Basta Essentials

Hip-hop came into Basta's life in the late ‘90s while he was just a teenager, writing and performing as part of the group Psycholyric. By the mid-'00s, he'd branched out on his own and become a national sensation—his style of tightly wound, thoughtful rap coupled with slick beats attracted an army of fans. But while he's an unabashedly introspective rapper, he's also unafraid to shift styles when following his creativity. Alter egos like N1NT3ND0 and Noggano, the latter a parody of gangsta rap, allow him to revel in the darker elements of the genre.