Born in the city of Paris before the Throne made it sound cool, Dreamville rapstar Bas manipulates the English language better than most native tongue can decipher. Perhaps that’s because he migrated to New York City at the ripe age of five, a move that forced the young spitter-to-be into a fast-paced survival mode. That mentality is what piqued J. Cole’s interest long before Bas was rapping with a sense of purpose. Cole, whose Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad is Bas’s brother, encouraged the France-born MC to cultivate his unique style. Eventually, Bas was signed to Dreamville and released his debut LP Last Winter in 2014. Two years later, Bas released his follow-up Too High To Riot, and is headlining its accompanying nationwide tour.