Halftime (song)
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"Halftime" is a song by American rapper Nasty Nas, who would change his name to
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...
after the release of the song. The song was released as his debut single, the sole single from the ''
Zebrahead Zebrahead is an American rock band from La Habra, California, formed in 1996. The group's current line-up comprises rapper Ali Tabatabaee, bassist Ben Osmundson, drummer Ed Udhus, lead guitarist Dan Palmer and lead vocalist and rhythm guita ...
''
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...
and the lead single from his debut album ''
Illmatic ''Illmatic'' (stylized in lowercase) is the debut studio album by the American rapper Nas, released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung ...
'', on October 13, 1992. "Halftime" was produced by
Large Professor William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and music producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...
, Remixed by Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo and features samples of drums and vocals from "Schoolboy Crush" by Average White Band, horns from "Soul Traveling" by Gary Byrd, and the bassline from "Dead End" from the Japanese cast recording of the musical ''
Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...
''. The song was the first song created for ''
Illmatic ''Illmatic'' (stylized in lowercase) is the debut studio album by the American rapper Nas, released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung ...
'', and was released circa one and a half years earlier than the album."


Background

Producer
Large Professor William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and music producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...
had already produced the
instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...
of the song when he came into the studio session. After hearing the instrumental, rapper
Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...
wanted to use it and tried writing to it but ultimately struggled with
writer's block Writer's block is a non-medical condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Writer's block has various degrees of severity, from difficulty in coming ...
. Then in
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...
' first own studio session he "had his weed ready, he had the crew coming through, his books f rhymes the fresh gear, sittin' back with a freshly rolled, and another one being rolled, like, ‘Yo, play the beat... Nah yo, play the other beat.'" "Halftime" was the first song produced for ''
Illmatic ''Illmatic'' (stylized in lowercase) is the debut studio album by the American rapper Nas, released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung ...
''. "


Content

"Halftime" features an up-tempo beat led by percussion and trumpets over which Nas rhymes. Memorable lines include "You couldn't catch me in the streets without a ton of reefer/That's like
Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...
, catchin' the
Jungle Fever ''Jungle Fever'' is a 1991 American romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Spike Lee. Starring Lee, Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, Lonette McKee, John Turturro, Frank Vincent, ...
" and "I'm as ill as a convict who kills for phone time." Nas also uses this song to give a "shout-outs" to Willie "Ill Will" Graham, Nas' childhood neighbor and best friend, who was shot dead in 1992, and the Queensbridge Crew, a reference to the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, NY, USA. He also reveals he's a fan of
Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) (commonly known a ...
,
the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...
and Mr. Magic.


Significance

The inclusion of "Halftime" to the ''Zebrahead'' soundtrack by MC Serch led to Nas's breakthrough as a rapper, as a record deal with
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
and the release of his debut album, ''
Illmatic ''Illmatic'' (stylized in lowercase) is the debut studio album by the American rapper Nas, released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung ...
'' (1994), followed.Columnist
Biography: Nas
''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-10-28.
Kulkarni (2004), p. 95. According to ''
Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...
'' magazine, the song "created a niche that only ''Illmatic'' could fill".Da Ghetto Communicator.
Next: Nas
. ''
Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...
'': 36. April 1994.


Sampling

Lyrics from "Halftime" are sampled in these songs: *"Exercise" by Akinyele *"Rugged Ruff" by
Bahamadia Antonia D. Reed (born April 22, 1966), known professionally as Bahamadia, is an American Hip hop music, hip hop artist and singer. Bahamadia released her debut album, ''Kollage (album), Kollage'', in 1996, followed by the independently released ...
*"We Got It Hemmed" by Cella Dwellas *"Down for the Kaz" by Kazi *"I Will Always Love H.E.R." by Peanut Butter Wolf *"Strike Back" by
Army of the Pharaohs AOTP logo ''(as seen on In Death Reborn)'' Army of the Pharaohs (most commonly abbreviated as AOTP or A.O.T.P.) is an American underground hip hop collective originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks founder Vi ...
*"Vengeance" by East Coast Avengers *"Am I Dope Or What" by Vakill *"Furam Obleku" by Target of Tram 11 *"Crazy Like a Foxxx (D.I.T.C. Version)" by
Bumpy Knuckles James Campbell (born March 27, 1969), is an American rapper and record producer, better known by his stage names Freddie Foxxx and Bumpy Knuckles. Biography Foxxx started rapping in the early 1980s. In 1986, he recorded "You Gotta Come Out Fre ...


Track listing

;A-side # "Halftime" (Radio Edit) (4:19) # "Halftime" (LP Version) (4:19) # "Halftime" (LP Version Instrumental) (4:19) ;B-side # "Halftime (Butcher Remix)" DJ Bubie (4:41) # "Halftime (Butcher Instrumental)" (4:42)


Notes


References

*


External links

*
Halftime
at
Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
{{authority control 1992 debut singles Nas songs Songs written by Nas Song recordings produced by Large Professor Hardcore hip-hop songs 1992 songs Columbia Records singles Ruffhouse Records singles