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This mixtape was released on February 27th in 2015. This tape has been on my schedule for… Well, it’s been on my schedule ever since it was released, but I’ve been putting it off because it’s so fuckin’ long. I figured I should go ahead and just get it outta the way now tho. If I don’t do it now I probably never will. I’ve never listened to a Boldy James project, and I’ve only heard a few of his songs, but, if I’m remembering correctly, I’ve liked everything I’ve heard so far. I don’t really know much about his personal life. It’s been a really long time since I listened to any of his songs. All I remember is his lethargic delivery, the fact that he’s from Detroit, and that he’s signed to Nas’ Mass Appeal Records label. I’m expecting this to be good. Obviously since it’s so fucking long there’s a lot of room for failure, and I’m sure there’s gonna be a shit ton of filler, but I’m gonna be optimistic about this since I’ve liked almost everything I’ve heard that’s been released under Mass Appeal.

Track 1: Intro

This is the only song I couldn’t find any production credits for, so it’s probably just a skit or something. Yup. It’s a sample from some news report. Wow. Okay, just from this intro it sounds like this is gonna be a really preachy mixtape. That’s not really a problem for me personally tho. If it’s done well, then I’m really looking forward to it. Oh shit. Never mind. A beat just came on. Maybe he’ll start rapping. It’s just ad-libs so far. Okay, yeah he’s goin’ in now. This beat is dope af. His flow is cool. Forget everything I said before the actual song started. There’s absolutely nothing preachy about this at all. I don’t give a shit; this is dope. I fuck with this track.

Track 2: Realist Feat. 3D (Prod. Max Landry)

Holy shit. This beat is really dope. The hook from 3D is alright. Oh boy… He spelled realest wrong… This song isn’t about being a realist. It’s about being the “realest nigga in the world.” Smh… Okay, maybe it was an intentional spelling mistake. Let’s see where he goes with this. The first verse is starting now. Eh… It was cool. It wasn’t anything special lyrically. It’s just typical gangsta shit. It was cool tho. I still don’t think the spelling mistake was intentional tho. This hook isn’t too bad, but it lasts way too long. Hmm… This is kinda cool on the first listen—I really like the production—but I’m really not sure how much replay value it has. I like it sonically. I just don’t think I’d come back to this very often. It’s cool tho. I’m really indifferent towards it.

Track 3: Supportive Feat. Kevo Hendricks (Prod. Go Grizzly)

Man, the production on this mixtape is fucking awesome so far. I like the hook from Kevo Hendricks. Boldy James is the kinda rapper that doesn’t really impress me too much lyrically, but everything he says is sufficient, you know? I don’t have any problems with what he’s saying, but it’s not the main appeal for me. I’m enjoying this more for his flow and melodic delivery than the actual lyrics. This is the kinda shit I would listen to if I was high. Well, I don’t smoke anymore, but… I mean, it’s not that I’d ONLY like this if I was high. I’m just saying that if I smoked, this would be one of the songs I’d go out of my way to listen to. This is dope to me.

Track 4: Big Bank (Prod. King Suleiman & Roger Goodman)

This beat is HARD. Oh shit I’ve heard this song before. I remember this hook.

BIG BANK TAKE LIL BANK.

I love that shit. His flow is really nice on the hook. This shit is so fucking hard. This sounds like it would’ve been a hit song if it dropped earlier this decade. It’s got some really hard hitting, Trap inspired production, and the hook is catchy as hell. Honestly I think this is my favorite song so far. So far this project has a really mainstream sound to me, but he does it really well. I’m not super impressed by his writing, but he knows how to make really catchy, accessible songs. I don’t really see how anyone could hate this. It’s not bad lyrically. I really like this one. This is dope af to me.

Track 5: Off The Wall Feat. Prodigy (Prod. M Stacks)

I feel like I’ve already heard this sample used in 100s of other songs before. Ugh… This hook is wack. I like the production tho. Once the beat actually drops it’s really dope. The first verse was actually pretty hard. He told a story about his homie gettin’ shot to death. I’m really not feelin’ this hook… Who is that singing? Maybe it’s M Stacks. Prodigy’s verse was awesome. His voice sounded really good over this beat. Fuck. I wanna like this song more than I do. If it wasn’t for the hook I’d probably love this. It’s definitely not a bad song. The hook just kinda ruined it for me. It’s decent tho.

Track 6: I’m On Feat. Apply Pressure Boyz & Poppy Bricks (Prod. M Stacks)

I’m not sure who these Apply Pressure Boyz are. They’re featured twice on this project, but the tracklist is kinda fucked up on iTunes. Under this song it says “Feat. Apply Pressure Boyz,” but later on in the tracklist it says “Feat. Apply Pressure Boys.” I’m just gonna stick with the Z for now. The same problem happened with Kevo Hendricks. At one point he was listed as “Kevo Kendricks.” The only reason I knew it was Hendricks was because I’ve heard some of his music before. Anyway, I’m not sure who this is on the hook, but I hate him. His voice is annoying as hell. He kinda reminds me of Sir Loin. Is that Poppy Bricks on the first verse? Maybe that’s one of the Apply Pressure Boyz. I don’t know. I don’t really fuckin’ care either. This is easily the wackest song so far. The beat is kinda cool tho. The hook is stupid as hell. Boldy James’ verse was nothing special. His flow was kinda cool tho. This hook is honestly hilarious. It’s so fucking stupid. It’s impossible to take seriously.

We don’t eat fast food, all we do is Ruth Chris / Bon appetit; pull out my toothpick.

There’s another verse from someone at the end. It’s nothing special. This is a bad song. The beat was kinda cool, but aside from that nothing stands out for any good reasons. The hook was bad. It was bad in a funny way tho, so I won’t be too harsh on this track. I’m not feelin’ it tho. This is wack to me.

Track 7: Teterboro Feat. AZ & Raheem (Prod. Anno Domini Beats)

Wow. I certainly wasn’t expecting to see AZ on this project. This beat is alright. I’m not really into electric guitars, but this is tolerable I guess. Raheem sang his fuckin’ ass off on that hook. Is that Raheem DeVaughn? I know Raheem DeVaughn is a singer, but I’m not familiar enough with his music to determine whether or not this is actually him singing right now. I’m just gonna assume that it is. He did a great job. The first verse from Boldy James was nothing special. Ugh… I kinda don’t like this beat. Holy shit. AZ fuckin’ snapped. That rhyme scheme he carried for the whole verse was so fucking awesome. Fuuck. I really wish I liked this song more than I do. The beat just really drains all the replay value for me. Boldy James’ flow was nice on the last verse. AZ is definitely the best thing about this song. Fuck. Literally the only thing I don’t like about this track is the production. It’s just kinda irritating to me. Fuuuck. Lmao. This sucks. I like the verses, and Raheem sang his fuckin’ ass off on the hook. I just can’t get behind the beat. It’s a decent track tho. It’s definitely worth checking out, especially since most people will probably like the production more than I did.

Track 8: Toast To The Kings Feat. Kevo Hendricks & Red Handed (Prod. Boi-1da & The Maven Boys)

This beat is dope af. The production is really saving this project so far. Boldy James isn’t really that impressive as an MC. His flow is cool tho. Red Handed did his thing on the hook. So far I feel the same way about Boldy James that I do about Nipsey Hussle. He’s an average MC who has a great ear for beats. Just by himself I feel like he would bore the shit outta me. He sounds like HE’S bored honestly. He’s not the kinda rapper that could keep your attention with an a cappella verse. He makes cool background music that you can chill too. The bridge from Kevo Hendricks was cool. I like this song. It’s not that good, but I like it. It’s dope sonically.

Track 9: Thin Ice Feat. Fatboi Fresh (Prod. Mally The Martian)

Oh shit. This is hard as fuck. I think that’s Fatboi Fresh on the hook. This is so gangsta. I love this beat. The first verse from Boldy James was dope. His flow was really cool. Okay, this is the kinda shit I wanna hear more of. Goddamn. He actually killed that second verse. This is so fucking hard. Fatboi Fresh’s aggressive delivery on the hook provides a nice contrast to Boldy James’ calm, yet threatening delivery. I don’t really have any problems with this track at all. I think this is my favorite song on the album so far. I really fuck with this. This is dope af.

Track 10: Bet That Up Feat. Kevin Gates & Snootie Wild (Prod. Go Grizzly & Hood Famous)

This beat is cool I guess. Kevin Gates did his thing on the hook. The first verse from Boldy James was nothing special. Snootie Wild’s verse actually sounded pretty fuckin’ good. I’ve always thought he had really good control over his voice. It wasn’t that great lyrically, but I enjoyed it sonically. This is boring tho. I think it’s the beat. The production just isn’t for me. I don’t even know exactly why. I’m just not really feelin’ it. I liked the final verse from Boldy tho. This is a decent song, but I never wanna hear it again. It’s too boring to me.

Track 11: Noided Feat. Hopeman (Prod. Spliftout)

Alright, I’m officially halfway through this mixtape. I’m ready for it to be over now tho… I’m not really feelin’ this beat. I just feel like it doesn’t really mesh very well with Boldy James’ style. The hook from Hopeman is alright. I’m halfway through this song already, and I feel almost exactly the same way that I did about the previous track. It’s not a bad song at all, but I’m never listening to this ever again. I’m really bored right now.

Track 12: On My Tether Feat. Mox (Prod. Go Grizzly & Millz Douglas)

Woah. This beat is dope as hell. Oh God… I’m not feelin’ this hook. This Mox guy has a really annoying voice, and he of course just had to drop an F bomb. Is it just me or do half of the features on this tape sound like the exact same person? They all have that same high pitched voice. They sound like the progeny of Lil Boosie. The beat is really dope, and I like Boldy’s flow on this first verse. I feel like that hook’s gonna be a deal breaker for me tho. If this had some more interesting features I think it could be really good. I’d put Freddie Gibbs & The Game on this beat. It’s really dope. Honestly, I think I was a little too harsh on the hook. It’d actually be kinda fresh if it wasn’t for that unfortunate F bomb. A remix of this song would be great. This version is kinda cool, but I doubt I’ll be coming back to it. It’s decent tho.

Track 13: Moment In Time Feat. Free Lethal (Prod. Go Grizzly & Millz Douglas)

Man, who the fuck are all these nobodies featured on this album? They’re not even good… The only feature I’ve actually been impressed by so far is AZ. Oh wait Prodigy was good too. Anyway, this song is starting now. Free Lethal is goin’ in right now. I actually like his voice. He kinda sounds like Jay Rock. I kinda feel like a dick for shitting on him just because I’ve never heard of him. I like him on this track. The beat is cool. The hook isn’t bad. James’ verse was really nice. Okay, cool. This is a good song. There’s not really anything I dislike about it. I’m probably never gonna hear this Free Lethal guy’s voice ever again, which kinda sucks. I liked his verse. This is a dope song.

Track 14: Costco’s (Prod. TM88)

Woah. This beat is dope af. I honestly thought it was gonna be trash at first, but once the drop finally came in it got much better. This is great. I like this hook too. I just listened to the whole song. I like it. The verses were nothing special honestly, but as a Trap song this is pretty good. A feature probably could’ve made it even better, but if there was someone else on this track it’d probably be another guy I’ve never heard of. This song isn’t gonna blow anyone away, but I think it’s dope.

Track 15: What I Like Feat. Drey Skonie (Prod. Drey Skonie & Go Grizzly)

I can already tell I’m not gonna like this song. I’m not feelin’ this hook from Drey Skonie. It’s not even really bad; he’s a decent singer. This just isn’t the kinda shit I would choose to listen to. The beat’s cool, and James’ flow is nice. I feel like if Boldy James could’ve afforded a feature from The Weeknd, he would’ve had him do the hook. That’d’ve been dope. I feel like this is a good song, but I don’t wanna listen to it again. That’s been the case for a lot of the songs on this mixtape, and I’m not really sure why. Well, I kinda have an idea, but I’ll save that for my final thoughts. This is an alright song.

Track 16: Apply Pressure Feat. Apply Pressure Boyz & Poppy Bricks (Prod. Polor Boy Productions)

What the hell is wrong with this beat? Something sounds REALLY weird about this track. I can’t tell if the percussion is disjointed or if Boldy’s flow is off. I think it’s both actually. It sounds really bad. Whoever this is goin’ in right now is wack. I think that’s Poppy Bricks. I don’t like this guy. His voice is kinda funny tho. This is the worst song on the album so far. Nothing about this is good. This is just super underwhelming. I don’t know why anyone would ever wanna hear this again. It’s boring as hell. I’m not feelin’ this track. This is wack to me.

Track 17: No Such Thing Feat. Peechie Green (Prod. Brotha-Gif)

This beat is really dope. I’m not feelin’ the hook. Why the hell is this mixtape not over yet? I’m so over this shit… I’m honestly not even really paying attention to it. It’s like I’m hearing it, but I’m not really listening to it. Peechie Green is goin’ in now. He sounds like Rick Ross. He somehow sounds even more exhausted and out of breath than Ross tho. His verse did nothing for me. I’m still super bored. I’m ready to turn this shit off… This is a decent song, but it has very low replay value for me personally.

Track 18: Can’t Come Home Feat. Red Handed (Prod. The Fr3shmen)

I’m not feelin’ this beat. It sounds like it could’ve been really dope, but the way this sample is chopped up just sounds bizarre. I’m really torn on it. The hook is nothing special. The beat actually sounds really good during the actual verses. Red Handed did his thing on the first verse. I can already tell y’all I won’t be coming back to this. It’s just not good enough. It’s not even bad. It’s just not that good. Boldy James’ verse was fine. I really don’t know what else to say at this point. I feel the same way about this track that I did about the previous one. It’s decent.

Track 19: 2 Craps In A Missout (Prod. Black Milk)

Okay, this should be good. I’m a big fan of Black Milk’s production. It’s starting now. This beat is cool. This first verse from Boldy James is really nice.

No sneak diss ’cause if I was takin’ shots, you would know exactly to and whom it was directed / Soon as I addressed it, it’s funeral processions / Never too impressed with first impressions / Gifted with a curse, though that curse is a blessing.

The way he’s carrying this rhyme scheme is really impressive. He’s spittin’ his ass off right now. The first verse was dope af. I feel like he’s rapping a lot better on this track than he was on most of the other tracks. This shit is really fuckin’ dope. The hook is simplistic, but it does it’s job well enough. There’s not really anything I don’t like about this track. This is dope af to me.

Track 20: Confessional Cathedral Feat. JMSN (Prod. JMSN)

This beat is dope af. The first verse was cool. His flow was nice. The hook’s decent. JMSN is singin’ his ass off in the background. The second verse was cool. This is another one of those songs that’s pretty good, but nothing about it is really pulling me in that much to fully convince me that this song is worth listening to again. I’m enjoying it, but I wouldn’t be too upset if for whatever reason it became illegal to listen to this song. It’s decent.

Final Thoughts:

This mixtape is okay. I think there’s a decent amount of enjoyable material here, but this project really gets held back by the filler. It’s twice as long as it needed to be. If this was stripped down to 10 songs it’d be great. I don’t want 20 songs on one project from ANYONE, especially not Boldy James. He’s a decent MC, but he REALLY needs to work on his delivery. He sounds so fucking bored on this project. His bizarre drawl makes it sound like he’s about to pass out from exhaustion or OD on Xanax. That’s why I think so many of these well-written songs just couldn’t hold my attention. A lot of these songs are really well structured, and have great beats. Boldy James sounds ridiculously uninterested tho. It’s every single song too. He never really switches up his delivery. It just gets old super quick. It’s kinda like that Dreamchasers 4 mixtape I just reviewed. The beats are cool, the verses are tolerable, and the hooks are decent. His verses weren’t even bad either. It just feels generic. Hearing the same exact, uninterested sounding delivery for 20 fucking songs makes this a chore to listen to. There are good songs on it tho. I’d say you’re probably fuckin’ up if you choose to listen to this all in one sitting. I’d split it into 4 listening sessions and get through 5 tracks each time. It’s not really the kinda album that you have to sit down and analyze tho. It’s a pretty straightforward project. I’m glad I checked it out, but it’s not an important mixtape. Nobody even remembers this shit. I think it’s worth skimming, but don’t expect greatness. It’s just slightly above average.

Favorite Song: 2 Craps In A Missout

Least Favorite Song: Apply Pressure

Verdict:

C+

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