BAS

PHOTOGRAPHER ALEX HARPER STYLIST MAZ STORY BY GUADALUPE ABIGAIL CEJA

Bas: All right. What's Poppin man? Let's get it started.

Guadalupe: What do you think separates you from other artists in your genre?

Guadalupe: How do you choose to distinguish yourself from other rappers?

Bas: I think it's in my sound,predominantly 66 in my sound. I thinkyou know being from Africa and spending some early years in Europe, and then you know spending the formative years of my life in New York just gave me a varied ear for music. It gave me varied, you know, topics and perspectives to speak from. So, I think yeah, definitely in my sound. I'm very experimental, and I like to just use elements from all parts of the world.

Bas: I guess it's kind of rehashing the first one, but I think it's really in the sound. I think especially now hip-hop is – is you know, for lack of better words, I guess kind of bland. There's so much of the same thing going on. I guess it's like any industry if something is successful than a lot of people copy it, but I think I've always gone against that trend. You know, it might take a longer time to kind of reach your peak. But I like that at least, I've established something where my fans and my contemporaries expect me to innovate, expect me to evolve, expect me to do something new and there's a lot of freedom that comes with that.

The son of Sudanese parents, Bas was raised in Paris until the age of eight, when his family moved to Jamaica, Queens.

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Guadalupe: How do you stay authentic? How do you stay yourself?

Bas: I think a lot of that is the people around you, obviously, and a lot of that is how you've been raised. I come from a Sudanese family, we’re Muslim. There's a lot of things we put before money, fame, and success. It's God first. It's family, it's Community, it's traditions. I think all those things have helped humble me and keep me grounded.

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Guadalupe: In as few words as possible. How would you describe yourself to people who may not be familiar with Bas yet?

Bas: Um, few words as possible. I would say, international. Internationally influenced. That's really a few words, but it's such a large part of my story, artist – innovator.

Guadalupe: What current artists or creatives are on your radar? What do you think people should be looking out for?

Bas: The Hix, look out for The Hix. Look out for Earthgang, you know, look out for Dreamville. Honestly, I'm going play for the home team with that one. Yeah, I don't know. It's every day there is something inspiring that I see. It's just been hard for me to really delve into too many artists when I'm in the middle of creating. Oh, Lucky Day. I really like Lucky Day, really dope. Keam. Bailey Keam, I rock with Keam.

697071Guadalupe: Were the two-year gaps upon releasing Last Winter, Too High to Riot, and Milky Way a coincidence.

Guadalupe: What's inspired drill type beats in your music.

Bas: I don't think it was a coincidence and that's something I tell myself, even as I'm getting ready to release more music this summer, is that I don't ever really want to go two years without releasing music. I want to have more music out. I think it becomes about finding different ways and platforms to release music because it's – it's hard to make an album every year because an album tells a certain amount of growth. There are certain amount of experiencesthat you have to go through if you genuinely want to deliver something new or new perspective, and growth to your fanbase. But you know, there are also other ways to release music or other ways to have music out. It doesn't necessarily have to fit the mold of an album. In a day of streaming where people consume more music, it doesn't necessarily have to be an album every time. So, I think those weren't coincidences. It was just the time it took for me to find myself as an artist and grow and feel like I had something new to say.

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Bas: The trap sounds, I'm a fan of it. Obviously, it is something that has grown to take the world by storm. I like to just implement different parts of a lot of music. I think that's what makes my sound what it is. I have a song Fragrance where I sample FKJ. French Kiwi Juice was just an incredible multiinstrumentalist, producer, andsongwriter. Dude super dope, we sampled his music, and Cole threw some drums on there – just beaters. I feel like there are middle grounds to be had with all these things. Even sometimes I get on Afrobeats, trap out a section or whatever the case may be. I think it's fun just experimenting with kind of making audio collages.

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Guadalupe:Howdoyourpastandcurrentenvironmentsinfluenceyourwork?

Bas:Ithinkit's–it'salwayskindofgoodtohavethatposition.It'sgoodtobeina newenvironmentandwriteaboutyourpastenvironment.It'sgoodtokindoflookat everythingfromanopposinglensbecauseithelpsyouseethingsthatareharderto seeinthemomentorwhenyou'regoingthroughsomething.EveryalbumIchoose totravelandIdoalotofsessionsallovertheplace.London,SouthAfrica,Parisor Japan.Alloverthestates.Ithinkeveryenvironmentyou'reinis,it'sgoingto obviouslyhaveaninfluenceonhowinspiredyouareorinwhichwaysyouare inspired.

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Guadalupe: How do you feel about the riots in Sudan?

Bas: You know, I feel inspired and heartbroken at the same time. It's tough. It's – it's cool, and it was very inspiring to see the people rise up after 30 years of dictatorship and peacefully overthrow a dictator, blank. But it's also heartbreaking to see how the Transitional Military Council has responded with live ammunition and rape. Unlawful detainment to try to break the will of the peaceful protesters and from here it's hard not to feel helpless in the situation. As much as we try to build awareness and raise funds, it's very hard to alleviate the pain of the people on the ground.

7576777879Guadalupe: Which of your three albums do you think best reflects you as an individual?

Guadalupe: What does your song process look like? How do you set your music-making vibes?

Bas: Let's talk – I would say because everything is really just applicable to the time it was written. There are certain things as far as maturity and life experiences that you grow through. I would say

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Milky Way as far as the sound isconcerned best defines me. I think it's the best I've been able to bend all of the sounds, that make me and have made me, into one cohesive body of work. I think Too High to Riot probably speaks to my conscience and my soul in that regard. It's more introspective, and it's more of the brain. Yeah, it's between those two. I think they both fill a different role.

Bas: I can write songs anywhere, man. I could be on a plane with headphones in. Then I could be in my home studio, or I could be in my backyard with like a little portable speaker. I just try to capture ideas as they come to me. So, it's not so much about setting the vibe. It's about being ready to record or at least write down the inspiration as it comes to you before it leaves you.

81Guadalupe: What past or current artists influence you? Who are you a fan of?

Guadalupe: In what ways do you incorporate Sudanese background into your sound?

Bas: Pharrell, Bob Marley, Daft Punk, and Jamiroquai. I guess on a more current side, well Pharrell's still very much current. Those are a few of the artists I'd name. Who am I a fan of, I'm a fan of a lot of

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people, man. Nas, 50, HOV, Cole,Kendrick and Drake. Yeah, I don't know. That's an endless story, I guess. I guess like I said Pharrell, Daft Punk, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Future. I try to listen to everything. The Hix, yeah.

Bas: That's interesting, with Milky Way I ventured more into some afrobeat records. Which I've always been a fan of the genre through my brother DJ Momo who really introduce it to me years ago. It's more of an African sound. Then actually my uncle is a very – very famous oud player from Sudan, and he's in the process of like sending me a bunch of his recordings to try to flip those. So, I think that's a work-in-progress. I think it's been more, at this point, it's been more so my story than my sound.

838485Guadalupe: In what ways do you want to positively use your platform? What do you want to accomplish in your career?

Bas: I think if we can generate healthy discussions on some form of societal issues or if we can inspire people to travel or to educate themselves. Then we can use our platforms to bring people together and shed light on some of the injustices in the world. Especially recently with Sudan and the things going on there, it has definitely inspired me to use my platform in more significant ways and more meaningful ways. The way that people have responded and the support we've been able to rally up has given me all the confidence and purpose I need to continue doing so.

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Guadalupe: Any advice to creatives out there that are trying to generate their own path?

Bas: I would say start with your team and have faith in the team around you. Allow everyone to make mistakes. Allow everyone to grow. If you're going to wear the crown, heavy is the head that wears the crown, and you got to deal with it and keep your people encouraged. Keep your people strong and they’ll go to war for you. Everything starts with your team and how you treat the people around you, make them apart of it and give them ownership. On a personal level just don't get discouraged. Consistency. It's all about consistency. No matter how you're feeling just apply the same level of effort and consistency and you'll get where you need to go.