One of the most entertaining aspects about music – at least, for me – are the backstories. Think back to the the fall of 2009 and attempt to jog your memory of what song reigned supreme. Go ahead, take a few moments.

If you can’t, or just refused to play along, the song was Jay-Z and Alicia Keys New York ode “Empire State Of Mind.” Walking outside, down the street, catching the bus or train without hearing the song was close to impossible. The homie Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News caught up with music executive “Big” Jon Platt who can essentially be dubbed as the man who laid the foundation for the “Empire” to come to fruition. It’s a lengthy read, but a good one nonetheless; especially if you happen to be a fan of hearing how hit records came to be.

For EMI Music Publishing executive “Big” Jon Platt, his most special #1 record started with an empty stomach. “I happened to be at the right place at the right time and wanted some good barbecue,” Platt told MTV News, laughing.

The music-industry vet is largely responsible for helping Jay-Z notch his first career solo #1 with “Empire State of Mind.” The track is also up for Record of the Year at this year’s Grammys.

Platt, a Denver native and Los Angeles resident, was in New York two years ago to see Beyoncé kick off the North American leg of her tour. The show was scheduled for Sunday night, but Platt arrived the day before, against his better judgment.

“My weekends in New York are the worst, because all the people I work with do their own thing or go out of the city, so I’m bored out of my mind,” he said.

He called two songwriters signed to EMI — Brooklynites Angela Hunte and Jane’t “Jnay” Sewell-Ulepic — who invited Platt to dinner. They ate, chatted and eventually listened to music the duo had composed. After a few songs, they played one particular track produced by Al Shux that was a rough demo of an R&B-tinged track dedicated to their hometown.

Platt recalled calmly asking them to play the number again. “I keep my feelings close to my chest,” he said. ” ‘Cause sometimes you can hear a song and it’s special the first time you hear it, but then you hear it three or four more times and it’s not.”

But after hearing it again, Platt asked the pair to play it once more. “Something was clicking, but there was something I couldn’t get,” he said. “Then that hook came in, and I was like, ‘Wow, that hook is huge.’ The same hook that made it to the finished version. When it came in again, God just came to me, and I dialed in on what it was saying in the chorus, and I was like, ‘This is a Jay-Z song.’ “

To read the rest, head over to MTV.com.