Detroit veteran Boldy James teams up with Conductor Williams on his seventh EP. In the fall of 2013, he rose to prominence with his debut album M.1.CS (My 1st Chemistry Set) produced by Alchemist. He later signed a contract with Nas’ indie label Mass Appeal Records for a while before being locked up, but once Boldy came home, Uncle Al helped him get back on the map after his release by dropping the Boldface EP everywhere . Next up is the Sterling Toles-produced Manger on McNichols, which is equally good, but the Griselda Records-backed Versace Tape EP is a bit of a letdown considering how rushed it is. Still, Bo Jackson would go down as his most critically acclaimed work to date, and “Super Tecmo Bo” is almost as good for an EP, despite IceColdBishop’s verse on “Hot Water Tank.” Nicholas Craven’s “Fair Exchange No Robbery” became one of his most critically acclaimed works until “Penalty of Leadership” surpassed it, and Futurewave’s “Mr. 10-08” also topped the list, so hear Conductor’s “Across” the Tracks” sounds like an exciting idea on paper.
“Terms & Services” opens with a soulful beat, talking about how the first brick he ever touched was the worst, while “All Madden” starring BoJack takes a darker approach, subtly referring to itself as A true apex predator. “The Trapeze Show” brings back a sample of the soul, showcasing the way his body was captured in his youth, leading to “The Ol’ Switcharoo,” a disturbing talk of an all-nighter that left him dizzy.
Meanwhile, on “Undisputed” we had the conductor experiment with more trap sounds so Boldy could remind everyone he got the mix right before “Lamp Shade” silently talked about how they were going to confiscate his onions sooner or later. “Julius. Juliana” soulfully moves on from there, keeping the 2 commas and 7 digits strong, but then “Permission” featuring Double D keeps the sample talking about needing their consent in order to succeed.
Offwhite Lumberjack admits near the end of “Across the Tracks” that he’s been a mess since they took Tonya away from him before “Stamps in the Middle” ended the EP. The square holds the stamp between them and compares the Cuban around his neck to a whole trophy made of diamonds.
Boldy already cracked the top 10 album charts of 2024 when Penalty of Leadership began, and now he’s rounded out the first half of the year with an equally enjoyable EP. His lyricism is more raw than the personal subject matter of his previous record, and conductor Williams, one of the most popular producers in hip-hop today as well as Griselda’s in-house production trio The Heartbreakers His status as a distinguished member once again demonstrates his range.
Rating: 9/10
