Pause Tapes

[Intro: Havoc interview clip]

"[I really do...] remember the first time I made a beat

I had a cassette player in my grandma's crib

I didn't have all, you know, the extravagant equipment, you know

This was back in the late '80s, and I used to listen to music on the radio

That I liked, you know, particularly old school, like, '70s

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: Havoc scratched by DJ Premier]

"Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Re–" "Record, loop..."

"Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Re–" "Record, loop..."

"Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Re–" "Record, loop..."

[Verse: Nas]

It's a drive-in movie, no roofs on, a bunch of Benz's

Let's try to re-imagine the passion when I got in this

A Panasonic with the tape recorder

Tryna level the treble and bass in order; the stations sound distorted

I'd move the dial to improve the sound, years later got a Sony stereo system

No comparison with the – boombox, my livin' 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 the Ol' E

Music's savin' our lives – just listenin', gettin' fried

To underrated MC's; sprayin' somethin' 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 tryna 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 up, bombshell in my mind

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

My mom's hall closet, in boxes, all kinda shit

Johnnie Taylor records and some good Grover Washingtons, I'm lockin' in

Grab a piece of vinyl, drop the needle at the top

Listen for a beat to rock, 90 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

[Outro: Havoc, scratched by DJ Premier]

"Pause tapes... rewind it, record... loop..."

"Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Re–" "Record, loop..."

"Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Re–" "Record, loop..."

"Loop..." "Loop..." "Loop..." "Loop..." "Loop..." "Loop..."

"Loop..." "Loop..." "Loop..." "Loop..." "Loop..." "Loop..."