed it in this theatre. It's supposed to be a rehearsal and they're all watching us perform. I'm actually playing piano live along with the track and I'm rapping, too, but the microphone wasn't on."
  • The song marks Charles Hamilton's first major-label single since 2008's "Brooklyn Girls." He signed with Republic Records in February 2015 after a lengthy struggle with depression and addiction caused by bipolar disorder.
  • The black-and-white video takes us back to the Civil Rights movement of the early '60s, as we see Hamilton facing unjust treatment from police officers. "With the recent increase in reports of police brutality," Hamilton told Billboard magazine, "I feel strongly about vividly depicting the struggle we as African Americans historically had to go through to reach equality, an equality that is eroding in modern times."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Lip-Synch Rebels

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Tony Banks of Genesis

Tony Banks of GenesisSongwriter Interviews

Genesis' key-man re-examines his solo career and the early days of music video.

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."