With a track record of successful collaborations, J. Cole and Bas are at it again. The two rappers are preparing to drop their highly anticipated new single, “Passport Bros,” next Wednesday (July 19).
On Saturday (July 15), the Dreamville duo sparked excitement when Bas revealed the laid-back cover art featuring both artists lounging on a couch in a tweet captioned, “Passport Bros ft. [J. Cole]. 7/19. Dreamville.” It also included a tantalizing hint at an upcoming album, We Only Talk About Real S**t When We’re F**ked Up.
The dynamic pair’s creative partnership stretches back years, including 2013’s “New York Times,” 2015’s “Tribe,” and more recently, “l e t . g o . m y . h a n d” from Cole’s 2021 album The Off-Season.
Passports Bros ft. @JColeNC
7/19 @Dreamville
We
Only
Talk
About
Real
Shit
When
We’re
Fucked
Upalbum coming soon pic.twitter.com/JwPoDaErkx
— Bas (@Bas) July 15, 2023
But it’s not just Bas singing Cole’s praises. Drake recently hailed the musician as “one of the greatest rappers to ever touch a microphone” ahead of his Montreal show. On Friday (July 14), the Toronto star brought him out for a surprise performance of “No Role Modelz,” “In The Morning,” and “Jodeci Freestyle.”
“Passport Bros” has already stirred fans’ curiosity after Bas’ cryptic tweet hinted at a new collaborative project last month. Last month, he also shared a snippet of the song during his visit to Everyday People in New York.
“Way you work on the weekend, where you go on a Sunday? Heard that place is the hot spot. I’ma take you to brunch there. I’ma get you the Rollie. I’m a take you to Italy. I’ma need you to show me everything that it’s gon’ be,” the musician can be heard rapping.
asked my bro @djmoma to test run this joint me and cole did @everydayppl
my boy in the white tee gave me all the affirmation I needed. We on his energy all summer.
tunes OTW pic.twitter.com/BxJ6PkROcX
— Bas (@Bas) June 26, 2023
Elsewhere, Cole spits, “Yeah, Cole and Bassy, the passport bros. And we ain’t shellin’ out cash for a h**, no. I’m a little flashy, coast to coast out. The show, Cole smashin’, shots of Clase.”
In the wider context of J. Cole’s career, his undisputed lyrical prowess has translated into exceptional commercial success. Alongside artists like Drake and Lil Uzi Vert, the North Carolina native is one of the select few rappers whose every studio album has topped the Billboard charts.