Bridging the Gap (song)
"Bridging the Gap" is a single from Nas' Street's Disciple, and features his father, Olu Dara. The second single from Street's Disciple, it samples music from Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy" composition. Olu Dara provides the hook of the song by talking about his path and how Nas was born.
| "Bridging the Gap" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Nas featuring Olu Dara | ||||
| from the album Street's Disciple and Cadillac Records: Music From the Motion Picture | ||||
| Released | October 5, 2004 | |||
| Genre | Jazz rap | |||
| Length | 3:56 | |||
| Label | Ill Will Records Columbia Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Nasir Jones Salaam Remi Olu Dara[1] | |||
| Producer(s) | Salaam Remi | |||
| Nas featuring Olu Dara singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Nas and Olu Dara performed the song many times before the release of Street's Disciple, generating buzz as the release of the album drew near. The song is referenced in the title track of The Game's song "The Documentary", when he says, "Now I understand why Nas did a song with his pops". The song peaked at #94 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song was featured in the film A Prophet, directed by Jacques Audiard. It plays over the closing credits of the 2018 action-horror film Overlord.
Music video Edit
The music video was directed by Diane Martel and shows Nas and Olu Dara on a stage with women dancing in the background. It also shows a few shots that are supposed to be Nas in school. At the end of the video, Dara stands still next to Nas and says with a smile, "Rest in peace, Ray Charles," as a sign of respect. (Charles had died in the summer of 2004.) The video had high rotation on MTV and BET.
Track listing Edit
A-side Edit
- "Bridging The Gap" (Album Version) (4:00)
- "Bridging The Gap" (Instrumental) (3:57)
- "Bridging The Gap" (A Cappella) (3:57)
B-side Edit
- "Bridging The Gap" (Album Version) (4:00)
- "Bridging The Gap" (Instrumental) (3:57)
- "Bridging The Gap" (A Cappella) (3:57)
Charts Edit
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[2] | 44 |
| Scotland (OCC)[3] | 22 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[4] | 8 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[5] | 18 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 94 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[7] | 49 |
Release history Edit
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | October 18, 2004 | Rhythmic contemporary · urban contemporary radio | Columbia | [8] |
References Edit
- ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Street's Disciple - Nas : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Nas feat. Olu Dara". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ "Nas Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ "Nas Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1577. October 15, 2004. p. 17. Retrieved July 6, 2022.