“Tribe” is the ninth official collaboration between J. Cole and his Dreamville Records signee Bas. It was released as the second official single from Milky Way two days before the album’s release. The song was released alongside its music video.
Bas first previewed J. Cole’s portion of the song on...
[Intro: J. Cole & Bas]
This one's for you
This one's for you
I think I made it
[Chorus: Bas]
I think I made it, I think I made it
'Cause I'm always smiling, and you are the reason now
Girl, I can't explain it
It's all in the timing, I had to get low
I had to get low
I had to get back, I had to report
I had to get facts 'cause you are just that, you that
Girl, you share your truths with me
And I find them true, a muse, you in the booth with me
[Verse 1: Bas]
Can't spend no time on the nickle and dime'n
I got me a girl, she don't want no diamonds
A daily reminder to holla at God
Like "Where did you find her? Good looking, my nigga"
Everything 'round me I took it
Did it with only the niggas I knew
And a few niggas I thought I knew better
There go my bitches, I always do better
But, you're more top echelon
My next probably be a step backwards
Niggas front when they get struck with love
Like the drama majors, be the best actors
I'm done with all that tough acting
John Madden would've saw it happen, and so it happens
My niggas want life's good things, they still dreaming
And you deserve 'em too, I'ma do it just so it happens
[Chorus: Bas]
I think I made it, I think I made it
'Cause I'm always smiling, and you are the reason now
Girl, I can't explain it
It's all in the timing, I had to get low, I had to get low
I had to get back, I had to report
I had to get facts 'cause you are just that, you that
You share your truths with me
And I find them true, a muse, you in the booth with me
[Bridge: J. Cole]
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la (This one's for you)
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la (This one's for you)
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la (I'm hella faded)
La, la, la, la, la (Yeah)
La, la, la, la, la
I'm hella faded, yeah
[Verse 2: J. Cole]
I'm hella faded, I'm hella faded
These niggas been hating, I don't know the reason now
Sometimes I feel jaded
They don't see the real me
They only know Cole, they only know Co-ole
I had to get back, I had to resort to turning my back
I'm doing just that, true that
I thought He was through with me, but that wasn't true
The proof? You in the coupe with me
God shuffled the cards, dealt me a hand with impossible odds
Put an obstacle course up
Look, and I conquered them all (Conquered them all)
With minimal effort I'm fresher than sock in your drawer (Fuck)
They spinning my records so heavy, I'm topping the Forbes
Stuck in a rock and a hard place though
Is it true what they say? The higher you go, the longer the fall?
Well, I dropped to the floor, the knock at the door was on cue
Uh, I thought that I saw it all 'til I saw you
Now I call you when the sun shines and the rain dries up
I'm a pit bull, but for you I be on chain tied up (One more time)
In the backyard with a muzzle on tail wagging like Oregon Trail
Waiting on you to come through just like you do, well
[Chorus: Bas & J. Cole]
I think I made it, I think I made it, I think I made it
'Cause I'm always smiling, and you are the reason now
Girl, I can't explain it
It's all in the timing, I had to get low, I had to get low
I had to get back, I had to report
I had to get facts 'cause you are just that, you that
You share your truths with me
And I find them true, a muse, you in the booth with me
[Outro: J. Cole & Bas]
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la (This one's for you)
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la (This one's for you)
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la (This one's for you)
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
I think I made it
I think I made it, I think I made it
I think I made it
'Cause I'm always smiling and you are the reason now
Tribe was written by Paulo Soledade & Fernando Lobo & Markus Randle & Childish Major & J. Cole & Bas.
Tribe was produced by J. Cole & Childish Major.
J. Cole & Bas released Tribe on Wed Aug 22 2018.
“Zum-Zum” by Edu Lobo is the basis of the instrumental.
I would say it’s a journey on the whole album, ‘Milky Way,’ where it’s kind of me finding my path. I think when you’re an artist, this day and age, there’s so many external pressures and factors, and that could start to weigh on you over time and you could start to spot yourself changing or you coul...
Shout out to Childish Major that sample is crazy. It just gave me such a good vibe. It just put me in a happy place. A lot of songs I write are like that. I hear an emotion in the music and I’m gonna want to convey it in words, something that matches that. Childish came to my crib, in LA, I got a st...
Well clearly it’s about a girl. But it was also twofold. It’s definitely about a girl that kind of humbled me, in a sense. And it kind of unlocks something. You start to look at everything else through a bit different of a lens, even if it has nothing to do with her. You know what I mean? You start...
After he did the drums, I was gonna have him on this other record called “Front Desk,‘ 'cause he was already in love with that one. But then, that’s just how it goes with the Cole shit. He’ll hear shit, he’s gonna let you know which one. You don’t want to do anything that’s uninspired with anybody....
When Cole got on, I didn’t even rap. You know what I mean? When I found out Cole rapped, I didn’t know he rapped. It was just light skinned Jermaine from the park that played basketball and went to Saint John’s. You know what I mean? He was the homie, but even he was quiet about it. So when I starte...