Detroit’s Boldy James has been blessing fans throughout the year and he’s still not satisfied with dropping just two hit projects.
After dropping Killing Nothing with Real Bad Man in May and Fair Exchange, No Robbery with Montreal’s Nicholas Craven in September, he’s returned for his third outing of the year, Mr. Ten08, with Toronto’s Futurewave.
Preceded by the single “Flag on the Play,” Boldy continues to play to his strengths on his third album of 2022. He smoothly flows over Freewave’s jazzy instrumentals like on “Mortermir Milestone” and retains his commanding presence on the mic on harder-hitting tracks like “Disco Fever” — creating a haunting atmosphere altogether. Boldy never wavers, whether he’s rapping over a serene, saxophone-driven beat or a head-nodding throwback to East Coast ‘90s rap.
The lone feature on the album 2100 Bagz handles hook duty on the nocturnal single “Dormin.” Over thumping drums and rising synths, Boldy and Bagz rap about the gritty street life and how both of them are straight from the block. The video finds both artists strolling the town and casually rapping about gang life and aiming for the top.
With Mr. Ten08, Boldy and Futurewave cap off an exceptional year for the underground figurehead. He sticks to the formula he’s mastered over the years and is the definition of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” As for what’s ahead, Boldy is already cooking up yet another project. He’s teased an album solely produced by legendary producer J Dilla and previewed another collaboration with his right-hand man The Alchemist.
Whenever these new tapes see the light of day, Boldy is sure to keep his long-running streak going into 2023.
Listen to ‘Mr. Ten08’ by Boldy James and Futurewave below!
