Go New York Go
{{Short description|1993 single by Jesse Itzler}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Go New York Go
| cover =
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| type = single
| artist = Jesse Itzler
| album =
| released = 1993
| recorded = 1993
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| genre = Hip-hop
| length = 1:32
| label =
| writer = Jesse Itzler, Dana Mozie
| producer = A. Cohen
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{{external music video|type=single|{{YouTube|PSCdq1s5ekI|"Go New York Go" (1994 version)}}}}
}}
"Go New York Go", also known as "Go, New York, Go", "Go NY Go" or "Go New York, Go New York, Go", is a song written and performed by American entrepreneur, author, songwriter and rapper Jesse Itzler and songwriter/promoter Dana Mozie in 1993. The song is the anthem of the New York Knicks playing before and during every home game for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Background
Itzler was raised in Roslyn, New York,{{cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/jesse-itzler-go-new-york-go-new-york-go-1.50257277|title=He wrote the Knicks' 'Go New York' anthem of the mid-1990s. Now, Long Island's Jesse Itzler co-owns the Hawks.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525151119/https://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/jesse-itzler-go-new-york-go-new-york-go-1.50257277|date=May 25, 2021 |accessdate=February 6, 2025|archivedate=May 25, 2021|author=Best, Neil|work=Newsday}} and three generations of his father's family were raised in Brooklyn.{{cite web|url=https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-just-b-with-bethenny-fran-71811069/episode/jesse-itzler-83800406/|title=Episode Transcript|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=June 17, 2021|publisher=iHeartMedia|work=Just B|author=Frankel, Bethenny}} Itzler began his music career recording in his college dormitory,{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/johngreathouse/2020/07/19/this-emmy-winning-rapper--best-selling-author-founded-a-billion-dollar-startup-and-runs-the-height-of-mount-everest-for-fun/?sh=67e1c23a4a1a|title=This Emmy Winning Rapper And Best-Selling Author Founded A Billion Dollar Startup And Runs The Height Of Mount Everest For Fun|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=July 19, 2020|work=Forbes|author=Greathouse, John}} and he signed a recording deal in 1991, with two of his songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100.{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/vowch-2013-11|title=This Rapper From The Nineties Has A Sick New Startup|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=November 11, 2013|website=Business Insider|author=Dickey, Megan Rose}} By 1993 his rapping career had plateaued, but he continued songwriting.
In the late 1980s, Mozie was a college student promoting rap music in the Washington metropolitan area. Eventually he decided to move to New York City to work with Salt-N-Pepa and Itzler moved to New York as well.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/279109064|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|279109064}}|title=Song Evokes Creative Dissonance / Sour notes over who wrote Knicks theme: [QUEENS Edition]|work=Newsday|author=Wax, Emily|page=A29|accessdate=February 6, 2025|date=March 31, 1998}} Mozie started at WOL and made introductions with Sean Combs and Digable Planets. His backstory includes a 1989 invite from Salt-N-Pepa to come to New York to work for them.{{cite web|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&page=1&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22Dana%20Mozie%22&docref=news/11586DAB27B5DCF0|url-access=subscription|title=BASKETBALL COMPOSER SHOOTS FROM THE HIP-HOP - DANA MOZIE, THE KNICKS' 'GO' MAN, TAKES AD-VANTAGE OF HIS SUCCESS|work=New York Daily News|author=Hinckley, David|page=48|accessdate=May 19, 2024|date=May 18, 1995}}
One of Itzler's clients was a clothing company by Knicks executive Ernie Grunfeld's wife Nancy Grunfeld. Some accounts of the history of the song note that he worked on a jingle for a clothing company by Knicks executive Dave Checketts' wife Deb.{{cite web|url=https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-news-secret-history-of-knicks-anthem-go-new-york-go|title=The shocking behind the scenes history of Knicks anthem "Go New York Go"|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=April 29, 2023|author=Tien-Dana, Jack}} Both accounts note that he requested the opportunity in 1993 to write the song to amp up the crowds at Knicks home games. Itzler recorded the song in the closet of his Upper East Side apartment.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40157348/go-ny-go-new-york-knicks-anthem-inspiring-playoffs-madison-square-garden-jesse-itzler|title='Go NY Go': Behind the song pumping up the Knicks' Garden|accessdate=February 6, 2025|date=May 17, 2024|publisher=ESPN|author=Borden, Sam}} Mozie's backstory includes getting the Knicks job by entering a songwriting contest. Both Itzler and Mozie are officially credited for the song and there are accounts in the press that both are almost the sole creative source of the song. At first only some of the fans got caught up in the song, but gradually more and more fans reacted to it, before local radio stations started playing it and Budweiser and The Wiz licensed the song. That original version of the song became popular during the Knicks 1994 NBA playoffs run.
In addition to the original version, the song is frequently updated,{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/go-new-york-go-2011-vs-1984|title="Go New York Go" 2011 vs. 1994|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=April 19, 2011|publisher=NBC Sports|author=Helin, Kurt}} with updated versions of the song including performances by P. Diddy, Q-Tip, and Run DMC.{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2004/11/01/8190954/index.htm|title=NBA Idol: An entrepreneur raps his way into the big leagues.|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=November 1, 2004|publisher=CNN|author=Janes, Erika Rasmusson}} Mozie is described as the producer of the 1997 version that included free appearances by DJ Run, Puff Daddy and Ed Lover.{{cite web|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22Dana%20Mozie%22&docref=news/114F9B57D32A0180|url-access=subscription|title=NO TIGER IN ITS TANK, HOUSE SINGS THE BLUES|work=New York Daily News|last1=Rush|first1=George|last2=Molloy|first2=Joanna|last3=Jones|first3=Baird|page=|accessdate=May 19, 2024|date=April 23, 1997}}
Legacy
Before the 1994 playoffs ended, NBA Entertainment hired Itzler to produce a 60-second "I Love This Game"-themed commercial featuring celebrities such as Spike Lee and Cindy Crawford.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/258052609|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|258052609}}|title=No Crashing This Garden Party: [LATE SPORTS FINAL Edition]|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=Rosenbloom, Steve|page=10|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=May 23, 1994}} The following season, both the Washington Bullets and the Charlotte Hornets sought Mozie and Itzler's anthem songwriting services.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/430065520|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|430065520}}|title=Sports of The Times; Hip-Hop In Orange And Blue|work=The New York Times|author=Rhoden, William C|page=A.29|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=February 18, 1995}} They went on to write songs for several other professional basketball teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and New York Liberty. The NBA teams own the intellectual property rights to the rally songs and pay a flat fee. Although the pay was $5000 (${{Inflation|US|5000|1993|r=0}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}) for "Go New York Go", by 2004, Itzler was making $50,000 (${{Inflation|US|50000|2004|r=0}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}) for his songs. He won a Sports Emmy Award for his role in the "I Love This Game" music campaign.{{cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/for-jesse-itzler-nothing-s-impossible-not-even-100-miles-in-24-hours-h12583|title=For Jesse Itzler, nothing's impossible, not even 100 miles in 24 hours|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=January 6, 2007|work=Newsday|author=Abramson, Mitch}}
In 1996, Itzler and Mozie started a company to produce music compilations for all major league sports.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2224129587|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|2224129587}}|title=Have Fun. Start Companies.|work=The New York Times (Online)|author=|page=|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=December 10, 2006}} Within three years, his company had expanded its client list to include Foot Locker and Coca-Cola and was bought out for $4 million (${{Inflation|US|4|1998|r=1}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) plus a percentage of future earnings.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2082299104|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|2082299104}}|title=Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler's String Of Successes Includes Private Jets And Coconut Water|work=Investor's Business Daily|author=Schleier, Curt|page=|accessdate=May 18, 2024|date=August 3, 2018}} In 2015, he became a minority part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks.{{cite news|date=April 22, 2015|title=Hawks finalizing sale with billionaire Antony Ressler|url=http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball/hawks-finalizing-sale-with-billionaire-antony-res/nkzxP/|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|access-date=23 April 2015|archive-date=24 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424192042/http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball/hawks-finalizing-sale-with-billionaire-antony-res/nkzxP/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/hawks/group-led-tony-ressler-completes-purchase-atlanta-hawks/ |website=NBA |title=Group Led By Tony Ressler Completes Purchase of Atlanta Hawks" |date=June 25, 2015 | quote=Other investors include seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill, who will serve as Vice Chair of the Board, Townsquare Media Chair and CEO Steven Price, Clayton Dubilier & Rice partner Rick Schnall, and Spanx founder Sara Blakely and Marquis Jet co-founder Jesse Itzler, who are married}} By 2023, he had written songs for over 50 sports teams and retired.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTZmc1QBKO0 1996 audio]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxfLtWuXgwg 1999 audio]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PDTMUsJg2k 2011 remix video] by Swizz Beatz
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQQc7o4u6-M 2021 video]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxJFWRKt3NI 2023 video]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-IqUmWigDg 2024 video]