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.
Live For
Bas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Daily she'd call me say it's my name
You were calling, I mean, I was your favorite
I was named after your father, you were the sweetest aunt
Never had kids of your own but you made me your own
Busy on the road, I couldn't make it back home
You couldn't make it that long, I'll never forgive my self
I think I love just the hurting fact
Til we under the dirt, I keep you close
Yeah, under my shirt
I keep you tucked to the side
I'm Mr. Jekyl, I got something to hide
I fancy love, but I get stuck off of pride
I hope you understand
I got a list of daily lovers
Succumb to the beast or become it, live from the belly of it
Just trying to survive, I'm searching for any others
Lets get together make the whole world believe us
New world allegiance, fiends living our dreams out
Nigga believe it
Seen the world three times, nigga believe it
They out here selling peace signs, you niggas believed it
I don't
My behaviors unbecoming
My neighbors look at me funny like I should move out
Nigga you get a new house
This shit ain't easy
Multiple choices I had, turned into voices I have
No where to run, I'm moving forward and forging the path filling the loneliness path
Nigga, this shit ain't easy
So spare me the front and the fake
You ain't put shit in the pot, fuck is you touching the plate?
The song 'Live For' by Bas is a touching tribute to someone close to the artist who passed away. In the first verse, Bas talks about the last days of his aunt's life as she battled with illness. He regrets not being able to be there with her during that time as he was too busy on the road. The line "I'll never forgive myself" expresses his guilt and sadness at not being able to say goodbye. Bas also reveals that he loves the pain of missing her, stating that "I think I love just the hurting fact". This suggests that the pain of her loss is a reminder of her love and importance to him.
The second verse of the song touches on Bas's struggles with love and his inner demons. He talks about having many "daily lovers" but also acknowledges his pride and the fact that it often holds him back. Bas feels he has something within him that he needs to hide or keep under control, referring to himself as "Mr. Jekyl". He is searching for something to fill the void left by his aunt's passing and shares his aspirations of making a difference in the world. In the final lines, he calls out those who haven't contributed to his success, saying "you ain't put shit in the pot, fuck is you touching the plate?"
Overall, 'Live For' is a poignant and emotional tribute to a loved one who has passed away. The song showcases Bas's lyrical talent and his ability to delve into complex themes of love, loss, and personal growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama told me you were getting sicker
My mother informed me about your deteriorating health
Daily she'd call me say it's my name
Every day my mother would call and mention my name
You were calling, I mean, I was your favorite
You used to call me often and I was your preferred family member
I was named after your father, you were the sweetest aunt
I was named after your father and you were the kindest aunt
Never had kids of your own but you made me your own
Although you never had children of your own, you treated me as if I was your own child
Busy on the road, I couldn't make it back home
I was traveling a lot and couldn't come back to visit you
You couldn't make it that long, I'll never forgive my self
You didn't survive for much longer and I will always blame myself for not being there
I think I love just the hurting fact
I believe that I enjoy the fact that I am hurt
I think I love when you hurt me back
I think I love it when you hurt me in return
Til we under the dirt, I keep you close
Until we are both buried, I will keep your memory close to me
Yeah, under my shirt
I keep your memory close to my heart
I'm Mr. Jekyl, I got something to hide
I have a hidden side to myself, like Mr. Jekyl from Jekyl and Hyde
I fancy love, but I get stuck off of pride
I like the idea of love, but my pride often holds me back
I hope you understand
I hope you can comprehend my feelings
I got a list of daily lovers
I have a list of people that I am intimately involved with
Succumb to the beast or become it, live from the belly of it
Either give into temptation or fight it and live with the consequences
Just trying to survive, I'm searching for any others
I'm just trying to survive and looking for other ways to cope
Lets get together make the whole world believe us
Let's join forces and make the world believe in us
New world allegiance, fiends living our dreams out
We will form a new alliance and fulfill our aspirations
Nigga believe it
Believe it or not
Seen the world three times, nigga believe it
I have traveled around the world three times, believe it or not
They out here selling peace signs, you niggas believed it
People are selling the idea of peace, and some believe it
I don't
But I do not believe it
My behaviors unbecoming
My actions and attitude are not fitting for my character
My neighbors look at me funny like I should move out
My neighbors give me strange looks as if I do not belong there
Nigga you get a new house
If you don't like it here, you can move to a new home
This shit ain't easy
This situation is difficult
Multiple choices I had, turned into voices I have
I had many options, but now I am left with inner turmoil
No where to run, I'm moving forward and forging the path filling the loneliness path
I am out of options, so I must face my problems head-on and overcome loneliness
Nigga, this shit ain't easy
This is difficult, believe it or not
So spare me the front and the fake
Don't pretend or be fake with me
You ain't put shit in the pot, fuck is you touching the plate?
If you didn't contribute to the situation, why do you feel entitled to the outcome?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SEDIK BOUDIF, RONALD GILMORE, ABBAS HAMAD, ALEXANDRA ISLEY, ALI GABIR OUSSAMA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jay Houss
one of the most underrated creative rapper I've ever heard.
VICTOR
WORD
Brandon Trotter
DihStyle69 I got you
DihStyle69
Brandon Trotter neither. i think he has potential and he's growing.
Brandon Trotter
DihStyle69 so you think his overated??
Thinker
Damn I got that 430th like lol
Stephen Wakumelo Mwaekwa
Yo Bass, I lost my only grandma this yer but I could not attend her burial because am at a University in South Africa far from home (Zambia) but this very track helped me cope, guess I could relate. Thanks to you bro.
Rudolph Tshabalala
South Africa loves you bro we brothers
Stance 1k
Stephen Wakumelo Mwaekwa sorry guess now you’re healing.shout out to you for bumping to classics I’m kenyan and my roommate introduced me like officially to listen to Bas
David Jourdain
Shout out our passed on grandmother's! ✊