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Manger on McNichols is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Boldy James and producer Sterling Toles, released on July 22, 2020, through Sector 7-G Recordings. It has been described as a "deeply personal" album, with a focus on James' Detroit upbringing and his strained relationship with his parents. The album has received attention for its use of live jazz instrumentation, as well as a lengthy and complex recording process, which lasted over a decade. The album features a sole guest appearance from rapper Louie P. Newton.

Initially conceived as a personal project between James and Toles, the first recording sessions for Manger on McNichols were held from 2007 to 2010 in Toles' makeshift basement studio. In the following years, Toles continued to work on the album by bringing in over twenty Detroit musicians to provide layers over the original boom bap backing tracks, including cellist Mother Cyborg, percussionist Jugal Kishore Dasa and electric bassist Bubz Fiddler. The album was completed in summer 2018, when James recorded his final vocals for two remaining instrumental sections.

Manger on McNichols received critical acclaim upon its release, with critics praising Toles' jazz-influenced production and James' evocative storytelling. It was included on several publications' end-of-year lists.

Background and recording

Toles moved to eastside Detroit in 2000, starting a studio nearby the Detroit River. Toles' first encounter with James was during an engineering session with one of Toles' friends named Murf. In a 2020 interview, Toles stated:

I had a friend named who knew a lot of rappers, so he wanted to do a compilation. One day, Idol, a local rapper, was working on a song... but he had a very attractive woman with him so he wasn’t focused and it was taking a long time. Boldy had come with him and was rapping to himself in the corner, so we told him to say the rhyme, and we basically had him do it over Idol’s beat. Idol was gracious about it, and Boldy did the whole 4-and-a-half minute song in one take. We did a chorus at the end, but it was really done in 5 minutes. He asked if he could come back and I said my door was always open: my whole thing was that it took me so long to be in a position to record, that I knew I had an opportunity to help other guys who were in the same position, so they could cut their chops. That was the first song Boldy ever recorded. Ever.

James continued to come to Toles' studio to rap on beats he had brought with him, while Toles worked on his debut album Resurget Cineribus (2005). After the album was finished, Toles and James recorded their first song as a duo in 2007. During this period, Toles "kept asking to be more personal" with his lyrics. From 2007 to 2010, James recorded most of his vocals for Manger on McNichols. In 2010, sessions slowed down as James began going to Chicago to record with his cousin Chuck Inglish.

After the initial sessions, Toles was left with an album's worth of songs, with production he described as "pretty much chopped samples and drums". Over the following years, Toles would meet various musicians from Detroit who would contribute to the album, such as artist and cellist Mother Cyborg, percussionist Jugal Kishore Dasa (who ended up playing mridanga and harmonium on the album), bassist Bubz Fiddler and "personal woodwind section" Rafael Leafar. "Everyone would come to my place and play wherever they wanted to on the album", Toles said. He continued to edit, arrange and mix the album, which had grown to involve over twenty musicians.

In summer 2018, Toles offered James a copy of what he assumed was a finished album. James subsequently recorded new lyrics for the end of the tracks "Birth of Bold (The Christening)", and "Requiem"—both of which were previously instrumentals—thus completing recording.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Pitchfork	7.7/10

Manger on McNichols received critical acclaim from music critics. Andy Kellman of AllMusic called the album "a testament to Toles' vision and patience" and praised "James' consistency as an indefatigable sage". Yousef Srour of KCSB-FM singled out Toles' production, claiming that it was the "most integral part" of the album and that the "instrumentals take on a life of their own". Similarly, Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan called the live jazz-band instrumentation "genuinely breathtaking" and that the album was "as immersive as modern jazz-rap classics like To Pimp a Butterfly and Room 25". He included the album on his "50 Best Rap Albums of 2020" year-end list, ranking it at number 6.

Nadine Smith of Pitchfork gave a positive review, highlighting James' more personal lyrics: "His writing is even deeper and his focus more intense on Manger on McNichols. It’s not just Detroit that’s depicted in detail—Boldy also writes his way through some of his most traumatic memories." Tom Breihan of Stereogum called the album "heavy" and "beautiful", and also praised James' empathetic writing.

Year-end lists

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from Bandcamp.

• Boldy James – lead vocals
• Sterling Toles – production
• Josh Bonati – mastering
• Wes Taylor – design

Musicians

"Medusa"

• James Boggs – introduction
• Nick Bruno – additional vocals
• Mother Cyborg – cello
• Bubz Fiddler – bass guitar
• Mike Higgins – drums

"Welcome to 76"

• Rafael Leafar – flute
• Mike Blank – alto saxophone
• Jugal Kishore Dasa – mridanga, harmonium
• adrienne maree brown – background vocals
• First Lady Deja;) – additional vocals

"Detroit River Rock"

• Leland Stein – guitar
• Rafael Leafar – cornet
• James Tolison – trombone
• Hugh Whitaker – bass guitar

"B.B. Butcher"

• Hugh Whitaker – bass guitar
• Vel the King – drums

"The Middle of Next Month"

• Emily Rogers – bass guitar

"Mommy Dearest (A Eulogy)"

• LaChe – choir
• Bubz Fiddler – bass guitar
• Mike Higgins – drums
• Mother Cyborg – cello
• James Tollison – rombone
• Rafael Leafar – flute, tenor saxophone
• Jugal Kishore Dasa – vocals, mridanga, harmonium

"Birth of Bold (The Christening)"

• Ian Fink – Wurlitzer, synth bass
• Asante – vocoder
• Emily Rogers – bass guitar
• Rafael Leafar – EWI

"Requiem"

• Mother Cyborg – cello
• Bubz Fiddler – bass guitar

"Got Flicked (The Rebirth)"

• Louie P. Newton – featured
• Mike Blank – alto saxophone
• Rafael Leafar – EWI, flute, bass flute
• Yakoob – synth bass, synth pad
• Kesswa – background vocals

References

1. ^ Smith, Nadine (July 28, 2020). "Boldy James / Sterling Toles: Manger on McNichols Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
2. A., Aron (July 25, 2020). "Boldy James & Sterling Toles Unleash 'Manger At McNichols'". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
3. ^ "Album Review: 'Manger on McNichols' by Boldy James & Sterling Toles". KTXT-FM. January 5, 2021. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
4. Lewis, Dashiell (April 21, 2021). "Things That Go Bump in the Psyche: A Critical Look at What Makes Boldy James So Compelling". Passion of the Weiss. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
5. Johnson, Patrick (July 22, 2020). "Boldy James and Sterling Toles' 'Manger On McNichols' Project Took Over a Decade to Make". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
6. Johnson, Patrick (September 30, 2020). "What Boldy James' Success Can Tell Us About Hip-Hop Listeners in 2020". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
7. ^ "Boldy James Just Came Out With His Second 2020 Masterpiece". Stereogum. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
8. ^ "Manger on McNichols – Boldy James / Sterling Toles". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
9. ^ "Manger on McNichols by Boldy James / Sterling Toles". Bandcamp. July 22, 2020. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
10. ^ Raw, Son (July 28, 2020). "'It's About Creating Moments That Feel True to Our Lives:' An Interview With Sterling Toles". Passion of the Weiss. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
11. "Sterling Toles Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
12. ^ Srour, Yousef (February 2, 2021). "January's Add of the Month: Boldy James' Manger on McNichols". KCSB-FM. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024. Cite error: The named reference "bv" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
13. McMullen, Chase (December 9, 2020). "BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2020". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
14. HHGA Staff (December 23, 2020). "The Best Hip Hop Albums of 2020". HipHopGoldenAge. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
15. Treble Staff (December 21, 2020). "Top 20 Hip-Hop Albums of 2020". treblezine.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
16. Sacher, Andrew (July 24, 2020). "Notable Releases of the Week (7/24)". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.

• 2020 albums
• Jazz rap albums