Bas

Bas is an American rapper, born Abbas Hamad in 1987. He is signed to J. Cole’s Dreamville Records through Interscope Records. He is born in Paris, France, to Sudanese parents and moves to New York City at the age of 8. He attends St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens.

Early releases and mixtapes

Bas begins recording and releasing music in the early 2010s. His debut mixtape, Quarter Water Raised Vol. 1, arrives in 2011, followed by Quarter Water Raised Vol. 2 in 2013. In 2013, he also appears on J. Cole’s “New York Times” with 50 Cent, from Born Sinner, and on DJ Khaled’s “Hells Kitchen” from Suffering from Success. He also appears on the Dreamville compilation mixtape Revenge of the Dreamers, which leads to his signing to Interscope as part of Dreamville’s partnership with the label.

Albums and major releases

Bas’s first studio album, Last Winter, is released in 2014 through Dreamville Records/Interscope Records. It is a conceptual album shaped around cold days in New York while he records it. The album includes the single “My Nigga Just Made Bail,” produced by GP808 and featuring J. Cole, and it debuts on the Billboard 200. Before the album, he releases the free EP Two Weeks Notice.

His second studio album, Too High to Riot, follows in 2016. It includes guest appearances from J. Cole, Cozz and the Hics. Bas later releases a music video for each song on the album. The record debuts in the upper half of the Billboard 200.

In 2018, Bas releases the single “Pinball II” featuring Correy C, then “Boca Raton” with A$AP Ferg and “Tribe” featuring J. Cole. His third album, Milky Way, follows later that year and also appears on the Billboard 200.

Tours and collaborations

After Last Winter, Bas tours in support of the album on a 10-city nationwide run, then joins Ab-Soul on a larger tour across North America and Europe. In 2015, he supports J. Cole on the 2014 Forest Hills Drive tour alongside Omen, Cozz, Jeremih, YG and Big Sean. After Too High to Riot, he tours in 2016 with Cozz and EarthGang across North America and Europe, and a documentary about the tour is later released on Tidal.

Bas also works repeatedly with The Hics, and he announces an album with the group after 2018.