We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up is the fourth studio album by American rapper Bas. It was released on December 15, 2023, by Dreamville Records and Interscope Records.[1] The album features guest appearances from Adekunle Gold, AJ Tracey, Amaarae, ASAP Ferg, Blxckie, FKJ, J. Cole and Sha Sha, with production handled by a variety of producers, including J. Cole, FKJ, Boi-1da, CuBeatz, Galimatias and Kel-P, among others.[2]
| We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 15, 2023 | |||
| Length | 51:48 | |||
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| Bas chronology | ||||
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| Singles from We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up | ||||
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The album was supported by five official singles: "Diamonds", "Passport Bros" with J. Cole, "Ho Chi Minh", "Khartoum" with Adekunle Gold, and "179 Deli" with AJ Tracey.
Release and promotion
editBas first announced the album on January 31, 2023, following the release of the album's lead single "Diamonds", via Twitter, posting a promotional cover art with the caption, "4th album".[3] Bas continued to tease the album throughout 2023 until officially announcing it further after the release of "Passport Bros".[4]
The album was officially announced on December 5, 2023, after Bas had taken to his Instagram to post the official tracklist and release date.[5] The tracklist previewed features from Adekunle Gold, AJ Tracey, Amaarae, ASAP Ferg, Blxckie, FKJ, J. Cole and Sha Sha.[6]
Bas announced the "We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up Tour" in support the album in January 2024, set to run from March 2024 to July 2024.[7][8] In April 2024, he announced that the European leg of the tour had been postponed in order to tend to his ailing mother.[9]
Singles
editThe album's lead single, "Diamonds" was released on January 24, 2023, with an accompanying music video.[10] The album's second single "Passport Bros" with J. Cole was released six months later on July 19, 2023,[4] with its official music video being released just hours after.[11] The album's third single "Ho Chi Minh" was released on August 19, 2023, alongside the official music video.[12] The title of the song plays homage to Ho Chi Minh, a former president of North Vietnam.[12] The album's fourth single, "Khartoum" with Adekunle Gold was released on October 24, 2023.[13] The music video was also filmed in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.[13] The album's fifth and final single, "179 Deli" with UK rapper AJ Tracey was released on November 28, 2023.[14][15][16]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| HipHopDX | 3.1/5[17] |
| Pitchfork | 6.3/10[18] |
Pitchfork's Dylan Green felt that the album has "more R&B melodies and heartfelt vulnerability than ever" and wrote that Bas "sounds most comfortable and self-assured when rapping next to Cole", but concluded that "as a solo artist, he winds up doing the one thing he feared most: spreading himself too thin".[18] Alec Siegel of HipHopDX wrote that "aside from flashes of retrospection and insight, the album rarely delves too deep into the 'real shit.'"[17]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Light of My Soul" |
|
| 3:37 |
| 2. | "Black Jedi" |
|
| 3:26 |
| 3. | "Choppas" |
|
| 3:18 |
| 4. | "Home Alone" (with J. Cole) | 3:30 | ||
| 5. | "Risk" (with FKJ) |
| FKJ | 4:00 |
| 6. | "Decent" (with Amaarae) |
|
| 2:57 |
| 7. | "Ho Chi Minh" |
| Kel-P | 2:04 |
| 8. | "179 Deli" (with AJ Tracey) |
|
| 3:02 |
| 9. | "Passport Bros" (with J. Cole) |
|
| 2:45 |
| 10. | "Testify" (with Sha Sha) |
|
| 2:34 |
| 11. | "U-Turn" (with ASAP Ferg and Blxckie) |
| mOma+Guy | 3:15 |
| 12. | "Paper Cuts" (with J. Cole) |
|
| 3:53 |
| 13. | "Diamonds" |
|
| 3:31 |
| 14. | "Yao Ming" |
|
| 2:37 |
| 15. | "Dr. O'blivion" |
| 2:10 | |
| 16. | "Khartoum" (with Adekunle Gold) |
|
| 2:23 |
| 17. | "Wait on Me" (with FKJ) |
| FKJ | 2:46 |
| Total length: | 51:48 | |||
References
edit- ^ Espinoza, Joshua (December 15, 2023). "Bas Unleashes 'We Only Talk About Real Sh*t When We're F*cked Up' Album f/ J. Cole". Complex. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Grant, Shaun (December 15, 2023). "Bas Drops Globally-Inspired Album We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up". The Source. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Sadler, Armon (January 31, 2023). "Bas Reveals Upcoming Album Title, 'We Only Talk About Real Sh*t When We're F**ked Up'". Vibe. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Ellington, Andre (July 16, 2023). "J. Cole & Bas Get Ready to Take a Trip as They Tease 'Passport Bros' Collab". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Grant, Shaun (December 7, 2023). "Bas to Release His New Album on Dec. 15, J. Cole & Ferg Featured". The Source. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Trapp, Malcom (December 5, 2023). "Bas reveals tracklist for 'We Only Talk About Real S**t When We're F**ked Up'". Revolt TV. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Grant, Shawn (2024-01-17). "Bas Announces 2024 North America Tour in Support of New Album". The Source. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ Elibert, Mark. "J. Cole Joins Bas at NYC Show Following Kendrick Lamar Diss Apology". Complex. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ Schube, Will (2024-04-12). "Bas Postpones Tour Dates Due To Mother's Health: 'Please Keep Her In Your Prayers'". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ Callas, Brad. "Bas Drops New Single and Video "Diamonds"". Complex. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ Powell, Jon (July 17, 2023). "J. Cole joins Bas in "Passport Bros" visual". Revolt TV. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Williams, Aaron (August 30, 2023). "Bas Chases The High In His Reflective 'Ho Chi Minh' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Conteh, Mankaprr (October 25, 2023). "Bas Chronicles Life in War-Torn Sudan in New Video 'Khartoum'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Horvath, Zachary (November 28, 2023). "Bas And AJ Tracey Drop A Vibey Track With "179 Deli"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Powell, Jon (November 30, 2023). "Bas teams up with AJ Tracey for "179 Deli" single". Revolt TV. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "Bas Drops Jersey Club Banger "179 Deli" Featuring AJ Tracey". GRM Daily. November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Siegel, Alec (2024-01-04). "Bas Opens Up On 'We Only Talk About Real Sh-t When We're F-cked Up' — But Not Completely". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ a b Green, Dylan (December 20, 2023). "Bas: We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 21, 2023.