Halftime
DJ Spinbad Lyrics

Check me out y'all, Nasty Nas in your area
Introducing himself, Nas hints that he's going to be causing a buzz with his rapping skills.

About to cause mass hysteria
Nas intends to create a massive impact and impress the audience with his performance.

Before a blunt, I take out my fronts
Nas removes his gold teeth before smoking marijuana, probably because he doesn't want to ruin them with smoke, and to show respect while smoking.

Then I start to front, matter of fact, I be on a manhunt
He puts on a front, showing off his style to get attention, and is searching for people to bring into his realm, either on his level or as fans.

You couldn't catch me in the streets without a ton of reefer
Nas says he always has lots of marijuana with him when he's in the streets, or maybe that he always appears a certain way while in public with marijuana.

That's like Malcolm X catching the Jungle Fever
He humorously compares himself to Malcolm X getting caught up in something unexpected, like how he's always associated with marijuana.

King poetic, too much flavor, I'm major Atlanta and braver, I pull a number like a pager
Nas has a lot of creativity and skill, calling himself a king and saying he has a lot of swagger, and also suggests he's always getting attention from others.

'Cause I'm am ace when I face the bass 40 side is the place that is giving me grace
Nas is skilled when it comes to rapping based on rhythm, and he credits his talent to where he's from, which is Queensbridge's 40th side.

Now wait, another dose and you might be dead
Nas warns that too much of anything, like music or drugs, is bad for you and could be dangerous.

And I'm a Nike head, I wear chains that excite the feds
Nas likes Nike shoes and wears flashy jewelry that would catch the attention of law enforcement officials.

And ain't' a damn thing gonna change
Nas doesn't plan on altering anything about himself or his style, as he's confident in what he's doing.

I'm a perform a strange show the mic wonder was born the game?
Nas is going to put on a unique musical performance that demonstrates his talents - making a statement that he was born to do this.

Nas, why did you do it You know you got the mad fat fluid when you rhyme, it's halftime
The people are impressed with his performance and want to know why he's so good. Nas implies that he's just naturally talented, and this performance is all about taking a break.

It's halftime
Nas suggests that this break in the music is an intermission, and that he's going to come back on stage with even more intensity.

It's like that, you know it's like that
Nas is starting up another performance and wants his audience to pay close attention.

I got at him, now you never get the mic back
Nas is saying that he's in control of the flow and has no intention of letting anyone else take over with his skillful performance. He's the master of the mic now.

When I attack, there ain't an army that could strike back
He's so skilled at his craft that there's no force of nature that could rival his abilities.

So I react never calmly on a hype track
Nas is acknowledging the feverish energy of his audience and is fueling the fire with his impressive dropping of rhymes and beats.

I set it off wit my own rhyme
Nas is beginning another performance that will stun his audience with his creative rhyming skills.

'Cause I'm as ill as a convict who kills for phone time
Nas is implying that his skills as a rapper are so impressive that a criminal who will risk their life for a short phone call in prison would find his talents astonishing.

I'm max like cassettes, I flex like sex In your stereo sets, Nas will catch wreck
Nas is comparing himself to a media format, but he's also saying that his rapping abilities are extremely impressive and will cause chaos.

I used to hustle, now all I do is relax and strive
Nas has come a long way from his early days when he had to get by selling his talents on the street to support himself. Now, he's able to relax and focus solely on excelling in his art.

When I was young, I was a fan of the Jackson 5
Even though Nas is a talented musician himself, he acknowledges the impact that legendary groups like the Jackson 5 had on his music career.

I drop jewels, wear jewels to never run it
He's sharing knowledge with his audience while looking fly doing it and is never shy to show off his expensive jewelry.

Wit more kicks than a baby in a mother's stomach
Nas has more shoes than an unborn baby and is proud of his expansive collection.

Nasty Nas has to rise, kid, surprise
Nas is going to surprise his audience with his skills and has to assert himself as a dominant figure in the rap game.

This is exercise til the microphone dies
Nas is going to keep dropping rhymes and showing off his skills as long as he can, pushing himself and the audience to their limits.

Back in '83, I was an MC sparking But I was too scared to grab the mic's in the park and
Nas was starting out like any other rapper but was initially too shy to perform in public.

Kick my little raps 'cause I thought niggas wouldn't understand
He didn't think that anyone would be able to connect with his style and thought he'd be better off keeping it to himself until he got better.

And now in every jam I'm the fucking man
Nas proved himself wrong and is recognized as one of the most talented rappers to ever hit the scene.

I rap in front of more niggas than in the slave ships
Nas is saying that he has a larger audience than slaves did on board their ships, which is an impressive feat.

I used to watch C.H.I.P.S, now I load glock clips
Nas grew up watching a popular TV show that was about California Highway Patrol officers but is now in a different environment where he has to carry a loaded gun for protection.

I got to have it, I miss Mr Magic
Nas is hungry for success and fame and is nostalgic for earlier times, specifically for a radio DJ who helped launch his career, Mr. Magic.

Versatile, my style switches like a fagot
Nas is able to change up his style effortlessly, much like how someone who identifies as gay used to be dubbed 'versatile' in terms of sexual preference in certain subcultures.

But not a bisexual, I'm an intellectual
While Nas enjoys changing his style around, he's not saying that he's attracted to men - he's just a great rapper who happens to be very intelligent.

Of rap, I'm a professional and that's no question, yo
Nas knows that he's an expert at what he does and is confident in his abilities.

These are the lyrics of the man, you can't near it, understand
Nas wants his audience to pay close attention and understand the depth of his rhymes and how much thought he puts into his music.

'Cause in the streets, I'm well known like the number man
Nas commands respect and recognition in the streets, much like someone who would be involved in underground gambling or other crime and underworld-type activities, the 'number man.'

In my place wit the bass and format
Nas is using his platform to showcase his talents and make an impact.

Explore rap and tell me Nas ain't all that
He challenges anyone to listen to his music and find a flaw in his skills.

And next time I rhyme, I be fouled whenever I freestyle
Nas acknowledges that he doesn't always stick to the script and that his freestyling abilities are just as impressive, but he doesn't censor himself and may say things that people don't like.

I see trial niggas say I'm wow
Nas sees that his trial subjects/audience love his music and are amazed by his skills.

I hate a rhyme biter's rhyme
Nas dislikes it when other rappers copy his style or rhymes.

Stay tuned, Nas, soon the real rap comes at halftime
He encourages people to stay tuned, as he's going to up his game even more after halftime, bringing out the best in his rapping abilities and those of his peers.