Boldy James connects with The Alchemist for timeless piece of art with "The Price of Tea in China"
Written by Greg Harris
In a time where the art of the hip-hop is in a different stage than what it was when it first originated, enthusiasts for the golden era of the genre may feel lost sometimes when they turn on the radio to hear today’s catalog of “hits”. The positioning of lyrical hip-hop may not be the most popular delivery for what hip-hop is today but its still artists and producers who are keeping these spirits high in their art form.
Seeing the tried + true effort of what Griselda Records have hustled to the forefront, it’s brought back the conversation of when does real rap makes its national landing as the new motion in the world’s popular genre. The resetting trend doesn’t stop with rhymes and life of Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, and Conway the Great, but its also (still) embedded in the soul of longtime Detroit veteran, Boldy James.
Getting introduced to his work via The Cool Kids on their “Gone Fishin” project and his early videos with Illroots and Creative Control, Boldy James has always remained a consistent homestead for the “Motor City” with his vivid wordplay of his experiences in the streets and how he delivers it in a mafiaso manner. From a personal standpoint, it’s not like Boldy never had the talent but maybe it was the selection of instrumentals that I listened to that never made me fully buy into the art of Mr. James over time. Not denying his talent and seeing that it was the perfect time for something like this, Mr. James new collaborative project with The Alchemist, “The Price of Tea in China” was the perfect interruption to the white noise that’s being delivered in today’s music industry.
Compiled in 12 different singles, Boldy and The Alchemist provide a cinematic soundtrack for the streets, real hip-hop heads, and those who’ve might be surprised by the release. One can play this through and through, but that’s an understatement when speaking on the detail of this. From the mysterious skits of conversation and sound to the raw-ridden lyrics that James glosses over ‘Chemist’s dumbfounding instrumentation, this goes to prove why the composer is just as important as the author when it comes to the body of an audio masterpiece. While James rhymes may be just drug-related testimonies to the naked ear, his story goes further into the ups and downs of his manhood to reach prominence in his life + career.
For those who’ve been following James over time, he’s found moments where he’s advanced in his career but this is certainly one of those times where he owns the moment and doing it in his own fashion. This type of storyline allows the artists story to breathe rather it be one where everyone has to nit-pick his personality through the course of interviews during his press run. The music speaks to his personality on human scale, the words of the music allows listeners to be reeled in and never let go, and Alchemist’s legendary contribution is another win to his record as his personifies another classic moment in time.
If you haven’t been one of those lucky people to indulge in such a personifying piece, we at Modern Life inform you to tap in right away.