[1][2][3] The project is the Chicago emcee's second EP of his career – the first one is 2 for 10 (2005) – and follows his eighth studio album, The Perfect Storm (2010).

"[7][8] In an interview with The Real Hip-Hop in December 2013, Twista explained that the title his EP "pertains" to him "more than the industry".

"[9] The Chicago emcee selected a few songs that he felt was "a good warm-up for people to get reacquainted with Twista" before releasing his upcoming full-length album, titled The Dark Horse, in 2014.

Richards of XXL gave the album an L, saying "There’s a certainly a shortage of radio fodder on Back to the Basics: the hooks are modest, the beats conservative.

We listen to the Rust Belt legend for stuttery but graceful thickets of rhyme, verses that wind like a labyrinth and smoke like black powder.