Nas
ListenHalftime · 1992
Nas — “Halftime,” official video, 1992.
Listen on YouTube ↗
1992 · Ruffhouse Records
Halftime
With “Halftime,” Nas moved from a striking guest verse to a record of his own. Released in 1992 under the name Nasty Nas, the Large Professor production introduced his solo voice through the Zebrahead soundtrack, two years before Illmatic. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0036 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Nasty Nas |
| Release | 1992 · United States |
| Label | Ruffhouse Records · CAS 4817 |
| Format | 12-inch vinyl single · 33⅓ rpm |
| Issue | US promotional copy |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | NM |
Release history and significance
Nas had already made an impression on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque” in 1991. By the time he entered Chung King Studios for “Halftime,” listeners were waiting to hear what he could do with a whole song. [1] [3]
Large Professor remembered a relaxed session with Nas’s brother and friends nearby. Nas listened to the beat, took his time and then stepped into the booth; the room came alive as the words connected. Busta Rhymes later revealed that Large Professor had first offered him the beat. He loved it but had not known how to approach it. Hearing Nas’s version made him regret passing. [1]
Nas told NPR that “Halftime” was the first song he recorded in this phase of work. When a soundtrack needed a track, he was happy to give it to Zebrahead. He remembered the parallel with actor Michael Rapaport: the film marked Rapaport’s debut and the song was Nas’s first single. [2]
The record’s journey continued onto Illmatic in 1994. This earlier promotional twelve-inch repeats the song and its instrumental on both sides, giving DJs a focused introduction to the young MC before the album arrived. [1] [3]
Market context
Discogs lists sales for the CAS 4817 promotional edition from US$4.69 to US$43.95, with a median of US$15.50, as recorded on 13 September 2026. [3]
Physical Description
Twelve-inch Ruffhouse promotional single. Both sides contain “Half Time” and its instrumental, each listed at 4:19. The reference edition credits Large Professor as producer and MC Serch and Mark Pearson as executive producers. [3]
Condition
Recorded as Near Mint; the acquisition description used M−.
Provenance
Acquired through Discogs from seller GrooveMastersMusicUS on 18 August 2025.
Sources
- XXL, An Oral History of Nas’s Classic Debut Album Illmatic. First published April 2009; online 16 April 2014. Large Professor and Busta Rhymes recall the Halftime beat and session.
- Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Frannie Kelley interview Nas, NPR Microphone Check. 23 April 2014, carried by North Country Public Radio. Nas on his first solo single and Zebrahead.
- Discogs, Nasty Nas — Half Time, release 713647. 1992 US Ruffhouse promotional edition CAS 4817, credits, track configuration and sales history.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.