Bo Jackson (album)

Bo Jackson
A collage consisting of diagonally-placed sliced strips of Bo Jackson baseball cards.
Studio album by
Boldy James & The Alchemist
ReleasedAugust 13, 2021 (2021-08-13)
GenreHip hop
Length44:03
LabelALC
ProducerThe Alchemist
Boldy James & The Alchemist chronology
The Price of Tea in China
(2020) 		Bo Jackson
(2021) 		Super Tecmo Bo
(2021)
Boldy James chronology
Real Bad Boldy
(2020) 		Bo Jackson
(2021) 		Super Tecmo Bo
(2021)
The Alchemist chronology
This Thing of Ours
(2021) 		Bo Jackson
(2021) 		This Thing of Ours 2
(2021)

Bo Jackson is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Boldy James and American record producer the Alchemist. It was released on ALC Records on August 13, 2021.[1][2] It features guest appearances from Benny the Butcher, Earl Sweatshirt, Roc Marciano, Stove God Cooks, Currensy, and Freddie Gibbs.[3] It peaked at number 94 on the UK Album Downloads Chart.[4]

Background

Bo Jackson is the fourth collaborative project by Boldy James and the Alchemist, preceded by My 1st Chemistry Set (2013), the Boldface EP (2019), and The Price of Tea in China (2020).[5] The album takes its title from Bo Jackson.[5] The album's cover art was hand-made by the Alchemist.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Beats Per Minute84%[6]
HipHopDX4.1/5[7]
Pitchfork8.0/10[8]

Chase McMullen of Beats Per Minute stated, "As grave as it is grand, Bo Jackson is an album that feels deceptively immediate."[6] He added, "The Alchemist has opened the doors wide on this one, inviting us in without restraint, right into the awaiting jaws of Boldy James' slickly sinister, bubbling vision."[6] Dylan Green of Pitchfork commented that the album "continues to match James' descriptive paranoia against Alchemist's ever-expanding palette."[8]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Bo Jackson
Publication List Rank Ref.
Complex The Best Albums of 2021
44
[9]
Consequence Top 50 Albums of 2021
18
[10]
The Fader The 50 Best Albums of 2021
29
[11]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2021
34
[12]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2021
31
[13]

Track listing

Bo Jackson track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Double Hockey Sticks"3:25
2."Turpentine"3:23
3."Brickmile to Montana" (featuring Benny the Butcher)2:40
4."E.P.M.D."3:38
5."Steel Wool"3:22
6."Photographic Memories" (featuring Earl Sweatshirt and Roc Marciano)3:53
7."Speed Trap"2:06
8."Diamond Dallas" (featuring Stove God Cooks)3:26
9."Flight Risk"2:06
10."Illegal Search & Seizure"2:37
11."Fake Flowers" (featuring Currensy and Freddie Gibbs)3:46
12."3rd Person"3:31
13."First 48 Freestyle"3:15
14."Drug Zone"2:55
Total length:44:03

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[14]

Charts

Chart performance for Bo Jackson
Chart (2021) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[4] 94

References

  1. ^ Jones, Abby (July 23, 2021). "Boldy James and The Alchemist Announce New Album Bo Jackson, Share "First 48 Freestyle": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  2. ^ Jones, Abby (August 13, 2021). "Boldy James and The Alchemist Drop New Album Bo Jackson: Stream". Consequence. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  3. ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (August 13, 2021). "Boldy James and The Alchemist Share 'Bo Jackson' f/ Benny The Butcher, Freddie Gibbs, and More". Complex. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Sayles, Justin (August 18, 2021). "How Alchemist and Boldy James Found the Cheat Code on Their New Album, 'Bo Jackson'". The Ringer. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c McMullen, Chase (August 13, 2021). "Album Review: Boldy James & The Alchemist – Bo Jackson". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  7. ^ Brake, David Aaron (August 27, 2021). "Boldy James Makes Case For Griselda's Best Rapper On Alchemist-Laced 'Bo Jackson' Album". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Green, Dylan (August 17, 2021). "Boldy James / The Alchemist: Bo Jackson". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  9. ^ "The Best Albums of 2021". Complex. December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  10. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2021". Consequence. December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  11. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2021". The Fader. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  12. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  13. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2021". Stereogum. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  14. ^ Boldy James & The Alchemist (2021). Bo Jackson (CD booklet). ALC Records.

Further reading