story about the process of creating this album which was posted on Bandcamp description when it dropped, worth to read "In the year 2000, I moved to Chalmers on the eastside of Detroit. With an Ensoniq EPS, and a Roland VS 1880, I started a studio in my mother’s basement just a block from the Detroit River. The first order of business was engineering a compilation my boy Murf was producing. One day he had a session with Idol. The song was taking longer than usual for Idol to lay. We attributed this to the fact that his attention was divided between the song and the woman he brought along with him. He also brought along his little brother and his friend who were both about 17, 18 years old. As the beat was playing, Murf heard his brother’s friend rapping under his breath and asked to hear what he was saying. Murf turns to Idol for the green light, one take and 5 minutes later, Boldy had his first song. From this point, Boldy was in my basement recording or in the streets. For the next 5 years or so, he would come and record to beats he brought while I was working on the Resurget Cineribus album. When I finished Resurget, with all of its wild composition, I was interested in just making some “beats” again. By 2007, I had some in the stash and Boldy asked to rap to them. We recorded the first song Die Young and thought lets keep going. Him and I both were people that did not create music to be in the industry, or for an audience. We created for ourselves solely, and still do. We are not careerists with music, but culturalists documenting the Detroit experiences that we have absorbed from its deepest of trenches, sometimes converting personal trauma into collective catharsis. This catharsis is what we shared with loved ones with similar symptoms, and we were good with that. Early in the process of making what I could now see was going to become an album, my cousin came over. He sat and listened to the first few songs. He goes, “I can listen to this and not get high that day.” That gave me focus. At that time I kept asking Boldy to be more personal. The more he did that the more this became about healing, not making a “good” album. That was my little brother by now and he was going through a lot. Ironically, I saw a lot of my father in him, whom Resurget was about. He was the user closest to me, Boldy was the dealer closest to me. I saw that we are all in search of a feeling. Everyone has been a dealer and user at some point. We have all dealt a feeling to someone to enhance the condition of our lives, or were in search of a feeling to escape that condition, by becoming a user of what someone has dealt to us. From 2007 to 2010 Boldy recorded vocals for this album. We couldn’t have been further from the industry, we were in our own world. During this time Boldy’s cousin Chuck Inglish began gaining steam with The Cool Kids. By ‘09, Boldy started going to Chicago to record with Chuck which led him to recording Gettin Flicked for their Tacklebox Mixtape, the song that kicked off his career. Those lyrics were originally for the song we recorded which is now Got Flicked(the rebirth) on this album. By 2010, Boldy was off and running, and I had an album’s worth of songs with him that I had no clue what to do with. When he rapped to my tracks they were pretty much chopped samples and drums, my version of boom bap. As Boldy was ascending, musicians kept appearing in my life. Mother Cyborg became an early sonic thread with her cello. Jugal, an actual monk, was staying in the temple blocks from my house. I met him walking in the middle of the hood playing a mridanga, robe and all! He ended up contributing the mridanga and harmonium to the mix, as well as singing in Sanskrit. My cousin Keir Worthy brought Bubz Fiddler through. Bubz, who played with George Clinton and RJ’s Latest Arrival, was a legendary Detroit bassist who, along with his brother Amp Fiddler, anchored Detroit’s music community. It was their home that was the space that incubated Dilla and Slum’s musical journey in its infancy, just as Boldy in mine. Inspired by them, my home was open to neighborhood kids as well. My next door neighbor Tone eventually led the neighborhood kids to my house. Tone was hanging with a girl at his high school that he would bring over to record with them. Working on Welcome to 76 I needed somebody that sounded like a bad ass little kid to do the chorus and Deja’s voice was perfect. Within a year or two, routine flooding was uprooting the basement studio while the kids that once used it were engaged in an all out war on our block. Boldy could see where they were headed, as we would watch them rush to the bushes for stock-piled guns every time a car came down the street. Boldy would do his best to hip them to the perils of the streets. As the smoke was clearing, my mother was preparing to leave the state after my grandmother passed. Many of those kids got locked up or killed. I didn’t see any of them again, though a few years later the unmistakable voice that I asked to do that chorus would be all over the radio with a national hit, helping to give birth to a new wave of Detroit Music, as Dej Loaf. As one wave was washing out for me, I began meeting a new wave of Jazz musicians returning to the city from college and other places. One musician in particular was Rafael leafaR, a protege of legendary Jazz bassist Reggie Workman who played alongside John Coltrane and Art Blakey. Raf would become my right hand and personal woodwind section. Everyone would come to my place and play wherever they wanted to on the album. With my records constantly being shuffled in plastic bins to clean up every time it rained, there wasn’t much new music being made. The album was all I had for them to play on. As the water broke the flow of my production, the engineer in me was emerging. Twenty plus musicians later, I had a whole new project on my hands with a ton of editing, composing, arranging, and mixing to do. Boldy’s words became the soil from which I could grow the sound into a womb-like world that held his experience, an experience all of us share in one form or another. It went from having a physical space where Boldy’s voice could grow, to using Boldy’s voice as the spiritual space to grow the sound inside of, as I was losing this physical space where all of this started. This became apparent after recording Mommy Dearest. The things we create can become the womb that we needed to return us to who we were, before our circumstances made us what we are. Summer 2018, I gave Boldy what I thought was the finished version of the album which now included a Ghettotech-inspired vamp out at the end of Birth of Bold and Requiem. Both pieces didn’t have any vocals. Requiem was a tribute to Bubz Fiddler, who passed 2 years earlier. Boldy tells me, “I love it but, I want to rap on those 2 open beats.” Little did I know that giving space to acknowledge the passing of Bubz would lead to new life for this record. So 8 years after Boldy and I last recorded, on the day after his birthday, he returned to record new lyrics to those tracks to finish the album, bringing this process full circle. As I was sitting with Kesswa listening to the final mixes we arrived at Got Flicked(the rebirth), which she sang on. At this moment, she was listening to Boldy’s vocals for the first time, as I’d had them muted in my session with her. Sitting there, it dawned on her that she recorded vocals to the original version of one of the songs, from that Tacklebox mixtape, that inspired her to pursue music years earlier. This 12 year process affirmed to me that if you take the time to get back to your beginning, you will arrive at your infinity."
Let's go. Griselda is the greatest label ever imo. Yes, the greatest catalog of music ever comes from this label. Consistent, high quality music in large quantities
Lmao. I’m a griselda fan but this is cap. Benny and machine fell off compared to 16-2020. And westside is overrated. Boldy is head and shoulders above anybody else on griselda
@@coolbreeze4249i wouldn't go that far, but also, Boldys best albums were not under Griselda, so the original comment doesn't even make much sense to say. This was an album from a younger boldy made over the course of a decade by Sterling Toles, nothing to do with Griselda. Boldy isn't even signed with Griselda now
boldly has so many great albums i would say he’s most in his bag when he’s working with nicholas craven but his newer one with conductor was great and the alchemists projects are always solid
I remember when you first started you said you wanted to get a more honest/ relatable look into the minds of rappers/ ppl from communities that breed hip hop artists and In my opinion this is the most honest and accurate look we’ve gotten. It’s disturbingly truthful and transparent. No punches held. The record was originally recorded from 2007-2010 and Sterling Toles and sterling toles held on to the recordings and continued working on production for almost a decade. Meeting many amazing producers and instrumentalists along the way, the production manages to tell both the stories that Boldy had experienced to that point but also the life and journey of Sterling Toles. It is actually one of a kind and there’s not enough words for me to fully explain why this album will forever be a bookmark in the history of the genre in my opinion despite it not being the most popular album. It’s an album that everyone who claims they love music deserves to hear.
100% boldys best work and in general a very underrated project. The project has been in development for a very long time, sterling toles dedicated a lot of time on the production and vocals for this project have been known to go as far back as the 2000s.
Dawg Boldy was in my top 5 most listened this year but I genuinely don’t know how I’ve never listened to this album. This was fucking incredible. It gives me the same feeling that TPAB gave me.
@@nikm7845 If he perceives it that way then that’s his own perception of what I said, imo it’s not a top 10 rap album of all time but a top 10 of this decade yes without a doubt it is. What are your top 10? I love hearing everyone’s lists as they’re always all different.
@@loutzzzz Honor Killed The Samurai Manger On McNichols Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) To Pimp A Butterfly Big Fish Theory The Low End Theory Stankonia Madvillainy Rodeo Orpheus Vs. The Sirens
genuinely one of my fav albums of all time, mommy dearest and medusa are two of the best tracks of this decade imo, so happy you’re finally reacting to it
I think this has maybe been your best reaction ever. Seeing you get slowly more and more mindblown felt like a flashback to the first time i heard this. You described it perfectly for me “Beyond music”
My favorite album ever. Loved when you pointed out the out of control production. The chaotic production mixes so well with the contrast of boldy’s monotone delivery. Representing the chaotic life surrounding him, but the emotionless tone gives you the feel of how used to this life he is.
This album is so underrated, one of the best albums of the decade and one of the best jazz rap and gangsta rap albums of all time. From Boldy you should also listen to Super Tecmo Bo and The Price Of Tea In China
Bob I must say ur album choices are very commendable. U listen and respect ur viewers enough to react to albums that don’t even have that much commercial success but had cultural impact. That’s the meaning of staying true to the essence of hip hop. Much appreciation brother 🌹
definitely one of my personal favorites of this decade and in boldy’s discog. fun fact, some song vocals were recorded as far back as 2007, while some other songs were recorded in 2018. not many projects have blown me away this one has.
Been waiting for this. My favorite album of the decade so far (also share your AOTY). Check out more Boldy when you have a chance, he doesn't have anything as ambitious as this project but his trilogy of albums with the Alchemist are far more replayable, would def reccommend the Price of Tea in China next. Glad you enjoyed this one.
dude you need to listen to another boldy project asap! probably one of his efforts with the alchemist... maybe the price of tea in china considering that's what really kickstarted his insane run over the past 5 or so years
A personal fav of mine always! Remember flicking through fantanos loved list some years back and seeing this. I knew boldy so i didn’t watch the video but the genres in the description said “chamber jazz, introspective jazz-rap”. Legit i ran so quick to it and haven’t looked back, so so SO good.
one of my favourite albums of all time, and this video honestly just adds to it for me idek why but this was such a nice surprise to see. Boldy James is one of the most consistently great artists out rn.
Genuinely one of the greatest displays of artistry from both Boldy and Sterling Toles. This album is one of the very VERY few flawless albums I have ever heard.
so glad you chose to listen to this today. feels like the proper time of year for it, always hits me as a winter album. still looking forward to that Ka double feature you’ve mentioned a couple times 🙏
Whenever you get around to KA, I really recommend checking out “Orpheus Vs. The Sirens” along side the others. It takes heavy inspiration from Greek Mythology, through the production, lyrics/subject matter and even the skits; I feel like you’d enjoy that quite a bit. Also yeah this album is near perfect. Allegedly, it was originally going to be a standard boom bap album, but Sterling was so fascinated by Boldy’s verses that he spent over a decade crafting this jazz/abstract masterpiece from almost entirely live instrumentation; I guess as a way to do them justice (to add further context, the majority of Boldy’s verses for this record were written and recorded in the late 2000’s I believe).
If you do end up listening to another Boldy album please react to Bo Jackson with the Alchemist. Some of the best production and sample use I've ever heard. The transitions on that album are amazing.
Would you react to The Crossroads Album by Cordae?? Some of the Anderson Paak features are my absolute favorites - Lil Wayne also has a great feature. Besides the features the album is very good on its own
interesting tidbit about this album: if i remember correctly, boldy's verses were recorded before his prison stint and career rebirth, and sterling toles crafted all the production around it in the years to follow before releasing it
i also saw boldy live in amsterdam with alchemist last year, was really a cool experience he seemed so happy to be there and to have made it, it was his birthday at 12 and they brought out a cake and the crowd sang him happy birthday, he talked a bit about how this was the first year he finally transitioned into making music full time and leaving the street shit behind for good and how grateful he was to be in that position seemed like such a genuine dude man
Just a heads up, Super Tecmo Bo is like the bonus tracks to the album Bo Jackson, so that's probably a better starting point for Boldy and The Alchemist
you hit the nail on the head when you said how the lyrics are very matter of fact, thats something that really captivated me when i first heard boldy james, how non chalantly he talks about these things as a reality in his everyday. first album i heard from him was fair exchange no robbery you should def check it out and he says something along the lines of "all the shit ive done i never testified never told,ive robbed, ivr killed ive lied i stole" and theres just an emptiness and sadness to his tone of voice and delivery that comes across 100% authentic, no glorifying just expressing his truth
I think I have finally came to the realization that you wouldn't like most Westside Gunn or Mach-Hommy but I'm glad you gave Boldy James a try. Better lyrics and themes without as much swagger or head bopping but more in tune with what you prefer out of hip-hop. Still loved your Billy Woods review and would love to see more of his stuff or Armand Hammer in the future Bob!
Boldy is one of my favorite rappers and an amazing artist. Can't wait to watch this one after my shift is over! Additionally, I am once again requesting you review a Kenny Mason album. He has a very unique style, is unapologetically himself in his music, and has made the best hip hop - rock fusion songs I have ever heard. Please react to Angelic Hoodrat by Kenny Mason. It was his break out record, his first studio album, and is one of the best albums of the 2020s in my opinion. He is slowly but surely carving his own lane in hip hop and Angelic Hoodrat was the start of what has been an incredible 4 year run from him. I think in 3 or 4 years we are going to start seeing artists clearly inspired by Kenny make some waves of their own. I truly believe he's going to go down in history as the forefather of a new sound that is going to help shape the path of alt/underground hip hop from here. I think you'll greatly enjoy him due to his influences. He is from Atlanta and you can see the inspiration he took from Atlanta trap in his music but he also grew up listening to bands like Nirvana, My Chemical Romance, My Bloody Valentine, and Slipknot, and you can clearly hear this in his music as well. His blend of Atlanta trap and dark/alt rock is perfectly executed and a must listen for any fan of heavier rock and hip hop.
Now is a good time to share that Detroit River Rock is my favorite song of all time. It’s been that way since about 2022 or so. Maybe a little earlier. This album is beyond incredible. Easily one of the best albums ever made.
story about the process of creating this album which was posted on Bandcamp description when it dropped, worth to read
"In the year 2000, I moved to Chalmers on the eastside of Detroit. With an Ensoniq EPS, and a Roland VS 1880, I started a studio in my mother’s basement just a block from the Detroit River. The first order of business was engineering a compilation my boy Murf was producing. One day he had a session with Idol. The song was taking longer than usual for Idol to lay. We attributed this to the fact that his attention was divided between the song and the woman he brought along with him. He also brought along his little brother and his friend who were both about 17, 18 years old. As the beat was playing, Murf heard his brother’s friend rapping under his breath and asked to hear what he was saying. Murf turns to Idol for the green light, one take and 5 minutes later, Boldy had his first song. From this point, Boldy was in my basement recording or in the streets.
For the next 5 years or so, he would come and record to beats he brought while I was working on the Resurget Cineribus album. When I finished Resurget, with all of its wild composition, I was interested in just making some “beats” again. By 2007, I had some in the stash and Boldy asked to rap to them. We recorded the first song Die Young and thought lets keep going. Him and I both were people that did not create music to be in the industry, or for an audience. We created for ourselves solely, and still do. We are not careerists with music, but culturalists documenting the Detroit experiences that we have absorbed from its deepest of trenches, sometimes converting personal trauma into collective catharsis. This catharsis is what we shared with loved ones with similar symptoms, and we were good with that.
Early in the process of making what I could now see was going to become an album, my cousin came over. He sat and listened to the first few songs. He goes, “I can listen to this and not get high that day.” That gave me focus. At that time I kept asking Boldy to be more personal. The more he did that the more this became about healing, not making a “good” album. That was my little brother by now and he was going through a lot. Ironically, I saw a lot of my father in him, whom Resurget was about. He was the user closest to me, Boldy was the dealer closest to me. I saw that we are all in search of a feeling. Everyone has been a dealer and user at some point. We have all dealt a feeling to someone to enhance the condition of our lives, or were in search of a feeling to escape that condition, by becoming a user of what someone has dealt to us.
From 2007 to 2010 Boldy recorded vocals for this album. We couldn’t have been further from the industry, we were in our own world. During this time Boldy’s cousin Chuck Inglish began gaining steam with The Cool Kids. By ‘09, Boldy started going to Chicago to record with Chuck which led him to recording Gettin Flicked for their Tacklebox Mixtape, the song that kicked off his career. Those lyrics were originally for the song we recorded which is now Got Flicked(the rebirth) on this album.
By 2010, Boldy was off and running, and I had an album’s worth of songs with him that I had no clue what to do with. When he rapped to my tracks they were pretty much chopped samples and drums, my version of boom bap. As Boldy was ascending, musicians kept appearing in my life. Mother Cyborg became an early sonic thread with her cello. Jugal, an actual monk, was staying in the temple blocks from my house. I met him walking in the middle of the hood playing a mridanga, robe and all! He ended up contributing the mridanga and harmonium to the mix, as well as singing in Sanskrit. My cousin Keir Worthy brought Bubz Fiddler through. Bubz, who played with George Clinton and RJ’s Latest Arrival, was a legendary Detroit bassist who, along with his brother Amp Fiddler, anchored Detroit’s music community. It was their home that was the space that incubated Dilla and Slum’s musical journey in its infancy, just as Boldy in mine. Inspired by them, my home was open to neighborhood kids as well. My next door neighbor Tone eventually led the neighborhood kids to my house. Tone was hanging with a girl at his high school that he would bring over to record with them. Working on Welcome to 76 I needed somebody that sounded like a bad ass little kid to do the chorus and Deja’s voice was perfect.
Within a year or two, routine flooding was uprooting the basement studio while the kids that once used it were engaged in an all out war on our block. Boldy could see where they were headed, as we would watch them rush to the bushes for stock-piled guns every time a car came down the street. Boldy would do his best to hip them to the perils of the streets. As the smoke was clearing, my mother was preparing to leave the state after my grandmother passed. Many of those kids got locked up or killed. I didn’t see any of them again, though a few years later the unmistakable voice that I asked to do that chorus would be all over the radio with a national hit, helping to give birth to a new wave of Detroit Music, as Dej Loaf.
As one wave was washing out for me, I began meeting a new wave of Jazz musicians returning to the city from college and other places. One musician in particular was Rafael leafaR, a protege of legendary Jazz bassist Reggie Workman who played alongside John Coltrane and Art Blakey. Raf would become my right hand and personal woodwind section. Everyone would come to my place and play wherever they wanted to on the album. With my records constantly being shuffled in plastic bins to clean up every time it rained, there wasn’t much new music being made. The album was all I had for them to play on. As the water broke the flow of my production, the engineer in me was emerging. Twenty plus musicians later, I had a whole new project on my hands with a ton of editing, composing, arranging, and mixing to do. Boldy’s words became the soil from which I could grow the sound into a womb-like world that held his experience, an experience all of us share in one form or another. It went from having a physical space where Boldy’s voice could grow, to using Boldy’s voice as the spiritual space to grow the sound inside of, as I was losing this physical space where all of this started. This became apparent after recording Mommy Dearest. The things we create can become the womb that we needed to return us to who we were, before our circumstances made us what we are.
Summer 2018, I gave Boldy what I thought was the finished version of the album which now included a Ghettotech-inspired vamp out at the end of Birth of Bold and Requiem. Both pieces didn’t have any vocals. Requiem was a tribute to Bubz Fiddler, who passed 2 years earlier. Boldy tells me, “I love it but, I want to rap on those 2 open beats.” Little did I know that giving space to acknowledge the passing of Bubz would lead to new life for this record. So 8 years after Boldy and I last recorded, on the day after his birthday, he returned to record new lyrics to those tracks to finish the album, bringing this process full circle.
As I was sitting with Kesswa listening to the final mixes we arrived at Got Flicked(the rebirth), which she sang on. At this moment, she was listening to Boldy’s vocals for the first time, as I’d had them muted in my session with her. Sitting there, it dawned on her that she recorded vocals to the original version of one of the songs, from that Tacklebox mixtape, that inspired her to pursue music years earlier. This 12 year process affirmed to me that if you take the time to get back to your beginning, you will arrive at your infinity."
god. damn.
@@user-fs1lc2cj5sI came to comment the same thing 🤣🤣
Greatest comment of all time
this album was made over a period of over 10 years which is crazy
His album “the price of tea in china” is amazing
I’d definitely say check this out over super tecmo bowl. Vince and Freddy Gibbs features too
yeah he needs to react to it
Also my first chemistry set. Only listened to it this year and it is also an amazing record.
Just the entire 3 album run he had with Alchemist is amazing.
Bo Jackson rules too
No way we got Bob listening to Boldy James
Peak music right here
Fell out of my chair when I saw this notification
ME TOO
Let's go. Griselda is the greatest label ever imo. Yes, the greatest catalog of music ever comes from this label. Consistent, high quality music in large quantities
Lmao. I’m a griselda fan but this is cap. Benny and machine fell off compared to 16-2020. And westside is overrated. Boldy is head and shoulders above anybody else on griselda
@@coolbreeze4249i wouldn't go that far, but also, Boldys best albums were not under Griselda, so the original comment doesn't even make much sense to say. This was an album from a younger boldy made over the course of a decade by Sterling Toles, nothing to do with Griselda. Boldy isn't even signed with Griselda now
This album ain’t even Griselda project, boy slow down 😭😂🤞
@@coolbreeze4249 wrong Gunn artistically the best. Rome/Mach got the best pens
@ he a member of Griselda you know what I mean
Some of the best production ever on this
We need a Tana Talk 3 reaction now 🙏🏼
Maybe start with Plugs I Met. It’s a way better intro to Benny imo. But there’s no wrong answer
boldly has so many great albums i would say he’s most in his bag when he’s working with nicholas craven but his newer one with conductor was great and the alchemists projects are always solid
imo alc clearly brings the most out of him
@@bojken9611idk man, the way boldy fits perfectly on Craven’s beat like Scrabbles or Straight & Tall is almost uncanny.
I remember when you first started you said you wanted to get a more honest/ relatable look into the minds of rappers/ ppl from communities that breed hip hop artists and In my opinion this is the most honest and accurate look we’ve gotten. It’s disturbingly truthful and transparent. No punches held. The record was originally recorded from 2007-2010 and Sterling Toles and sterling toles held on to the recordings and continued working on production for almost a decade. Meeting many amazing producers and instrumentalists along the way, the production manages to tell both the stories that Boldy had experienced to that point but also the life and journey of Sterling Toles. It is actually one of a kind and there’s not enough words for me to fully explain why this album will forever be a bookmark in the history of the genre in my opinion despite it not being the most popular album. It’s an album that everyone who claims they love music deserves to hear.
One of the greatest albums of all time, flawless production and rapping. So happy we got the reaction!
100% boldys best work and in general a very underrated project. The project has been in development for a very long time, sterling toles dedicated a lot of time on the production and vocals for this project have been known to go as far back as the 2000s.
Dawg Boldy was in my top 5 most listened this year but I genuinely don’t know how I’ve never listened to this album. This was fucking incredible. It gives me the same feeling that TPAB gave me.
WE WON! A TOP 2 RAP ALBUM EVER IMO
What are your top 10 just curious?
@@loutzzzzthis sounds condescending, and it is def a top ten rap album ever
@@nikm7845 If he perceives it that way then that’s his own perception of what I said, imo it’s not a top 10 rap album of all time but a top 10 of this decade yes without a doubt it is. What are your top 10? I love hearing everyone’s lists as they’re always all different.
@@loutzzzz
Honor Killed The Samurai
Manger On McNichols
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
To Pimp A Butterfly
Big Fish Theory
The Low End Theory
Stankonia
Madvillainy
Rodeo
Orpheus Vs. The Sirens
@thermitemound8754 interesting choices I see lots of Ka I respect that, Rodeo but no Illmatic is wild imo, but overall great picks
You just set the mood for my day. Thank you. Imma be playing PS5 and listening to Boldy James all day (responsibly of course)
genuinely one of my fav albums of all time, mommy dearest and medusa are two of the best tracks of this decade imo, so happy you’re finally reacting to it
The first 4-5 track run is some of the best hip hop I’ve ever heard
agreed - imo the weaker second half takes it from an inarguable 10/10 to more of an 8/10
This album is one of the greatest ever imo glad you're finally listening to it
Boldy James has a great catalog! Guy consistently puts out 2-3 solid albums a year.
Facts. His album with Futurewave got overlooked I feel like.
been waiting for this for so long
I think this has maybe been your best reaction ever. Seeing you get slowly more and more mindblown felt like a flashback to the first time i heard this. You described it perfectly for me “Beyond music”
My favorite album ever. Loved when you pointed out the out of control production. The chaotic production mixes so well with the contrast of boldy’s monotone delivery. Representing the chaotic life surrounding him, but the emotionless tone gives you the feel of how used to this life he is.
I just listend to this today on a bus ride it's such a masterpiece
This album is so underrated, one of the best albums of the decade and one of the best jazz rap and gangsta rap albums of all time. From Boldy you should also listen to Super Tecmo Bo and The Price Of Tea In China
Bob I must say ur album choices are very commendable. U listen and respect ur viewers enough to react to albums that don’t even have that much commercial success but had cultural impact. That’s the meaning of staying true to the essence of hip hop. Much appreciation brother 🌹
20:26 Vince has said that boldy is one of his favorite emcees so the comparison is apt.
mommy dearest lowkey changed my life, can't wait for you to check out some more griselda stuff
I was listening to this album thinking Bob should react to this, what a nice surprise
definitely one of my personal favorites of this decade and in boldy’s discog. fun fact, some song vocals were recorded as far back as 2007, while some other songs were recorded in 2018. not many projects have blown me away this one has.
Perfect December album
So glad to see Bob giving this album time. Insanely excited to get into it
You gotta react to The Price of Tea in China next!!
Been waiting for this. My favorite album of the decade so far (also share your AOTY). Check out more Boldy when you have a chance, he doesn't have anything as ambitious as this project but his trilogy of albums with the Alchemist are far more replayable, would def reccommend the Price of Tea in China next. Glad you enjoyed this one.
My favorite boldy album. Emotional, unique and absolutely amazing.
what?????? so hyped to see you review this
i adore this project
IVE WAITED A YEAR FOR THIS BOB THANK YOU
Thank you Bob, you made my day❤
dude you need to listen to another boldy project asap! probably one of his efforts with the alchemist... maybe the price of tea in china considering that's what really kickstarted his insane run over the past 5 or so years
A personal fav of mine always!
Remember flicking through fantanos loved list some years back and seeing this. I knew boldy so i didn’t watch the video but the genres in the description said “chamber jazz, introspective jazz-rap”. Legit i ran so quick to it and haven’t looked back, so so SO good.
Crazy how low the streaming numbers are as well. I just assumed there were multiple songs with 1m +
one of my favourite albums of all time, and this video honestly just adds to it for me idek why but this was such a nice surprise to see. Boldy James is one of the most consistently great artists out rn.
I’ve never listened to boldly james before but I just heard that second song and it was insane
Let's go Bob! This is probably my favorite hip-hop album of all time! Mommy Dearest kills me everytime.
Boldy James has a strong argument to be up among the Kendricks and Cole's
u know game
Detroit River Rock makes you feel the same way Devil in a new Dress makes you feel, like you're invincible (musically)
We appreciate your discipline Bob!
You should definitely check out Real Bad Boldy. It came out in the same year, but it’s a little more of a fun, lighter tone! My personal favorite
Genuinely one of the greatest displays of artistry from both Boldy and Sterling Toles. This album is one of the very VERY few flawless albums I have ever heard.
so glad you chose to listen to this today. feels like the proper time of year for it, always hits me as a winter album.
still looking forward to that Ka double feature you’ve mentioned a couple times 🙏
Whenever you get around to KA, I really recommend checking out “Orpheus Vs. The Sirens” along side the others. It takes heavy inspiration from Greek Mythology, through the production, lyrics/subject matter and even the skits; I feel like you’d enjoy that quite a bit.
Also yeah this album is near perfect. Allegedly, it was originally going to be a standard boom bap album, but Sterling was so fascinated by Boldy’s verses that he spent over a decade crafting this jazz/abstract masterpiece from almost entirely live instrumentation; I guess as a way to do them justice (to add further context, the majority of Boldy’s verses for this record were written and recorded in the late 2000’s I believe).
Bless you Bob
I’m not joking this may be one of the greatest reactions I’ve ever seen begore
I love you Bob!
THANK YOU BOB!!
BOLDY JAMES BY BOB ? WE WONNNNNNNNNNNN
MORE BOLDY GANGO
My favorite album of all time. jumped out of my seat when i saw this video in my yt feed. thanks bob
Was waiting for a reaction to another Griselda member cheers bob
If you do end up listening to another Boldy album please react to Bo Jackson with the Alchemist. Some of the best production and sample use I've ever heard. The transitions on that album are amazing.
This shit fire Bob
Would you react to The Crossroads Album by Cordae?? Some of the Anderson Paak features are my absolute favorites - Lil Wayne also has a great feature. Besides the features the album is very good on its own
This is my favorite album ever thank you!!!
And I’ll continue to say it we need a Cunninlynguists - A Piece Of Strange reaction, I won’t stop until you do 🙏🏼
daaaamn im all here for boldy reactions, he's a goat, real underrated
Was just bumping My 1st Chemistry Set with Boldy and Alchemist. Boldy has one of the most consistent catalogs in hip hop.
Life changing album
im so glad you listened to this, best album of 2020s imo
Be That As It May is an all time album in my opinion. Boldy James and Cuns
Boldy has 15+ great projects it’s tough to pick a favorite
@ so true they’re all great. He’s never missed
One of my favorite rap albums of all time. Glad you’re covering something underground like this.
absolute amazing piece of music
Really really really underrated album
This album is one of the best current hip-hop albums out. So glad to see you doing it before the year ends.
interesting tidbit about this album: if i remember correctly, boldy's verses were recorded before his prison stint and career rebirth, and sterling toles crafted all the production around it in the years to follow before releasing it
THE PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA BY BOLDY JAMES NEXT PLEASE
DAMN DIDN'T EXPECT THIS
I LOVE THIS ALBUM
Magnificent album, my favorite of the 2020's
Got Flicked in particular is a masterpiece of a track
i can't believe you reacted to this, i can finaly die in peace
This album took around 10 years to produce which is why it sounds so immaculate
This is one of the coolest boldy albums in terms of beat selection but his pen is way better in future projects
no its not its at its best here. the content is so interesting and he says everything in such a unique way
suuuuper underrated mixtape, honestly is at the level of quality of a classic
check out Fair Exchange No Robbery by Boldy, it’s produced by Nicholas Craven, shits like movie
Do more Boldy Bob!
bro blessed my entire year reacting to this
i also saw boldy live in amsterdam with alchemist last year, was really a cool experience he seemed so happy to be there and to have made it, it was his birthday at 12 and they brought out a cake and the crowd sang him happy birthday, he talked a bit about how this was the first year he finally transitioned into making music full time and leaving the street shit behind for good and how grateful he was to be in that position seemed like such a genuine dude man
Just a heads up, Super Tecmo Bo is like the bonus tracks to the album Bo Jackson, so that's probably a better starting point for Boldy and The Alchemist
you hit the nail on the head when you said how the lyrics are very matter of fact, thats something that really captivated me when i first heard boldy james, how non chalantly he talks about these things as a reality in his everyday. first album i heard from him was fair exchange no robbery you should def check it out and he says something along the lines of "all the shit ive done i never testified never told,ive robbed, ivr killed ive lied i stole" and theres just an emptiness and sadness to his tone of voice and delivery that comes across 100% authentic, no glorifying just expressing his truth
HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLEY SHIT. BOB MEETS BOLDY
I think I have finally came to the realization that you wouldn't like most Westside Gunn or Mach-Hommy but I'm glad you gave Boldy James a try. Better lyrics and themes without as much swagger or head bopping but more in tune with what you prefer out of hip-hop. Still loved your Billy Woods review and would love to see more of his stuff or Armand Hammer in the future Bob!
fair exchange no robbery please
That album is pure art
This is one of the best albums ever made and it never got the recognition it deserved, even within Boldy's catalogue
Why does everyone love this album? I have heard this album once and didn’t like it much, but absolutely love boldy
Welcome to one of the most impressive discographies in ALL of music. 5:47
Boldy James is so unique and good. No one really sounds like him
Love this, listen to the Boldy craven stuff!
Boldy is one of my favorite rappers and an amazing artist. Can't wait to watch this one after my shift is over!
Additionally, I am once again requesting you review a Kenny Mason album. He has a very unique style, is unapologetically himself in his music, and has made the best hip hop - rock fusion songs I have ever heard.
Please react to Angelic Hoodrat by Kenny Mason. It was his break out record, his first studio album, and is one of the best albums of the 2020s in my opinion. He is slowly but surely carving his own lane in hip hop and Angelic Hoodrat was the start of what has been an incredible 4 year run from him. I think in 3 or 4 years we are going to start seeing artists clearly inspired by Kenny make some waves of their own. I truly believe he's going to go down in history as the forefather of a new sound that is going to help shape the path of alt/underground hip hop from here.
I think you'll greatly enjoy him due to his influences. He is from Atlanta and you can see the inspiration he took from Atlanta trap in his music but he also grew up listening to bands like Nirvana, My Chemical Romance, My Bloody Valentine, and Slipknot, and you can clearly hear this in his music as well. His blend of Atlanta trap and dark/alt rock is perfectly executed and a must listen for any fan of heavier rock and hip hop.
I personally think Boldy’s best projects are Price of Tea in China and Super Techmo Bo but any Boldy project is welcome
One of my fav artist from Chicago right now
We got a Bob reaction to Boldy before GTA 6
Now is a good time to share that Detroit River Rock is my favorite song of all time. It’s been that way since about 2022 or so. Maybe a little earlier.
This album is beyond incredible. Easily one of the best albums ever made.