Dreamville Vet, Bas Brings the Heat to DMV

We back, baby! For the first time in a long time, I found myself in my home away from home, [the photo pit]. Bringing about my return was a performer that I’ve connected with since I was a nervous eighteen-year-old, Dreamville heavyweight, Bas. From “Last Winter”, to “Too High to Riot”, “Milky Way” and his newest effort “We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up”, I got to experience every era of the Queens bred emcee; whom I put up there with some of the best in the game. No bias just facts. Accompanying [Bas] at Silver Spring’s Fillmore theater were Hoosh, Rueben Vincent, and Blxckie; all of whom, as well as Bas, being of African descent.

Every set of the night was full of energy; and though the first two acts were tasked with getting the crowd warmed up, it took neither of them very long. Hoosh may have boasted the best sound of the three opening acts; there’s a smooth, semi-polished feel to his sound that manages to be palatable yet authentic. Rueben Vincent on the other hand was without a doubt the hypest performer on the bill; skipping full sprint onto the stage and rushing from end to end, [Vincent] turned the energy up to ten. Closing out the opening slot in style was South African import, Blxckie. There’s something to be said about stage presence (I know, I know… I’ve gone on and on about this over the years, but it’s been a while, so give me a break), and Blxckie’s got it figured out; everything he did on stage felt natural and yet so damn dope.

Also, let me give a shoutout to all the DJs on the night, all three of them helped set the tone for their respective artists, and there’s no way this show goes the same without them. These guys were the crux of the energy we all fed from, and so I am eternally grateful.

Pretty words to the side, Bas was as advertised and all that my I’d imagined. From the time I was eighteen, hearing “Mook in New Mexico” for the first time while hanging out in my friend Chris’ room, Bas has been my favorite rapper that no one appreciated enough. In return for my years of adoration, I was treated to a night featuring all the songs that have soundtracked my life over the past decade; “Night Job”, “Ricochet”, “Tribe”, “Methylone”, “Down Bad”, I could seriously go on forever. The song that really mattered though, the one I’d had my fingers crossed for since the moment I knew I was approved to shoot this show, ended up being the last song of the night.

Coming back onto the stage for a single encore song, the needle dropped and the words “do you still believe…” rolled through the speakers and every last person in the audience erupted. This was the song; the song that had been my cell ringtone and even my alarm jingle for most of my twenties, the song that reminds me of so many mornings and nights; this was “Lit”. To top this all off, in the absence of head huncho, J. Cole, Bas enlisted the help of one special audience member to spit the final verse; and the man (whose name I wish I remembered) did not let any of us down, spitting ever line bar for bar, intro and all, energy and adrenaline cranked through the roof. A fitting way to close the night and my first time seeing the man [Bas] live. Damn, I can’t wait for the next time.

Gallery Below!