A Dreamville fixture, Bas boasts a hip-hop vision without regional limits. His first proper album since 2018’s Milky Way, the pointedly titled We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up reflects the international expansion of his creative gaze. Songs like “Black Jedi” and “Diamonds” maintain his twin senses of melody and lyricism, two elements crucial to his catalogue. Two J. Cole team-ups here, “Paper Cuts” and the Afrobeats-leaning “Passport Bros”, only affirm that further. Not surprising given his Sudanese roots, Parisian birthplace and Queens upbringing, his curatorial choice of collaborators here spans the globe. Several of these guests represent the African diaspora, including Zimbabwean-born Sha Sha, whose “Testify” appearance leaves a lasting impression. A New York native, Ghanaian American singer Amaarae raises more than just a few octaves on “Decent”, while British rapper AJ Tracey helps bridge two respective drill worlds on the feverish “179 Deli”. Elsewhere, French multi-instrumentalist FKJ adds an organic feel with his textured loops and grooves on “Risk” and “Wait on Me”.