Halftime
J Period and Nas Lyrics

Check me out y'all, Nasty Nas in your area
Introducing himself, Nas is warning that he's about to cause a stir

About to cause mass hysteria
Nas is so dynamic that he's likely to whip the crowd into a frenzy

Before a blunt, I take out my fronts
Nas removes his gold teeth before smoking weed

Then I start to front, matter of fact, I be on a manhunt
He starts to act like he's on a mission

You couldn't catch me in the streets without a ton of reefer
Nas always has a lot of weed on him

That's like Malcolm X catching the Jungle Fever
Comparing himself to the legendary civil rights leader Malcolm X, Nas is saying that he's always true to himself

King poetic, too much flavor, I'm major
Nas is a top-notch wordsmith with lots of charisma

Atlanta and braver, I pull a number like a pager
He's confident and not afraid of anything. Pulling a number like a pager means he gets lots of attention

Cause I'm an ace when I face the bass
Nas is great at rapping to the beat

40 side is the place that is giving me grace
The place where Nas grew up -- Queensbridge -- is where he gets his inspiration

Now wait, another dose and you might be dead
Nas raps with so much intensity that he's warning listeners to be careful not to get overwhelmed

And I'm a Nike head, I wear chains that excite the feds
Nas likes sneakers and jewelry that catches people's attention

And ain't' a damn thing gonna change
Nas isn't going to switch up his style or image

I'm a perform a strange show the mic wonder was born the game?
Is Nas so good with the mic that he was born to rap?

Nas, why did you do it
Asking Nas why he's rapping so well

You know you got the mad fat fluid when you rhyme, it's halftime
Nas is reminding everyone that he's got skills and it's only halftime

It's halftime
Just like at a halftime show during a game, things are about to get even more exciting

It's like that, you know it's like that
Nas is proclaiming that his style is like no other

I got at him, now you never get the mic back
Nas has taken control of the microphone and he's not giving it up

When I attack, there ain't an army that could strike back
Nas is so good that no one is going to step up and try to outdo him

So I react never calmly on a hype track
Nas is always intense on an uptempo beat

I set it off wit my own rhyme
Nas is starting things off with his own unique style

Cause I'm as ill as a convict who kills for phone time
Nas is saying that he's so good at rapping that he's dangerous

I'm max like cassettes, I flex like sex
Nas is able to put on a show like an audio cassette, but his performance is as powerful as sex

In your stereo sets, Nas will catch wreck
On your home stereo, Nas will sound amazing

I used to hustle, now all I do is relax and strive
Nas used to sell drugs but now he's focused on success through music

When I was young, I was a fan of the Jackson 5
Nas was inspired by the legendary Motown group

I drop jewels, wear jewels to never run it
Nas shares knowledge and wears expensive jewelry

Wit more kicks than a baby in a mother's stomach
Nas has lots of sneakers, so many that he's comparing himself to a baby who's still in the womb

Nasty Nas has to rise, kid, surprise
Nas is saying that he's going to keep getting better and become a sensation

This is exercise til the microphone dies
Nas is warning that he's going to continue rapping until he physically can't

Back in '83, I was an MC sparking
Nas has been rapping for more than a decade

But I was too scared to grab the mic's in the park and
Nas used to be shy about rapping in public

Kick my little raps 'cause I thought niggas wouldn't understand
Nas used to think that his raps were too complex for people to comprehend

And now in every jam I'm the fucking man
Nas is now confident and has gained a reputation as a top performer

I rap in front of more niggas than in the slave ships
Nas's raps are heard by more people than slaves who were transported across the ocean

I used to watch C.H.I.P.S, now I load glock clips
Nas used to watch a TV show about motorcycle cops, but now he carries a gun

I got to have it, I miss Mr Magic
Nas is referencing the first hip-hop radio DJ, Mr. Magic, and expressing a desire to succeed in the music industry

Versatile, my style switches like a fagot
Nas can change up his style easily, like a chameleon

But not a bisexual, I'm an intellectual
Nas is saying that he's not confused about his sexuality, but he's smart and educated

Of rap, I'm a professional and that's no question, yo
Nas is proud of his career as a rapper and is very skilled

These are the lyrics of the man, you can't near it, understand
Nas is saying that his rhymes are so good that they can't be matched

'cause in the streets, I'm well known like the number man
Nas is famous in his community, like someone who runs a numbers game

In my place wit the bass and format
Nas is most comfortable performing in his neighborhood with his own set up

Explore rap and tell me Nas ain't all that
Nas is challenging people to compare him to other rappers and he's confident they will see that he's the best

And next time I rhyme, I be fouled whenever I freestyle
When Nas is improvising a rap, there's no telling what he might say

I see trial niggas say I'm wow
People are amazed by Nas's skills

I hate a rhyme biter's rhyme
Nas doesn't appreciate when other rappers steal his flow

Stay tuned, Nas, soon the real rap comes at halftime
Nas is promising that his best is yet to come, at the end of the song's halftime break

It's still halftime
The song still has a lot more to offer and the excitement will continue after the halftime break