Music
Exclusive Interview With Hip-Hop Artist Bas
Hip-hop artist Bas sits down with Red Bull Music and talks about his latest album, being a part of Dreamville Records, and the upcoming Holla At Ya Boy show featuring Buddy.
In 2019, there isn’t a label that has owned hip-hop quite like Dreamville. The label head J. Cole released his most successful solo single of his career with “Middle Child,” J.I.D and Ari Lennox are on the cusp of stardom, and the label released one of the most memorable collaborative albums in recent years with "Revenge of the Dreamers 3." But it’s Bas, one of the labels original signees, who has managed to keep a low profile while also expanding his profile at the same time. On the heels of his recent EP titled "Spilled Milk Vol. 1" and two studio albums released to critical acclaim, "Too High To Riot" and "Milky Way," Bas sits down to discuss the year for Dreamville, his recent works and the legacy he wants to leave when his career is all said and done.
RedBull.com: It feels like this year Dreamville has become the "it" label in hip-hop. How does it feel to be a part of something this special in real time?
Bas: It feels like all of the work that we have been putting in for some years now is hitting all the right strides. We always knew but it’s hard to tell from the outside looking in how much progress has been made, we all have been touring for the past four or five years going to all of these places. We really built our core to something that it is now and it’s good to see the culmination of all of that work.
You recently released "Spilled Milk Vol. 1." The EP featured collaborations from fellow Dreamville artists EarthGang, J.I.D and Ari Lennox. What was the inspiration behind these EP’s and do they reflect the sound of your next proper album?
I don’t think they reflect the sound of my next album which is why I named them "Spilled Milk Vol. 1." They didn’t necessarily live on that project but they were songs that I was really proud of and wanted to share. When working on an album there are so many thematic aspects and sonic aspects that these songs have to fit into and often times I find myself not releasing a bunch of records that I love and for me the tying theme is that they are collaborations showcasing myself and collaborators range. It’s just the chemistry we all have and how naturally all of these songs came about. So it was something special there for me.
How do you ultimately decide on what songs are going to be kept for an album and songs like these that don’t make the cut? I’m sure it is a tough process leaving songs off an album.
It is, but I think the key to an album is direction. You really have to know what you want it to feel like, what the sonic landscape is going to be, the recurring themes, the content. You have certain songs that fit and songs that don’t; it’s not about putting your favorite songs together, it’s about building a world and one cohesive album. I usually know pretty instantly, it might take me a little bit, but once I get started I usually know which songs fit on an album.
"Revenge of the Dreamers 3" went number one on the Billboard charts and you’ve been signed to Dreamville for the better part of five years now. What was it like seeing the success of this project being one of the original members of the label?
Like I said, it really is the culmination of all of that, it wasn’t overnight. It was dope to see every way that our label grew and we all are likeminded in a sense — so many artists can stand on their own and become viable artists and tour on their own because of this project. When you’re in it, you always want to get to the next point, you always want things to come faster. But looking back on five years, I think this is a hell of a lot of progress that has been made.
The recording sessions for "Revenge of the Dreamers 3" has become the stuff of legend with so many different artists lending their talents to the project. Can you speak on the recording process of that album and the energy that everybody brought?
Honestly, I have never been a part of anything like that before, so it’s hard to compare it to anything. And I have a very open process when it comes to creating, I’m used to working with a bunch of people, but never that concentration in that space. Every room you walked into it was just inspiring and people didn’t want to leave the studio. You didn’t really have to do that much work on a song because it was so many dope people that you know and trust working on a song so then you end up with four songs getting done in a short amount of time because of all of the contributors. Everyone brought a different voice and different energy that made this so dynamic. That’s something that needs to happen more often for sure. I think we did in total 120 plus songs and only like 18 were kept.
Signing under an artist of J. Cole’s magnitude could be seen as intimidating for some people due to his level of star power, what made you comfortable enough to sign with Dreamville when you did?
I just have a personal relationship with Cole and Ibrahim, I didn’t even used to rap. I didn’t grow up rapping and they were the first ones to take a constructive hand in it. It wasn’t like a business aspect as much as they thought what I was doing was dope and they played a major part in the artist development side for me. At that point it was a no brainer when people invested their time in me and it was a family operation so it was a no-brainer.
You just spoke about how you weren’t rapping at first. What inspired you to really jump all the way into this and make it your life?
Honestly, it was my first attempt at creative expression. I was always a good writer in school, it was the only class I would do decent in. I was good with words, I think it’s a New York thing, growing up in the city you have to be quick with your words. I didn’t draw, paint or play an instrument but the first time I did it was hella addictive. It sparked something in my brain that was like a drug, I really enjoyed writing those raps to the point I wanted to do it again and again which made me interested in making music as a whole.
You just spoke about how the first time you wrote raps it was addicting, your last two albums "Too High To Riot" and "Milky Way," have received critical acclaim. How do you find ways to stay motivated and make music that people will enjoy?
I don’t think you necessarily think “how can I make music that people are going to enjoy?” That is part of the music business but I focus more on making something honest that continues to tell my story faithfully and truthfully to the people who have been following my story and know my voice. How do I stay true to that? The more consistently I stay true to that and push myself out of comfort zones on the sonic end to stay fresh and new. That’s kind of how I found my balance.
Is pushing yourself out of your own comfort zone something that you try to do consistently when it comes time to record music or is there any process you have that is specific to you?
I think a lot of that is relative to the song and the music. It doesn’t happen every day that a beat or a song comes along that makes you do something that you’ve never done before. When you hear that new idea you have to chase it, no matter how crazy it sounds, those are the most fulfilling moments. It’s about taking something new and trying to come back to the audience and listener with the guy they knew and fell in love with but showcasing growth as a person and a musician. I don’t think two albums should sound the same.
For a lot of artists legacy is important to them, you were one of the first artists signed to Dreamville and your music is generally well-received. What is the legacy Bas wants to leave in music?
Growing up there were certain artists that taught me how to listen to music and introduced something so new to my ear that it lead to my musical education. Whether it was Daft Punk or so many artists that I can’t name them all, but those bands and artists taught you how to discover music in a new way. I want to be one of those artists to these kids. I just want to make timeless music that lasts.