Bas impresses in various ways in “We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up.”
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TOP 5
5. Khartoum (Ft. Adenkunle Gold)
It doesn’t get more real than this track.
As the son of African immigrants, this track really resonated with me. In “Khartoum,” Bas uses a very focused and passionate style of rapping to discuss the lack of attention on the issues going on in Africa, the stress he feels when it comes to protecting his family, and his hope for change. What I absolutely love is how his passionate and focused style of rapping complements afrobeats star Adekunle Gold’s infectious chorus and the soothing West African-inspired beat. All in all, I just feel like this track is too real to ignore.
4. Passport Bros (Ft. J. Cole)
Calling yourselves ‘passport bros’ is the ultimate flex.
Here’s my recommendation: Before pressing play on “Passport Bros,” grab a Mojito. This song has a feel-good island vibe that’ll have you moving your ass carefreely. Bas brings intoxicating melodies and soothing vocals that beautifully align with his lyrics about sipping on the finest liquors and embracing love without fear. Meanwhile, J. Cole takes the stage with an assertive rap verse that perfectly complements his lyrics about jet-setting across countries and mingling with stunning women reminiscent of Mya. Depending on my surroundings, this track might get five stars from me.
3. Risk
“Risk” is so good, it was made in 2019, yet Bas decided to add it to this album.
To put what I said in the first paragraph into perspective, Bas made “Risk” before negroes even knew what COVID-19 was. Isn’t that crazy? Anywho, in the song, which is powered by this gentle, glimmery beat that will definitely ease your heartburn symptoms, Bas uses a comforting style of singing and a chill style of rapping to deliver lyrics about the risks, struggles, and discomfort that come with leaving someone who meant the world to you. There’s something about the production, down-to-earth lyrics, and bare style of singing that just pulls you into its melancholy world.
2. Light Of My Soul
“Light Of My Soul” opens this album up letting people know Bas ain’t f**king around.
I will never not appreciate it when rappers put their heads down and straight rap. It might not always sound appealing, but, dammit, it’s what hip-hop was built on. In “Light Of My Soul,” Bas puts his head down and straight raps over this somewhat incomplete beat that has tons of bass and this borderline spooky sample that gives me ’20s Christmas carol vibes. As for lyrically, what he discusses is some real s**t, like the people he caught stealing from him and Cole and being way more determined to succeed than his competition.
1. Home Alone (Ft. J. Cole)
What feature hasn’t J. Cole killed in the last 24 months?
When Bas and J. Cole link up, they’re usually on some vacation s**t. In “Home Alone,” the duo is on some 9-5, I’m skipping a lunch break s**t. Over this beat with tons of bass and traditional trap elements, Cole and Bas trade verses about their turbulent childhoods, ditching college, and counting on the streets to raise them. Though both rappers let the wise bars fly and hit us with confident deliveries, it’s Cole’s focus and determination that really drives the song for me (He treated it like it was his).
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. Light Of My Soul (4.5/5)
2. Black Jedi (4/5)
3. Choppas (4/5)
4. Home Alone (Ft. J. Cole) (4.5/5)
5. Risk (4.5/5)
6. Decent (Ft. Amaarae) (4/5)
7. Ho Chi Minh (4.5/5)
8. 179 Deli (Ft. AJ Tracey) (4/5)
9. Passport Bros (Ft. J. Cole) (4/5)
10. Testify (With Sha Sha) (3.5/5)
11. U-Turn (Ft. Blickie & A$AP Ferg) (4/5)
12. Paper Cuts (Ft. J. Cole) (3.5/5)
13. Diamonds (3.5/5)
14. Yao Ming (3.5/5)
15. Dr. O’blvion (3.5/5)
16. Khartoum (With Adenkunle Gold) (4.5/5)
17. Wait On Me (Ft. FKJ) (4/5)
RGM RATING
(B)
Bas is a great rapper. He has the perfect voice, he flows well, and he clearly separates his hard raps from his singing moments. That said, I appreciate the rap verses that we get in We Only Talk Real Shit When We’re F**ked Up. Almost every single one is noteworthy and none of his bars feel wasted. Bas also takes the time to speak about some real s**t like the world’s neglect of Africa and feeling pressure to live up to potential. From a rapping standpoint, I give this album an A.
While I wouldn’t say I absolutely love the moments in which Bas sings, I do appreciate his ability to draw us in with his hypnotizing vocals and infectious melodies. What I would say is dope is that his songs in which he sings never feel like some cheesy commercial s**t; they usually give pure, indie vibes that go along with (If I were to guess) his eclectic personality.
We don’t appreciate Cole and Bas’ chemistry enough. When they link up, you never know which direction they would go, which is dope as hell. In We Only Talk Real Shit When We’re F**ked Up, Cole hit us with some hard-hitting s**t in “Home Alone,” some vacation s**t in “Passport Bros,” and some Bone Thugs N-Harmony s**t in “Paper Cuts.” There’s just something organic and natural about their collabs. Aside from Cole’s features, I also enjoyed Adenkule Gold’s chorus in “Khartoum” and Ferg’s verse in “U-Turn.”
Bas makes the exact kind of music I prefer these days. He does just the right amount of singing, just the right amount of rapping, and actually talks about meaningful s**t more than he talks about knucklehead s**t. If other rappers can find those balances Bas finds, I would be fans of their music more.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
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