Boldy James teaming up with Chuck Strangers for his 12th full-length studio LP. Breaking out in the fall of 2013 off his Alchemist produced debut M.1.C.S. (My 1st Chemistry Set), the Detroit lyricist would later go on to land a contract with Nas’ independent label Mass Appeal Records for a little while before getting locked up. Once coming home, Uncle Al would help get his name back out there once getting out by dropping the Boldface EP around Christmas 2019 & then the sophomore album The Price of Tea in China at the beginning of last year. This was followed up with the Sterling Toles-produced Manger on McNichols which was as equally fantastic, but the Griselda Records-backed Versace Tape EP was a tad bit disappointing given how rushed it was. Bo Jackson though would become his most critically acclaimed work to date & Super Tecmo Bo was almost as great for an EP. Fair Exchange No Robbery produced by Nicholas Craven, Penalty of Leadership, Mr. Ten-08 produced by Futurewave, the Conductor Williams-produced Across the Tracks the Harry Fraud-produced The Bricktionary & the Carlo Anthony-produced Hidden in Plain Sight were all welcomed to warm reception as well so I went into Token of Appreciation hoping it would be better than both Murder During Drug Traffic & Permanent Ink.
“B.O.B. (Big Ol’ Business) is this calming opener with Boldy making it very clear what he’s standing on regularly whereas “Whale Fishing” works in a drumless chipmunk soul instrumental talking about being aware of this shit coming with gun-smoke or a jail cell. “Big Paws on a Puppy” hooks up this piano refusing to lack & staying in double action while “Unapologetic” strips the drums again so he can talk about trying to a catch a blessing recollecting.
The synth-organs on “Lop Sided” are the most attentive detail about Chuck’s beat here zip-lining through the ghetto with his Concreature family just before “Global Telling” brings psychedelic jazzy flare to the table talking about his mother being extremely proud of his career taking off. “Thank God” continues the sampling giving praise to the Most High, but then “UPS” hops over a harp laying the demo down soon as they get ups.
“Fail Proof” officially gets the final leg of Boldy’s Token of Appreciation rollin’ to observe a plain that wasn’t protected from fallin’ flat on it’s face while “3rd Little Piggy” goes for a richly groovier vibe instrumentally unsurprisingly fucking with the bricks. “Bird’s Eye View” properly finishes the best thing that Boldy has made in the first 2 months of the year telling everyone the sky’s the limit from that very perspective.
Seeing people on social media saying Boldy’s beginning to fall off because Murder During Drug Traffic & Permanent Ink were both mid really must’ve caught his attention because he & Chuck Strangers just made every one of those idiots eat their words with an album on 2/27 Day that clears both it’s predecessors. Chuck’s production is far more well detailed than what we got from Boldy last month & his rapping sounds better in comparison.
Score: 9/10
