BOLDY JAMES "DROP AN ALBUM"

The Spotify algorithm yesterday pushed a track to me yesterday that I hadn’t heard. Their algos already know I’m a big Boldy James fan based on all of the data they collect so it was only right that they slide this track into my queue. But before I get to this track itself, I want to walk you through a little Boldy James journey in case you don’t know much of his work or you’ve just been sleeping as a whole. I first heard Boldy back in 2013 when I saw he had released a project with Alchemist handling all of the production. ALC is one of my favorite producers so I’ll always give his beats a listen. I didn’t know who Boldy James was but hitting play on that first track “Bold” off of the album My 1st Chemistry Set told me all I needed to know. Boldy James was a rapper I needed to be up on immediately.

When I start listening to a new rapper, I start researching more about them. Boldy James is from Detroit so right then and there I understand why he caught my ear the way he did. I’ve long been a fan of Detroit/Michigan hip hop going all the way back to the days of MC Breed and Esham back in the early to mid 90s. Starting there, we then had J Dilla emerging on the scene globally through his work with A Tribe Called Quest as well as his own solo projects and many production credits he was racking up with various artists. Then Eminem blew up globally which brought a huge spotlight to Detroit rap and dope artists like Royce da 5’9”, Elzhi, Black Milk, Obie Trice, Danny Brown, Big Sean, and so many other rappers and producers coming out the D. And let’s not forget that Kid Rock helped put Detroit on the map with his early rap career before he blew up on the mainstream tip. But back to Boldy…he was dope and every time I saw his name on a new release I was peeping.

With writing articles like these I always get hip to things I never knew about the artist I’m researching. Boldy James is the Chunk Inglish’s cousin? If not up on Chuck Inglish, he’s from The Cool Kids who are one of the dopest hip hip duos to come out in the 00’s. What I’ve always liked about Boldy is how he just melts into the beat on his verses whether it be solo tracks or a feature he’s on. And his ear for beats is honestly next level. He brings that 90’s gangster rap aesthetic to some boom bap rap style beats and it just works. This formula just does it for me so props to ALC for lacing Boldy with some clean beats time after time. Here’s “Carruth” off of The Price of Tea in China album from 2020.

And if we’re talking features, if you give Boldy a 16 on a track of yours you know you’re going to have to step your bars up. The feature Boldy got on the last Evidence album was way too dope. The video brought the track to life so much more and while I love Evidence, it’s just something about the way Boldy cruises into the track that gets me every time. Some smooth gangster type shit that will always get play with me.

The Bo Jackson album with Alchemist was one of my favorite albums from 2021. Right out the gate to drop “Double Hockey Sticks” on us the way they did? Man… When those drums kick in with the smooth Boldy verse? Gets me every time. And then we get the beat flip and Boldy absolutely snaps on the beat. Lot of bangers on that Bo Jackson album and ALC crushed it on all of the promo items he had for that release.

Boldy and ALC then followed up the Bo Jackson album with the Super Tecmo Bo EP which honestly had some of the best cover art I’ve ever seen on a rap release. Brings back all of the Nintendo Tecmo Bowl vibes I needed in my life. The track “Hot Water Tank” is my favorite off of the release which pairs South Central Los Angeles’ ICECOLDBISHOP with Boldy for an amazing track that has stayed on repeat for me since its release at the end of 2021.

And now we get to the reason I even start writing this article in the first place. The Boldy James track with Evidence on the production called “Drop an Album” which to me was an under the radar loosie that slipped under the cracks. Boldy and Ev have worked together a few times and I’ve always liked their chemistry. And damn does Evidence drop a dope beat on this one. I got hyped thinking that this was the first single for an album they were set to release but looks like this was simply a loosie. A damn shame because these 2 together on a full EP or album would be something. Oh well… I got this little hidden gem to bump in my speakers for years to come.

Boldy signing with Griselda made a lot of sense and I like him on that roster. He’s one of the hardest working dudes in rap right now so he deserves all of the shine he gets. I still think he’s just getting going in the rap game and I’m hoping to see him do more work with ALC but would also love to see him go back to his Detroit roots and pair up with somebody like Black Milk or Karriem Riggins on production. I’d love to see a straight up Detroit album with nothing but artists out the D alongside Boldy. One can dream right? In the meantime, here’s some nice content from when Boldy was on The Cave with Kenny Beats.

Here’s a playlist to get you more familiar with Boldy. He’s a rapper you need to be up on right now because he’s still ascending with a work ethic that not many can match in the game. Props to Boldy and all of the rappers and producers mentioned in this article.