Nas Pause Tapes Cover
New Release Light-Years

PAUSE TAPES

Lyrics

[Intro]

Remember the first time I made a beat, I had a cassette player in my grandma's crib

I didn't have all the extravagant equipment

You know this is back in the late 80's

And I used to listen to music on the radio that I liked

You know, particularly old school, like 70's

And I would record it, and then after I recorded a certain part that I liked

I would record, loop, record, loop, record, loop until it just became one beat

And you know that was the beginning of me making beats

[Hook]

Record loop

Record loop

Record loop

Record loop

Record loop

Record loop

Record loop

[Verse 1]

It's a drive-in movie

No roofs on a bunch of Benzes

Let's try to reimagine the passion when I got in this

A Panasonic with a tape recorder

Try to level the treble and bass in order

The station sound distorted

I moved the dial to improve the sound

Years later got a Sony stereo system

No comparison with the boombox, my living room knocks

My nigga, Mayo next door, he bangin' on the wall

Told us to stop, take me back, drugs and money, we cruddy

Lungs smoky, fiends in the hallway bummy

Just finished a OE, music savin' our lives

Just listenin', getting fried to underrated MCs

Spraying something to hide the aroma, still in my mom's crib, was young and lazy

Quit school 'cause I needed fly shit, the fiends would page me

Not trying to be locked on a bid, Queens' crazy

Guess jeans and Polo jacket

Just in the crib causing all this racket

Always knew I was the verbal assassin

Submerged in a very dirty world but only was half in

That's when I had an epiphany

Kane went last on The Symphony

If I could set a posse cut off, that'd be my entry

Pickin' up the stereo's remote control quickly

Ron G's in the cassette deck, rockin' the shit, G

A surprise, I opened a bombshell in my mind

Tells me I could hook a beat up for myself to rhyme

My mom's hall closet and boxes, all kind of shit

Johnny Taylor records and some good Grover Washingtons, I'm locking in

Grab a piece of vinyl drop the needle at the top

Listen for a beat to rock, ninety minute tape, I got

Enough time, play it one time, four bars, press record

Then press pause, then restart

Record, loop, repeat

Do that 'bout twenty times, yo, I made my first beat

[Outro]

Pause tapes

Pause tapes

Rewind it

[Hook]

Record loop

Record loop

Record loop

About & Meaning

"Pause Tapes" is a deeply nostalgic track by Nas and DJ Premier from the album Light-Years. The song serves as an origin story for Nas, not just as a lyricist, but as a student of Hip-Hop production.

The Art of the Pause Tape

The title refers to a primitive method of making beats before digital samplers were affordable. Producers would use a cassette deck to record a breakbeat from a vinyl record, hit "pause" right before the break ended, cue the record back, and hit "record" again to create a continuous loop. Nas vividly describes this process using his mother's records—specifically Johnny Taylor and Grover Washington—to create his very first beats in the late 80s.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the meaning of 'Pause Tapes' by Nas?

The song is a nostalgic homage to the early DIY methods of hip-hop production. Nas describes using a simple cassette deck to loop breakbeats by manually pausing and recording ('Pause Tapes') before he had access to professional equipment.

Which samples does Nas mention in Pause Tapes?

In the lyrics, Nas mentions digging through his mother's record collection, specifically citing 'Johnny Taylor records and some good Grover Washingtons' as the source material for his first beats.

Who produced Pause Tapes?

The track is produced by DJ Premier, providing the authentic boom-bap backdrop for Nas's storytelling about the origins of beat-making.

What era does Nas refer to in the song?

Nas explicitly sets the scene in the 'late 80's', referencing technology like the Panasonic tape recorder and the Sony stereo system.

What album is Pause Tapes on?

Pause Tapes is featured on the collaborative album 'Light-Years' by Nas and DJ Premier.

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