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.
Spaceships Rockets
Bas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blue tonic, James Harden, hit 'em with the step back (tell the bitch step back)
Ironic, take a mixer, bring a heart away back, it was harder way back
Niggas harbor hate, hatin' niggas hard to hate back
New bitch, new flows, nigga, automate that
All the way black like Sudan in the summer
Hundred bands in the belt, I ain't dancing for nothing
Laying in the lands of my ancestry
Got the sand in my hair and the beach next to me
Nigga, please step to me
Have to son these niggas, have to run these niggas
Had to cut some off like a vasectomy
When the beat get to me make it reset
Moma+guy met a shawty at your party
She was almost like purified water, rurified air
I could die in her arms and be mummified there
Verified facts what I speak them, you should peep them
Certified packs when I chief them
We lit, we lit
We lit, we lit (yeah)
We lit, we lit
We lit, we lit (yeah)
All these spaceships and rockets (ah)
Got me feelin' high (ah)
On my spaceship I'm rockin' (ah)
Fall into the sky (ah)
We lit, we lit (ah)
Fly high like I'm NASA (ah)
Move my hips like a salsa (ah)
I'm like butter on a lobster (ah)
We lit, we lit (ah)
Got me singin' like I'm Chaka (ah)
Moonwalking in mi casa (ah)
Young queen Cleopatra (ah)
We lit, we lit
We lit, we lit (yeah)
We lit, we lit
We lit, we lit (yeah)
We lit, we lit
Can't go with my rasta
Merengue with the lobster
We eatin' fishes with the pasta
We lit, we lit (ah)
Been feelin' like a popstar (ah)
Having dreams of a rockstar (rockstar, rockstar, ah)
The young king with the rap star (ah)
We lit, we lit (yeah)
We lit, we lit (yeah)
We lit, we lit (yeah, yeah)
We lit, we lit (yeah)
All these spaceships and rockets (ah)
Got me feelin' high (ah)
On my spaceship I'm rockin' (ah)
Fall into the sky (ah)
The lyrics to Bas & LION BABE's song Spaceships + Rockets praises the sense of power and freedom that comes with wealth and privilege. Bas confidently asserts his status as an icon who has accomplished a lot and his blue tonic supplement is a reference to the expensive blue-label champagne. The line "hit 'em with the step back" likens his swag to that of James Harden, a basketball player known for his fancy footwork on the court. He then makes a call back to the past where he had to struggle before making it big, and how haters from that time can't keep up with him anymore.
The chorus of the song is an ode to the euphoria that comes with riding high, both in terms of success and substances. The image of spaceships and rockets is used as metaphors for the high they feel, and the line, "We lit, we lit," hammers home the idea of being in a constant state of bliss. LION BABE then emphasizes her own personal royal status as a Cleopatra, while also celebrating her Afro-Caribbean heritage through her references to salsa and merengue.
Overall, Spaceships + Rockets is a paean to the good life that comes with success, wealth, and fame. It's a joyous celebration of wealth and the ability to live life to its fullest while shining a light on one's struggles and the determination to overcome them.
Line by Line Meaning
Iconic, I got it, all the way facts (it's all the way)
I am iconic and completely sure of myself, all of what I say is nothing but the truth
Blue tonic, James Harden, hit 'em with the step back (tell the bitch step back)
I am calm and cool like blue tonic and in control like James Harden, I can handle any situation with ease and overcome any obstacles
Ironic, take a mixer, bring a heart away back, it was harder way back
It's ironic how much easier things are now, the past was much harder and I had to work much harder to achieve success
Niggas harbor hate, hatin' niggas hard to hate back
Some people hold onto hate, but it's hard to hate back when I am filled with love and positivity
New bitch, new flows, nigga, automate that
I am constantly evolving and bringing something new to the table, it's easy for me to automate this process
All the way black like Sudan in the summer
I am a person of color and my blackness is no different than the hot heat of the summer in Sudan
Hundred bands in the belt, I ain't dancing for nothing
I have a lot of money and I didn't work hard for it just to waste it on nothing
I got hands on the button, nigga push me
I am in control of my own destiny and if anyone tries to push me, I will push back harder
Laying in the lands of my ancestry
I am proud of my heritage and where I come from, and I honor my ancestors by visiting their homeland
Got the sand in my hair and the beach next to me
I am living my best life, surrounded by the beauty of nature and enjoying every moment of it
Nigga, please step to me
I am confident in my abilities and I invite anyone to try and come at me
Have to son these niggas, have to run these niggas
I need to show these guys what real success looks like and outrun them in every aspect of my life
Had to cut some off like a vasectomy
I had to remove some negative people from my life, like a vasectomy removes the ability to reproduce
When the beat get to me make it reset
Whenever I feel low, I can always turn to music to lift my spirits and start anew
Moma+guy met a shawty at your party
I met a cute girl at your party with my mom and dad
She was almost like purified water, rurified air
She was pure and refreshing, just like water and air
I could die in her arms and be mummified there
I love her and cherish our moments together so much that I would even want to spend eternity with her
Verified facts what I speak them, you should peep them
Everything I say is true and verifiable, you should pay attention and take notes
Certified packs when I chief them
I only smoke the best and highest quality weed out there
All these spaceships and rockets (ah)
Metaphorically, I am soaring to new heights like a spaceship or a rocket
Got me feelin' high (ah)
I am feeling ecstatic and euphoric
On my spaceship I'm rockin' (ah)
I am in control of my destiny and my life is going exactly where I want it to
Fall into the sky (ah)
I am reaching new heights that I never thought were possible before
Fly high like I'm NASA (ah)
I am reaching the stars like NASA and pushing through boundaries
Move my hips like a salsa (ah)
I am dancing and moving to the beat of the music, just like the rhythm of a salsa dance
I'm like butter on a lobster (ah)
I am smooth and sleek, just like butter on a lobster
Got me singin' like I'm Chaka (ah)
I am so happy and joyful that I am singing like the legendary singer, Chaka Khan
Moonwalking in mi casa (ah)
I am dancing and moonwalking in my own home, feeling comfortable and free
Young queen Cleopatra (ah)
I feel like royalty, just like the great queen, Cleopatra
Can't go with my rasta
I cannot go along with someone who is negative or doesn't agree with my views or lifestyle
Merengue with the lobster
I am enjoying a delicious meal, dancing and having fun all at the same time
We eatin' fishes with the pasta
We are enjoying a fancy meal, combining seafood with pasta
Been feelin' like a popstar (ah)
I have been feeling like a successful and popular celebrity
Having dreams of a rockstar (rockstar, rockstar, ah)
I have aspirations to be a successful musician and rockstar
The young king with the rap star (ah)
I am a young and talented rapper, on the pathway to becoming a star
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Abbas Hamad, Dominic Mocky Salole, Jillian Kristin Hervey, Lucas Ian Goodman, Moses Mokuolu
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind