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.
Ricochet
Bas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Want you to be
Girlfriend
Reached into my mind for reflection
The truth is obscuring my perception
So take a hit on this ship filled with resin on our fingertips
And watch it below, below, let it go
The truth is obscuring my perception
So take a hit on this ship filled with resin on our fingertips
And watch it billow, billow, let it go
Schedule that freely, you can pick a day
We can roll em up and roll em up
So I can watch everything ricochet
Six months since I last seen you
Clip blunts in them ash trays
While we speak up on them past days
You know I still have faith
It's been ten months since I last seen you
Clip blunts in them ash trays
While we speak up on them past days
You know I still have faith
Schedule that freely, you can pick a day
We can roll em up and roll em up
So I can watch everything ricochet
Schedule that freely, you can pick a day
We can roll em up and roll em up
So I can watch everything ricochet
(Reached into my mind
Reached in, reached into, to my, to my mind
Let it, let it)
Innocence lost, it's never retained
It's never the same, it's never the same
Leave this world with some inspiration
I'll take the bait before a pure of gold
Come to grips with your intuition
Hear the whispers of your soul
Steer you down the road you're on
It's all your own
Innocence lost, it's never retained
It's never the same, it's never the same
Leave this world with some inspiration
I'll take the bait before a pure of gold
Come to grips with your intuition
Hear the whispers of your soul
Steer you down the road you're on
It's all your own
The song Ricochet by Bas featuring The Hics is a lyrical representation of the desire for freedom from the shadows of the past, and the need to find certainty and self-discovery. In the verse, the artist is searching within his mind for an answer to his past experiences, and the truth appears to be blurry, making it difficult to perceive. However, he suggests that by taking hits of a ship filled with resin on their fingertips, they can let their thoughts go and find some clarity. This may indicate the use of drugs to 'escape' from reality and find a moment of peace for self-discovery.
In the chorus, the artist is longing for the return of someone who may have been important to him. He suggests that they could smoke some weed and reminisce about the good old days, to watch everything ricochet. This could be interpreted as watching 'flashbacks' of the past, possibly to find inspiration to prepare for the future.
The final verse speaks about the loss of innocence and how it can never be the same once it's gone. However, the artist suggests that we seek inspiration from the world around us and listen to the whispers of our souls, and find our own path in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Girlfriend
Want you to be
Girlfriend
The singer wants to be his girlfriend's boyfriend and is expressing his yearning for her.
Reached into my mind for reflection
The truth is obscuring my perception
So take a hit on this ship filled with resin on our fingertips
And watch it below, below, let it go
Reached into my mind for reflection
The truth is obscuring my perception
So take a hit on this ship filled with resin on our fingertips
And watch it billow, billow, let it go
The singer has been reflecting on his thoughts, but struggles to discern reality from illusion. He suggests smoking marijuana to help them relax and let go of their worries.
Schedule that freely, you can pick a day
We can roll em up and roll em up
So I can watch everything ricochet
Schedule that freely, you can pick a day
We can roll em up and roll em up
So I can watch everything ricochet
(Reached into my mind
Reached in, reached into, to my, to my mind
Let it, let it)
The singer is suggesting that they set a date to smoke marijuana, so they can get high and enjoy watching things bounce around.
Six months since I last seen you
Clip blunts in them ash trays
While we speak up on them past days
You know I still have faith
It's been ten months since I last seen you
Clip blunts in them ash trays
While we speak up on them past days
You know I still have faith
It has been six or ten months since the artist last saw their girlfriend, but they still reminisce on the time they spent together and continue to have faith in their relationship despite the distance.
Innocence lost, it's never retained
It's never the same, it's never the same
Leave this world with some inspiration
I'll take the bait before a pure of gold
Come to grips with your intuition
Hear the whispers of your soul
Steer you down the road you're on
It's all your own
The artist reflects on how innocence is lost and can never be regained, but suggests finding inspiration and he will take the risk before striving for true success. The artist advocates for following one's intuition and staying true to oneself when choosing the path in life.
Lyrics © Sentric Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROXANE BARKER DAYETTE, SAM EVANS, RONALD GILMORE, ABBAS HAMAD, GORDON REID-CAMPBELL, JACOB WELSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeffstately
I’ll never forget summer 2016. I was homeless and depressed. Drinking beyond humanly possible. Too High To Riot was the only thing I played. More specifically this, Black Owned Business and Matches got me through those nights when I slept in the car crying. Never forget just driving around letting the music sooth that pain. Used to think about ending it until I heard the project. Today I still play this music and am currently 11 months free of liquor pushing one year. Thank you Bas for saving my life with this music.
@jeffstately
“Leave the world with some inspiration”
@bradenzorn7514
Glad u made it bro ✊️
@cloudss9975
💜
@MischiefCulture
I played this album while I was depressed too, damn! Glad you made it my friend 💪🏾
@ethanpichardo6337
Your a G for making it through pain&struggle. Thank you for sharing. REMAIN strong, brother. Peace&Respect.
@starlightsa1177
One of the most underrated albums in history of music 😭
@marcustaylor4466
No skippable tracks!
@fatwebber2131
Last winter is a lot more underrated. The album before this; it had bangers. Lit, new world order, mook in new mexico. Donk of the day.
@carlosjaimes972
Facts