Abbas Hamad, known professionally as Bas, was born in Paris to Sudanese parents. The family immigrated to the United States when Bas was eight years old. His father, a career diplomat, took a post in New York, and the family settled in Queens. “The borough is a very diverse place … a wealth of cultures,” Bas said.
Every summer, the family traveled to Sudan to spend time with relatives. “We didn’t realize the magnitude or the opportunity or really the blessing of having that identity,” Bas said. He now sees these trips back as foundational to the stories he’s trying to tell.
Bas never intended to be a rapper, but he needed a new direction after dropping out of college in his early twenties. He was DJing when he experimented with rap and discovered it freed him to express himself creatively. His older brothers introduced him to rapper and producer J. Cole, a friend and fellow student at St. John’s University, and in 2014 Bas became the first performer signed by Cole’s Dreamville Records label. He has since released nine solo albums on the label, the latest featuring his song “Khartoum,” which aims to bring international attention to the ongoing war in Sudan.
Now that he’s headlining around the world, authenticity is his top priority. “Meeting fans and having them tell you, ‘this touched me in this way or that,’ you really start to understand the power that you have,” says Bas. “It makes me put much more thought and effort into the content.” He adds, “The more your true character shines through in your artistry, the more you connect with the fans.… They see what’s genuine and what’s not. I’m just trying to be myself in the music.”
