| He has been called the heart and soul of J. Cole's burgeoning Dreamville Records empire, and hailed as one of the freshest, most honest new voices in hip-hop. A month after the release of Too High To Riot, his critically-acclaimed debut, which bowed inside the Top 50 on the Billboard 200 its first week, rapper Bas unveils his latest offering -- the stark, abstract new video for the LP's fourth single, "Matches." "Too High To Riot is a journey, a trip through my mind, using different sounds, moods and textures to explore things I feel deep inside," says Bas. "I challenged myself to be as honest as I could, as truthful as I could, as open as I could. Every song is special, but 'Matches,' in particular, has added importance; it features The Hics and is produced by Ron Gilmore, friends turned collaborators who have aided me in my travels, inspired me beyond measure, and allowed me to creatively realize a vibe I always envisioned inside my head. Together, we make such beautiful music and I hope my fans enjoy it." Directed by Doubiago Bishara and Nelson G. Navarrete for The Super Mookin Fiends, "Matches" is a plaintive meditation on living life on the bleeding edge of stardom, exploring what it means for an artist to be next to blow. It navigates a conflicting divide -- who Bas is, who he was and who he wants to be. Over Gilmore's boozy arpeggios and The Hics' sweeping harmonies, the Queens, N.Y. native waxes poetic about the pitfalls of fame. The video is an exercise in contrasts, light and dark forces, fighting over the soul of its subjects. "I think this is one of the best videos I've ever done," says Bas. "The Hics, I first heard their music in passing a few years ago, and I was just a fan. When I was in London, we linked up, went out for tea and wound up talking for hours. We cut the record and when it was time for the video, they flew to America for the first time, stayed in my parents house in Queens, then came to L.A. to shoot it with me. Now, we're like family." That much will be apparent starting in June, when Bas heads out on a month-long Too High To Riot tour. He'll be joined by Dreamville labelmate Cozz, Atlanta duo EarthGang, with Gilmore and The Hics as supporting acts. The nationwide trek will see them perform in major cities across the United States, bookended by flagship gigs at the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles, and the Highline Ballroom in New York (full dates below). "This is my second headlining tour, and over the past few years, I've toured relentlessly with Cole," Bas explains. "Watching him, learning how to connect with people, give them the best show of their lives, night in and night out, it's been a rewarding experience. He started out just like this, and now he's selling out Madison Square Garden. As Dreamville grows, as my family, The Fiends, grows, hopefully I'll soon be doing the same." PURCHASE TICKETS TO TOUR here TOO HIGH TO RIOT ALBUM STREAM here TOO HIGH TO RIOT TOUR DATES 6/3 - Miami, FL - The Hangar 305 6/4 - Orlando, FL - Backbooth 6/6 - Atlanta, GA - Hell @ The Masqerade 6/8 - San Antonio, TX - Alamo City 6/9 - Houston, TX - Studio @ Warehouse Live 6/11 - Austin, TX - Parish 6/13 - Phoenix, AZ - Pub Rock 6/14 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room @ The Observatory 6/15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy 6/17 - Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones 6/19 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Atrium 6/20 - Oakland, CA - The New Parish 6/21 - Portland, OR - Analog 6/22 - Seattle, WA - Vera Project 6/23 - Vancouver, BC - Alexander 6/25 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Grand at the Complex 6/26 - Denver, CO - The Other Side @ Cervantes 6/29 - Chicago, IL - Reggies 6/30 - Detroit, MI - Shelter 7/2 - Montreal, QC - The Belmont 7/3 - Toronto, ON - MOD Club 7/11 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage 7/12 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry 7/13 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom |
| Bas is a Sudanese-born rapper from Queens, N.Y. who after a series of celebrated mixtape releases, was handpicked by J. Cole in 2014 to be the flagship artist on his Interscope-distributed Dreamville Records imprint. Following Last Winter, an introductory mixtape-cum-album, his proper debut, Too High To Riot, hit stores this past March. VIBE magazine says the LP "takes its cues from the hip-hop greats," HipHopDX says it "demands to be played again and again. |
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