Pause Tapes

"[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" "Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Record, loop..." "Re–" "Re–" "Record, loop..." [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 tryin' 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 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 "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..."