It seems every time Boldy James and Nicholas Craven get together, something magical occurs. You can hear it happening on the rapper-producer duo’s first project, 2022’s Fair Exchange No Robbery, where knowledgeably narco bars met sumptuous street soul for a downright beauteous union. Coming after a noticeably prolific release run for the Detroit MC, one that included Late to My Own Funeral with the Quebecois beatmaker, their second 2025 outing Criminally Attached shows once again why their partnership elevates both artists and their respective crafts. James conjures vivid, violent imagery on “No Blemishes” and the inventively reference-laden “Thread the Needle,” with Craven’s resourceful sample-flipping instrumentals providing lush backdrops for these narratives. The lyrics on “2 Left Feet” take on a retrospective quality, fusing past and present hustles to emphasize how far he’s come. Perennially putting on for Michigan hip-hop, he admirably limits the features to loyal locals like 50 Gwuap Taj and Poppy Bricks.