They say never judge a book by its cover, and by the looks of retired British gents Pete and Bas, the last conclusion anyone would make is that they’re rappers. An even more distant conclusion is that they’re both out here killing the game.
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In the UK, Pete and Bas are what they call “OAP rappers—” standing for “old-age pensioner rappers.” In a genre dominated by young, mostly Black artists, Peter “Pete” Bowditch, 72 and Basil “Bas” Bellgrave, 76, certainly stand out, but they’ve been using that to their advantage and people are starting to pay attention.
The rap duo have gone viral rapping some of the most clever lyrics on the hottest beats. Even Black folks on TikTok can’t get enough of them.
@gl0balofficial reacted to Pete and Bas’ song “Stepped Into the Building” calling them his “favorite OGs.” The comments of the now viral video are filled with support and love for the OAP rappers. One Black TikToker wrote “On God need to give them more life so they can save rap.”
Another said “They are RED, seriously … (Retired Extremely Dangerous) damn, this is nice.”
Even Kai Cenat, the most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, reacted to T-Pain’s verse on Pete and Bas’ song...yes, you read that right. The one and only T-Pain not only gave Pete and Bas a co-sign, but he also gave them a feature!
The story of Pete and Bas began in 2017 when Pete’s granddaughter first put him onto UK drill music, a subgenre of hip-hop originating from Chicago. Pete was intrigued by the art form and eventually looped his buddy, Bas, into the drill world, according to Upworthy. From there, the two friends grabbed the mic for themselves and have been on a roll ever since.
The duo has been bubbling in the UK for some years now, but their fanbase continues to expand oceans, even making its way to the home of Hip-Hop, the United States.
It’s hard to believe the retired Brits could keep up with some of the world’s hottest rappers. Even TikToker @vaunreacts asked “How the hell he flowing like this?” during a reaction video. And although we don’t know the secret to their success, we for sure know they have talent!
With co-signs from T-Pain and Emmy Award-winning actor Lamorne Morris, Pete and Bas might have to make it onto your next playlist. You can listen to their brand new album titled “Mugshot” on streaming services now.
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