In the normal world, besides its literal definition, “pause” is a term of caution, as used in Run-DMC's New Jack Swing era salvo, “Pause.” In the 2000's, when somebody says "pause" it means that person or another person strung together words (or puns and double entendres) that have overt or subtle homosexual overtones. Be clear, we are not suggesting that any of these individuals are homosexual. In fact, most are loudly and explicitly heterosexual - in their own words.

Cam'ron and many others happen to use the term “no homo,” but in the world of political correctness that's become an insult to the gay nation. After all, who are we to offend the LGBT massive? Pause is a much more sensitive verbal device for a heterosexual person to say, “Hey, I'm not saying anything gay here, to be clear, okay?” 

In Hip-Hop, there are times when the word pause could have and most definitely should have been used. Here are ten cases where baggage handlers and weed carriers slept and let these—shall we say Freudian slips—come out their rapper buddy’s mouths, pause.




R. Kelly & Notorious B.I.G. “F**k You Tonight” Life After Death

This was mostly on that Chicago dude. When R. Kelly crooned on B.I.G.'s “F**k You Tonight,” it was like a marriage made in heaven. Pause. Musically it was a union destined to go down in history. And it did. The song emerged in the somber months after Biggie's tragic murder. It’s been 10 years and it’s now time to highlight one of the biggest “pauses” in Hip-Hop. At the songs climax, R. Kelly passionately sings, “B.I.G. bring that a** to meeeeeeee!” Says our own Illseed, “I don't know about the rest of the rap world, but all I could imagine is R. Kelly singing that line directly to Biggie in the studio. Yuck!”

F**k You Tonight. - The Notorious BIG f/ R. Kelly


Speaking of The Notorious B.I.G…
The Notorious B.I.G “Me & My B***h” Ready to Die

“Blasphemy!” you say. How dare we desecrate the lore of Biggie Smalls. Hey we love the great Frank White as much as any card-carrying rap head, pause, but Christopher Wallace delivered at least a couple of suspect, though slickly spit, bars. On “What’s Beef?” from Life After Death he kicked, “My n***a Gutter f***ing kidnap kids/f**k 'em in the ass throw them over the bridge.” Hey, not meant to be too literal, we can dig it.

But, the worst offense occurs on "Me and My B***h." You know the line from his Ready To Die debut: "You looked so good, I'll suck on your daddy's d**k." In the 90's, well before the advent of the term pause, this was simply considered a shocking, ill line. Real fans know, the line originated with another fallen hero, Richard Pryor. Pryor said “Bitch was so fine, I wanted to suck her daddy's d**k!” on his 1974 album That N*****s Crazy. Somebody should have said "pause" in the 70's, and the 90's.




Redman “Yesh Yesh Y’all” Muddy Waters

Redman is underrated. Again, Redman is underrated. However, on “Yesh Yesh Y’all,” from Muddy Waters [you are losing if this album isn’t in your collection] the Funk Doc quipped, “Male groupies gettin’ shakey when I come up from the rear.”

What did Redman mean when he said this lyric? In his 90's hey-day, he admits to using quite a few drugs. Was the whole Def Squad laced up on that “good good,” because we would assume somebody [Murray, Sermon, DJ Twinz, Rockwilder, anybody?] would have informed Reggie Noble that people could get the wrong idea. These days, Redman is a happy family man that limits his subject matter to weed, girls, fun and crime. New Redman and Method Man album in December.

Yesh Yesh Yall - Redman


Speaking of Erick Sermon…
EPMD “Hardcore” Business As Usual

One of the worst ways to demean a heterosexual male is to forcibly violate the backside. Don’t believe? Watch HBO’s Oz or any of those Penitentiary flicks.

But anyway, on “Hardcore,” from EPMD’s Business As Usual, Erick Sermon explored the options. “I'm far from a chump I'm hardcore like Brooklyn/Mess with me and get your manhood tooken,” said the Green Eyed Bandit over a thundering bassline. To our knowledge Sermon has never been a jailhouse rapist, which is what this line makes him sound like. That said, for the Hip-Hop OG's sake,  “Pause.”

Hardcore - EPMD


Nas “N.Y. State of Mind” Illmatic

We know what Nas meant on the DJ Premier produced mind number “N.Y. State of Mind” when he said, "Give me a Smith & Wessun and I'll have n****s undressin’.” But, everybody isn't criminal minded. He's one of the greatest rappers ever, but he should have expounded on the scenario a bit more. Like that scene with DMX in Belly. Well, that could be taken wrong too. You know what to say.

N.Y. State Of Mind - Nas


50 Cent “Piggy Bank” The Massacre

Say what you want to say, but G-Unit has a gang of joints in the catalog that bang, pause. But that fine line between savvy and suspect has been crossed by 50 Cent too.  On “Ryder Music” Curtis Jackson announces, “I read somewhere, I'm homophobic s**t/Go through the hood, there's mad n***as on my d**k.”

Then, on the incendiary “Piggy Bank” he went as far as to say, “Yayo, bring the condoms, I'm in room 203.” Now Snoop did says, “It ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none,” but in this context that just doesn’t sound kosher. Before I Self Destruct, December 9, 2008.




LL Cool J “Clap Your Hands” Walking With a Panther

Once upon a time, LL Cool J was the baddest rapper walking the face of the Earth. Period. He was so bad, he named his album and hit song “Bad.” On his third album, he said a lyric that required a collective pause from the entire borough of Queens to clean up. On “Clap Your Hands,” from 1989's Walking With a Panther, L cockily said (no pun intended), "Sucka MCs really make me sick/I'm so bad, I can suck my own d**k.” Now, that's bad. No Ron Jeremy.




Speaking of LL, we gotta mention Canibus…
Canibus “2nd Round Knockout” Can-I-Bus

You know the story. Young upstart [Canibus] offends the vet [Uncle L] and the beef is on. While history would prove LL to be victorious, when Canibus dropped “2nd Round Knockout” there were plenty of whispers that the Queens legend had met his match. However, one barb from said song drew a number of prickled eyebrows. Shouted Canibus, “Well let me tell you something, you might got more cash than me
But you ain't got the skills to eat a n***a’s  a** like me.”

That line is just unexplainable. Pause…you’re welcome.
 



The LOX “Money, Power & Respect” Money, Power & Respect

With a name like JadaKISS you’re bound to get in trouble with a wayward punchline involving your rap foes and kissing. It’s inevitable. Jada has got a couple of note. Back before they were shouting “Let The LOX go!” on “Money Power Respect” Jada let loose, “If I don't respect you I'ma check you/If I don’t kiss you I’ma peck you.” We doubt that was aimed at a female rapper.

Even more egregious was on his guest turn on The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Last Day” when he said, “Hearing you out is senseless/Perhaps for instance I give this f****t  a french kiss.” Yonkers, say it loudly.




Lil Wayne “We Taking Over Remix”

On DJ Khaled’s “We Taking Over Remix,” Lil Wayne asserted, “Damn right I kiss my daddy/I think they pissed at how rich my daddy is/And I'm his kid, I stunt with my daddy…” Mind you he does clearly say “no homo” at the tracks onset. What more is there to say? Right, pause.




If you think we missed any more blatant examples, chime in...