"Halftime" is the 1992 debut single by American rapper

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 ( ...

, released under his original moniker of Nasty Nas. It was originally recorded for the '' Zebrahead'' soundtrack album, released October 13, 1992, on

Ruffhouse Records Ruffhouse Records is an American record label founded in 1989 by Chris Schwartz and Joe Nicolo as a joint venture with Columbia Records. In 1999, Schwartz and Nicolo closed the label, and Schwartz and Kevon Glickman continued with RuffNation ...

. "Halftime" was produced by Large Professor and features samples of drums and vocals from "Schoolboy Crush" by

Average White Band The Average White Band (also known as AWB) are a Scottish funk and R&B band that had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They are best known for their million-selling instrumental track " Pick Up the Pieces", and their album ...

, horns from "Soul Traveling" by Gary Byrd, and the bassline from "Dead End" from the Japanese cast recording of the musical '' Hair''. The song was later included on Nas' 1994 debut album, ''

Illmatic ''Illmatic'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Nas. It was 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 King Studios, D&D Re ...

''.

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 Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...

, catchin' the Jungle Fever" 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 Queensbridge Houses, also known simply as Queensbridge, is a public housing development in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, New York City. Owned by the New York City Housing Authority, the development contains 29 buildings and 3,142 u ...

in Queens, NY, USA. He also reveals he's a fan of

Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Sr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African ...

, the

Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

and

Mr. Magic John "Mr. Magic" Rivas, (March 15, 1956 – October 2, 2009) was a prominent hip hop radio DJ. Career Mr. Magic debuted in 1979 on WHBI in New York City with “Disco Showcase” on the pay-for-time FM station. It was a far cry from the prime ...

Significance

The inclusion of "Halftime" to the ''Zebrahead'' soundtrack by

MC Serch Michael Berrin (born May 6, 1967), best known by his stage name MC Serch, is an American rapper and music executive. He is a former member of 3rd Bass and Non Phixion. Early life and education Serch grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York ...

led to Nas's breakthrough as a rapper, as a record deal with Columbia Records and the release of his debut album, ''

'' (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. It was first known for its ...

''. Retrieved on 2009-10-28.Kulkarni (2004), p. 95. According to ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' magazine, the song "created a niche that only ''Illmatic'' could fill".Da Ghetto Communicator.
Next: Nas
. ''

'': 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 artist and singer. Bahamadia released her debut album, '' Kollage'', in 1996, followed by the independently released EP ''BB Queen'' in 2000. She ...

*"We Got It Hemmed" by Cella Dwellas *"Down for the Kaz" by Kazi *"I Will Always Love H.E.R." by

Peanut Butter Wolf Christopher George Manak (born October 8, 1969 ), better known by his stage name Peanut Butter Wolf, is an American disc jockey and record producer from San Jose, California. He is based in Los Angeles, where he moved to in 2000. He is the found ...

*"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 ...

*"Vengeance" by East Coast Avengers *"Am I Dope Or What" by

Vakill Donald Mason, also known as Vakill (Born in March 21, 1975) is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Vakill is known through his association with Chicago Hip Hop collective The Molemen, and has released three studio albums. Early years Ra ...

*"Furam Obleku" by Target of Tram 11 *"Crazy Like a Foxxx (D.I.T.C. Version)" by Bumpy Knuckles

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. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

{{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