It features vocals from American R&B group Blackstreet and production from its founder and lead member, Teddy Riley.

A young Chad Hugo can be heard on saxophone during the track, whose first verse is in memory of his then-recently slain friend and fellow Brooklyn native, the Notorious B.I.G.

"The City Is Mine" was a moderate commercial success reaching #52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #38 on the UK Singles Chart.

[1] Steve Juon of RapReviews.com describes that track as "some cotton candy sugary rap FLUFF" and its interpolation as a mistake, but still considers the lyrics to be "vintage Jigga".

[2] The video directed by Steve Carr was inspired by the 1995 film The Usual Suspects with actor Michael Rapaport portraying the detective interrogating Jay-Z.