Why Manger On McNichols by Boldy James and Sterling Toles will go down as a future classic in Hip-Hop, and is the 2020 album/mixtape of the year.

(A Thread)

Any retweets will appreciated this took some time.

Context: In Manger On McNichols, Boldy James constructs a dark landscape of the city of Detroit with pure poetry. Boldy reflects on harsh reality of drug dealing. This is the most introspective record from Boldy yet, as he really digs into his personal trauma.

Boldy recorded the vocals on this album between 2007 and 2010, over 10 years ago, and himself and Sterling Toles, as well as a number of collaborators have worked and worked to perfect this album. This album is heavy, and it may wash over you on first listen.

The title Manger On McNichols, refers to McNichols Road, a street in Detroit near to where Boldy James grew up.

(Tracklist Breakdown Below)

Medusa - In my opinion this is one of the greatest intro tracks of all time. Boldy sets the stage for the album, bringing in the theme of drug dealing that spreads across the whole album over some beautiful Sterling Toles production. His flow and delivery are mindblowing.

"I still got the work and I'm sellin' whole thangs
Got pills for dessert, heroin for dope fiends
Who flick, burn, and set it on flame
And then insert it in their varicose veins"

Welcome to 76 - Here Boldy James dives into the crime life of Detroit, detailing the consequences of snitching and how he used to sell drugs out of section 8 housing.

"Your boy an assassin, my city ain't no tourist attraction, this Detroit where shit happens"

Detroit River Rock - Over jazzy production, Boldy describes just how ruthless the streets of Detroit can be, and the murderous lifestyle of the drug game.

"Pressure bust pipes and my pressure up
Retaliation is a must
What I'ma hit you with, you motherfuckers better duck
Bullets is cheaper than booth rent, so press your luck"

B.B. Butcher - This song has some of the most bizarre and layered production I have ever heard. Boldy talks about the downside of the drug game, from the paranoia to his friends getting killed in cold blood in front of his eyes.

"Is it 'cause I'm from Detroit? Where you don't eat, you don't work
Got the fiends' mouths waterin' for a piece of dessert (crack)
Beggin', "let me get a taste", you don't eat 'fore my thirst
Get quenched, 'til I clench tender, legal reserve"

The Middle Of Next Month - In the first verse, Boldy talks about how his father shaped him to be the way he is, and in the second verse describes the betrayal of the people who he once called close.

"They say they down, then turn they backs, and turn on me
Then turn around in my state of emergency (snakes)
They turn me down, need a favor, then turn to me (fuck outta here)
In their time of dire need with the urgency
But they ain't nowhere to be found and it's irkin' me"

The Safe (The Womb) - In this short track, Boldy poetically paints a picture of a robbery over some amazing Sterling Toles production.

"For life, every New Year, and all through them droughts
My own peoples wouldn't sell me nine-tenths of an ounce
Of the shiniest bricks and the bud glew in the dark
So limey and sticky, you couldn't pull 'em apart"

Mommy Dearest - This is one of the deepest, most introspective songs I have ever heard. Boldy describes the lack of love his mother showed him as a child and the heartbreak that caused him. This is haunting, and Boldy even goes on to say that his Mother had a failed abortion.

"Dear, dear Mommy, dearest
I'm dying to live, so I stay strapped
You tried to kill me, I died and I came back
Not to mention I gotta deal white and sell crack"

Birth of Bold - Boldy describes a relationship and continues the theme of crime on this album. However, the shining star of this song is the instrumental which breakdowns for Boldy's 4th verse.

"If first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again and nurse your self-esteem
You been fearin' me, I see it in your eyes
'Cause I'm the tyranny of evil men
Inside of everyone lies the dark side, but mines?"

Requiem - A great short storytelling track in which Boldy describes the shortcomings of some people close to him.

"My youngin' lost his mother and father, was less fortunate
Put up for adoption, no foster parents at the orphanage
The social worker, she could give a fuck, she got her own problems
Brodie wanted for a open murder, that's his role model"

Why Are You In Her(e)? - In another track referencing Detroit, Boldy describes the murder of someone close to him.

"And let the trigger decide, took a few slugs
Blink twice, bleedin' from his eyes, cried blue blood
When they crimsoned his tide in new ones
Left him laid out flat in some already-been-chewed gum"

Got Flicked - An 8 minute phenomenom, over blissful production, Boldy James and Louie P Newton conclude this album in a perfect way describing the crime life in Detroit, and the negative consequences of this life.

This album is a genuine masterpiece, and in my opinion is one of the greatest hip-hop works of all time. Boldy James and Sterling Toles killed it. This is one of the greatest Jazz-Rap albums of all time. @BoldyJames