Detroit emcee Boldy James not only boasts extensive link-ups with legendary producers like the Alchemist, Real Bad Men and more, but also looks to add another icon to his list of collaborations.
During a new interview with Phoenix’s Trill Store last week (June 13), the gritty Griselda rapper was presented with a figurine of another Detroit mainstay: The late J Dilla. After receiving it, Boldy was noticeably moved by Trill’s gesture — ultimately revealing that his next project will be entirely produced by J Dilla.
“I got a whole entirely produced J Dilla project that I’m about to drop,” he said. “I would tell you the name of it, but I had to tell you that. I got the last of the Dilla stash.”
J Dilla has been instrumental in the rise of hip-hop’s popularization backed by numerous classic records with Common, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Busta Rhymes and more. Building up an incomparable discography prior to his passing in 2006, the m 16 years’ worth of posthumous releases are an undefeated testament to his influence and the forward-thinking musicality behind his production.
This isn’t the first time Boldy has hopped on a Dilla joint, as he was previously featured on his posthumous album Rebirth of Detroit in 2012. In the same vein, James spoke exceedingly high of Detroit’s super-producer — looking to put the finishing touches on his Dilla-produced project in the near future.
“A lot of people owe their success, you know, not owe their success, but he alley-ooped a lot of people’s success. The list goes on, I’m not about to start name-dropping, but if you don’t know who this guy is, you need to do your history. J Dilla, Detroit, stand up.”
Boldy James to Phoenix’s Trill Store
Boldy is fresh off of the release of his first project in 2022, a collaborative album with producer collective Real Bad Man titled Killing Nothing, complete with appearances from Stove God Cooks, CRIMEAPPLE, Knowledge the Pirate and Rome Streetz. Before that, he dropped Super Tecmo Bo with The Alchemist in December 2021, following their Bo Jackson album just months earlier in August 2021.
Though it looks like we have a classic record coming from James and J-Dilla, he remains tight-lipped regarding the project’s details. However, he revealed that it would be coming soon, as fans now eagerly wait for Boldy’s barrage of bars over patented Dilla beats.
Listen to the new Boldy James interview with Phoenix’s Trill Store below!
