Halftime
Nas
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Check me out y'all, Nasty Nas in your area About to cause mass hysteria Before a blunt, I take out my fronts Then I start to front, matter of fact, I be on a manhunt You couldn't catch me in the streets without a ton of reefer That's like Malcolm X catching the Jungle Fever King poetic, too much flavor, I'm major Atlanta and braver, I pull a number like a pager Cause I'm am ace when I face the bass 40 side is the place that is giving me grace Now wait, another dose and you might be dead And I'm a Nike head, I wear chains that excite the feds And ain't' a damn thing gonna change I'm a perform a strange show the mic wonder was born the game? Nas, why did you do it You know you got the mad fat fluid when you rhyme, it's halftime It's halftime It's like that, you know it's like that I got at him, now you never get the mic back When I attack, there ain't an army that could strike back So I react never calmly on a hype track I set it off wit my own rhyme Cause I'm as ill as a convict who kills for phone time I'm max like cassettes, I flex like sex In your stereo sets, Nas will catch wreck I used to hustle, now all I do is relax and strive When I was young, I was a fan of the Jackson 5 I drop jewels, wear jewels to never run it Wit more kicks than a baby in a mother's stomach Nasty Nas has to rise, kid, surprise This is exercise til the microphone dies Back in '83, I was an MC sparking But I was too scared to grab the mic's in the park and Kick my little raps 'cause I thought niggas wouldn't understand And now in every jam I'm the fucking man I rap in front of more niggas than in the slave ships I used to watch C.H.I.P.S, now I load glock clips I got to have it, I miss Mr Magic Versatile, my style switches like a fagot But not a bisexual, I'm an intellectual Of rap, I'm a professional and that's no question, yo These are the lyrics of the man, you can't near it, understand 'cause in the streets, I'm well known like the number man In my place wit the bass and format Explore rap and tell me Nas ain't all that And next time I rhyme, I be fouled whenever I freestyle I see trial niggas say I'm wow I hate a rhyme biter's rhyme Stay tuned, Nas, soon the real rap comes at halftime It's halftime I got it going on, even flip 'em on this song Every afternoon, I kick half the tune And in the darkness, I'm heartless like when the narcs hit Word to Marcus Garvey or heartless Sparkton 'cause when I blast the herb, that's my word I be slaying them fast, doing this, that in the third But chill, past the entree and let's lay I bag bitches up at John Jay and hit a matinee Putting hits on 5-0 Cause when it's my time to go, I wait for God wit the fo-fo And biters can't come near And yo, go to hell to the foul cop who shot Garcia I won't plant seeds, don't need an extra mouth I can't feed That's extra Phillie change, more cash for that weed This goes out to Manhattan, the island of Staten Brooklyn, Queens is living fat and The Boogie Down, enough props, enough clout I'll will, rest in peace, yo, I'm out It's still halftime
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Written by: Gary Byrd, Gerome Ragni, James Rado, Nasir Jones, Galt MacDermot
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
13 facts about this song
Background Information"Halftime" is a single from Nas, an acclaimed American rapper from New York. The song first made its appearance as a track on the soundtrack for the film "Zebrahead" in 1992.
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Album Appearance"Halftime" was later included on Nas's debut studio album, "Illmatic," released in 1994, often considered one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all times.
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Producer InformationThe song was produced by rap legend Large Professor, a member of the famous hip hop group Main Source.
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Visual ComponentA music video for "Halftime" was produced and released in sync with the song to help popularize it.
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Lyrical ContentThis song is celebrated for its vivid depiction of street life, social inequality, and Nas's propensity for intricate narrative story-telling, which elevated the lyricism within hip hop.
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Nas's AgeAt the time of writing and recording this track, Nas was still a teenager, and the song has been praised for the maturity and depth of its lyrical content considering the artist's age.
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Critical ReceptionNas's 'Halftime' has been recognized for its influential beats and lyrical skills. Many believe the track helped to re-define East Coast hip hop during the 90s.
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Sampled MusicMusically, "Halftime" samples tracks such as "Schoolboy Crush" by Average White Band and "Dead End" by Japanese musician Yuji Ohno.
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LegacyThe song has left a lasting influence in the hip-hop genre and has been sampled or covered by numerous artists.
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Song Style"Halftime" showcases Nas's intricate rhyming style and complex lyrics, elements that would become hallmarks of his career. The rapper's smooth flow and clever wordplay on the track were praised as groundbreaking at the time.
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Nas's Cultural BackgroundBorn as Nasir Jones, Nas hails from Queensbridge, New York, and through his songs like "Halftime," he paints a realistic picture of growing up in urban American housing projects. His African and African-American heritage plays a significant role in his music.
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AccoladesThe entire album "Illmatic", of which "Halftime" is a part, is often recognized as a classic in the hip hop genre, and it has received numerous accolades from respected music publications like Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and NME.
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Live PerformancesNas has performed "Halftime" at numerous concerts and music festivals, further cementing its status as an iconic hip hop track.
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Citation
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"Halftime Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/25805927/Nas/Halftime>.
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