On The Night Shift

Another Boldy Blocks visual, to add on, as the closer from his favored/secretly critically-acclaimed/criminally slept-on Trapper’s Alley “mixtape.” Ken Koller provides the lens on the lush, nighttime blur of the fast life, as well as into the shadows of that darkened “culinary workspace.”


“In The Long Run/Optional” (Produced by Chuck Inglish/Brains)

Since I Was 7

Boldy James comes through with new visuals for the cut “What’s Da Goody Bag” off his Trapper’s Alley: Pro’s and Con’s mixtape, which should be on all these “Best Of 2011″ lists. Highly recommended. Peace to the late 90′s intellectual thug frames, I can’t cosign the Miami Heat cap though.


“What’s Da Goody Bag” (Produced by Exile)

Ain’t No More Good Times

Another introspective Boldy Blocks visual banger. More of that future trap rap (trademarked by me). If you haven’t already, play catch-up and download Trapper’s Alley – Pros And Cons…we’ve been rockin’ this steady in our systems, and now on the new Fresh Out The Box radio show.

“Ground Beneath My Feet” (Produced by Sterling Toles)

Never Wanted To Be

Boldy’s Trapper’s Alley: Pros and Cons has been in heavy rotation in my deck. If you missed my co-defendant’s original write up, do yourself a solidity and check it. This is another installment of dusty, spaced out backdrops under slowly delivered confident deepness straight outta the D-Town, which is currently producing much properness. Don’t fear the longish track list of the tape, these cuts are worthy of the few minutes they’ll slice outta your 24. Some joints we didn’t go over on the first round …

Boldy James “Home Invasion” (Prod. Tye Hill)

Boldy James “Optional” (Prod. Brains)

Cause If You Don’t, The Block Will Hug Me


Boldy James is, in short, another example as to why Detroit has shot up to the top of my list of cities that swell with great rap drinking water. I won’t front, I only started to hear about/pay attention to duke around two weeks ago, but I was immediately drawn to his delivery (I’ll call it “lazy confidence”) and the perfect compliment to which that is his stoutly pronounced technical sensibility in verse structure. Basically, the dude isn’t just some “Young” or “Lil” cat going nowhere fast over really slow and heavy beats; Boldy can rap.

His two-part mixtape, Trapper’s Alley (Pros And Cons), just dropped and it is an ill journey. Futuristic dope boy music with an undercurrent of a lesson to be learned.

Take a moment… (download Trapper’s Alley)

Visuals off the mixtape:

“Concrete Connie”

“I Sold Dope All My Life”

“JIMBO”