Boldy James & Nicholas Craven - Penalty Of Leadership (Album)

Since their critically acclaimed collaboration “Fair Exchange No Robbery” kicked open doors in the hip-hop scene as being one of the top projects for listeners of the boom bap sound, Boldy James & Nicholas Craven linked back once again for their second collaboration tape titled “Penalty Of Leadership” that felt like the second coming of Jesus with how biblical the production sounds and the wrath of Boldy’s pen writing drug dealing scriptures cemented this project to be an instant classic, with gaining accolades among the hip-hop fanatics and to set the bar for the start of the new year. The 11-track is undoubtedly some of the best work we’ve heard from Boldy James, especially with an impressive streak he’s been on with collaborations that goes among the top five of that list. It’s an incredible achievement to see a second collab come through with an astounding array of prestigious sounds, and how the project came about is even more interesting since the story begins during the aftermath of an unfortunate accident that almost left Boldy James paralyzed. The cover art portrays the scene with his life flashing before his eyes, thinking these are the last breaths he’s taking in this world, but now isn’t his time to go. After intensive months of surgeries, he got back on his feet and thanked his day ones & the support from his fans from all over, even going on tour not long after. Before that, he had himself locked in the studio with Nicholas Craven during the healing process, and it’s here where he found himself to be the most vulnerable and put that in the music.

“Drive-by shooters, in my living room, playing Duck Hunt, ain’t grew up with no silver spoon, wasn’t born with no trust funds”

Let me start by saying the intro “Formal Invite” is tough, like steel melted in concrete tough, like an overcooked steak type of tough; Nicholas Craven gets classy on the production by airing out this beautiful sample before Boldy gets to ghost riding the flow, no warning necessary cocked back and spray with lyrical ammunition into oblivion in a nonchant manner, this is surgical precision of Boldy James when he’s in a clutch mode. Kobe scoring 88 points is the best way to describe just how off the top he’s coming; this is the intro; you're not supposed to get this cinematic at the start, and spoiler alert, the project is entirely built for these moments throughout. Nicholas Craven is a madman with the production; with the combination of samples and suaveness he brings to the music, he is becoming one of my favorite producers whose name can be said in the same breath as The Alchemist. He really cooks up some of the best productions currently, and there isn’t really a way to continue in saying he’s one of the greatest his workload does that for him, and in return, when artists like Boldy obliterate it with style and flourishing flow, you know the connection got by on some Pippen & Jordan type of shit. Boldy James is serving hot lead for the opposition, “Murderous Tendencies” reflects some of Boldy’s trials and tribulations and the repercussions that followed; Boldy becomes more personal throughout this album, more than he did in its predecessor. Sprinkled over the album, Boldy touches on the moments of the car accident that could’ve led to a tragic end for him; he’s appreciative of what time he has remaining and lives it to the fullest to see more days for him as a Father, a role model to his neighborhood and a storyteller of the art. Boldy & Nicholas's first announcement for the project came with the release of “Brand New Chanel Kicks,” followed by an anticipation trail to the album fitting firmly among the rest of the tracks. The album is a prominent piece to dreamers; Boldy & Nicholas created soothing tones combative with real life moments, the powerful imagery from the eyes of Boldy James to the angelic wave of sounds from Nicholas Craven gave hope in this album with a legendary seal branded on listeners. I respect the grind to the fullest, and both these talents are some of my favorites to write up about because they fuel my goal and embrace much more than music in their art; for that, I say thank you.

“With or without the rap game, I got dope for sale”

I’m hoping some visuals accompany the release and even a small tour; I would love the chance to hear some of the records in a live setting. Maybe with SXSW on the horizon, I hope Boldy & Nicholas can appear on the stages of Austin during spring break. One can only hope, but in the meantime, we highly recommend if you haven’t had a chance to check out the album yet, then you stop what you’re doing and get to listening, guaranteeing you won’t be disappointed.