Bas was born in Paris, France, in 1987, to Sudanese parents. At the age of 8, his family moved to New York City. He attended St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, New York.
In 2011, Bas released his debut mixtape titled Quarter Water Raised Vol. 1. In 2013, his second mixtape was released entitled, Quarter Water Raised Vol. 2.
In 2013, Bas was featured on J. Cole's "New York Times" along with 50 Cent from Cole's album Born Sinner, and then on DJ Khaled's "Hells Kitchen" from Suffering from Success. He then appeared on the Dreamville compilation mixtape Revenge of the Dreamers. That mixtape was released in celebration of Dreamville's partnership with Interscope Records, resulting in Bas being signed to Interscope. Two weeks prior to the release of his debut album Last Winter, Bas released a free EP titled Two Weeks Notice.
Last Winter was released on April 29, 2014, by Dreamville Records/Interscope Records. The album was a conceptual project that touches on the cold days in New York City recording the album. The album was supported by the single "My Nigga Just Made Bail" produced by GP808 and featured guest appearances by J. Cole. Last Winter would debut at 103 on the Billboard 200 with 3,601 copies sold in its first week.
Following its release, Bas went on a 10-city nationwide tour titled after the album. Bas followed his own "Last Winter" tour by going on a 24-city nationwide and international tour with TDE rapper Ab-Soul. In 2015, Bas supported J. Cole on the '2014 Forest Hills Drive' Tour alongside Omen, Cozz, Jeremih, YG, and Big Sean.
Bas released his second album, Too High to Riot on March 4, 2016. The album also includes guest appearances from his labelmates J. Cole and Cozz, as well as the Hics. The album would debut at 49 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 10,965 copies in its first week. He also later released a music video for each song on the album. Bas went on tour after the album in June 2016 with Cozz and EarthGang. It included 26 cities in North America and 10 cities in Europe. On January 29, 2017, the documentary highlighting the tour was released on Tidal.
On April 10, 2018, Bas released the one-off single "Pinball II", featuring Correy C. The first single for his third album "Boca Raton" was released on June 19, and featured ASAP Ferg. On August 22, he released the second single "Tribe" featuring J. Cole. Bas released his third album, Milky Way on August 24, 2018. The album debuted at number 35 on the Billboard 200, selling 13,150 album-equivalent units in the first week. Bas announced a 43-city tour to support the album, which began in November 2018 and concluded in February 2019. In late 2018, Bas announced he was working on an album with frequent collaborators, The Hics, the album is due out in late 2021 to early 2022.
Black Owned Business
Bas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You always had to make it hard for me
But I'm a motherfuckin' star, bitch didn't you know?
Can't you hear that applause for me?
My brother Ib told me some niggas just wanna be safe
And some niggas just wanna be great
Which one are you? Let's go make history today
Let's go make history today
You'll figure your way man, this shit ain't for me to say
I come, I love until my heart can bleed
I'm on the road, I guess it ain't meant for me to stay
But I'm here with you
I'm here with you
Hey world, your favorite movie is on, it's called attack on niggas
The fathers that didn't pass, they all stacked in prisons
But that shit don't get a pass, no that shit don't get a grant
Might as well go fill a bag
Ridin' around, no tinted glass
Why I can't have tinted glass? Cause that cause suspicion
Cops flash like cinemax, don't lack ammunition
Might as well go get a gap, might as well go give it back
Don't know if they'll get it right, but I know that we'll get it last
Might as well go spend a rack of the black owned business
Had my mind on hoes, now I'm back on business, that's real
Back to that supporting, I'mma build with you
Cause you're here for me and I'm here with you
I'm here with you
You never thought I'd make it this far, did you
You always had to make it hard for me
But I'm a motherfuckin' star, bitch didn't you know?
Can't you hear that applause for me?
The song "Black Owned Business" by Bas is a powerful anthem that speaks to the struggles and successes of the Black community. The song's first verse addresses the doubters and naysayers who didn't believe in the artist's potential, but he overcame obstacles and became a star. The verse also includes a conversation with a friend who differentiates between those who want safety versus those who want greatness. Bas sees himself in the latter category and wants to create history.
The chorus emphasizes the bond between the artist and his community. Through thick and thin, Bas remains loyal to his people and acknowledges their support. He also confronts the systemic racism and injustice that Black people face every day. The line "attack on niggas" refers to the relentless violence and discrimination that the community experiences. He also comments on the disproportionate number of Black men in prison, specifically fathers who were unable to be present in their children's lives because of their incarceration.
The second verse continues the theme of persevering despite the odds. Bas laments the fact that having tinted glass on his car attracts attention from the police, who are all too eager to harass and discriminate. He also references the need for protection, as many in the Black community feel they must arm themselves to feel safe. However, he ultimately turns back to the vision of thriving Black-owned businesses as a solution to systemic inequality.
Line by Line Meaning
You never thought I'd make it this far, did you
You doubted my ability to succeed.
You always had to make it hard for me
You intentionally made things difficult for me.
But I'm a motherfuckin' star, bitch didn't you know?
But I'm extremely successful, and you should've known that.
Can't you hear that applause for me?
Can't you hear how much people recognize my success?
My brother Ib told me some niggas just wanna be safe
My brother Ib shared with me that some people prioritize safety over success.
And some niggas just wanna be great
While some people strive to be successful and great.
Which one are you? Let's go make history today
Which category do you belong to? Let's work together to make history today.
Boy use your brain, only your heart can lead
You should use your intelligence, but also follow your instinct and passion.
You'll figure your way man, this shit ain't for me to say
You'll find your own path, I don't need to tell you how to do it.
I come, I love until my heart can bleed
I give everything I have and put my heart into everything I do.
I'm on the road, I guess it ain't meant for me to stay
I'm always moving forward, but maybe I'm not meant to settle down.
But I'm here with you
Yet I'm here with you, supporting and building together.
Hey world, your favorite movie is on, it's called attack on niggas
There's a constant attack on black people in the world.
The fathers that didn't pass, they all stacked in prisons
Many black fathers are unjustly incarcerated.
But that shit don't get a pass, no that shit don't get a grant
This injustice won't be ignored or forgotten.
Might as well go fill a bag
We might as well get our money while we can.
Ridin' around, no tinted glass
Driving without tinted windows.
Why I can't have tinted glass? Cause that cause suspicion
It's unfair that having tinted windows can cause suspicion and put us in danger.
Cops flash like cinemax, don't lack ammunition
Police are always ready to use excessive force.
Might as well go get a gap, might as well go give it back
We might as well arm ourselves for protection, and also give back to our community.
Don't know if they'll get it right, but I know that we'll get it last
We don't know if justice will ever truly be served, but we'll keep fighting for it no matter how long it takes.
Might as well go spend a rack of the black owned business
We should support black owned businesses and invest in our own community.
Had my mind on hoes, now I'm back on business, that's real
I used to be distracted by meaningless things, but now I'm focused on my work and success.
Back to that supporting, I'mma build with you
Let's get back to supporting each other and building together.
Cause you're here for me and I'm here with you
Because we're here for each other and we have each other's backs.
I'm here with you
I'm committed to supporting and building with you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ABBAS HAMAD, BHANU RANGRA, DAVID THOMPSON, KALEB ROLLINS, OTIS JACKSON, RON GILMORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind