album cover
artist
Nas & DJ Premier
Pause Tapes
1,945
Rap
Pause Tapes was released on December 12, 2025 by Mass Appeal as a part of the album Light-Years
album cover
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Past 7 Days
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Pause Tapes was discovered most frequently at around 1 minutes into the song during the past week
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OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Nas
Nas
Lead Vocals
DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Programming
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Songwriter
Nasir Jones
Nasir Jones
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Producer
Tony Dawsey
Tony Dawsey
Mastering Engineer
Zeke Mishanec
Zeke Mishanec
Recording Engineer
Nef
Nef
Recording Engineer
Rich Evatt
Rich Evatt
Assistant Engineer

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
[Refrain]
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 ****, 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
Pause tapes
Pause tapes
Rewind it
[Refrain]
Record loop
Record loop
Record loop
Written by: C. Martin, Nasir Jones

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