Review: Murder During Drug Traffic by Boldy James & RichGains

It has been amazing to be a Boldy James fan for the last couple of months. After last year’s four new releases, it looks like Boldy will have an even bigger year in 2025. Murder During Drug Traffic (MDDT) is the first release from Detroit based rapper in early January, followed closely by Permanent Ink, released on the 24th. MDDT is a collaborative project exclusively produced by RichGains, member of Blended Babies production duo, whom he had collaborated with before on 2023 record Indiana Jones. This record feels like a continuation of that project, featuring a similarly lowkey vibe and recurring guest appearances.

The album kicks off with style as I would consider all three opening songs as highlights. The first three tracks are slow, with Boldy James dragging through them confidently. Rich beats filled with hi-hats are a great pairing for Boldy's gritty, gang-related lyrics. But not just that, first track Achilles is especially-well written, featuring themes that touch on hard life experiences and an especially memorable chorus. It’s definitely one of my favorite tracks—not just on this project, but in general from the rapper.

Janky and Stay Mute are solid tracks as well, and I especially enjoyed the dark production of Stay Mute, which pairs perfectly with Boldy’s lyrics about his drug affiliations. The contrast of these themes with the fact that his father was a police officer makes it all even more striking.

The album’s sixth track, Days Go By, introduces the first guest appearance, featuring Double Dee. I always appreciate his contributions when he appears, though, unfortunately his appearances are rare, and his own career doesn’t seem to be gaining much traction.

Made Man is another noteworthy track, which has the best production of the record. RichGain delivers unreal sampling on this track, elevating it to one of the record’s highest points. The second half features more guest appearances, though some have better verses thanothers. I wasn’t particularly drawn to Freightliner and Street Lord Juan’s feature here, although I really enjoyed his verse earlier on Stacks & Flips.

The album closes with Transcendence, which, while decent, feels slightly underwhelming compared to some of the stronger tracks earlier in the project. 

Overall, MDDT offers plenty to enjoy, even if it doesn’t maintain the same energy throughout the whole record.