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Artist
Boldy James
12+ albums
raphip hopdetroitHip-HopGangsta Rap
about
James Clay Jones III (born August 9, 1982), better known by his stage name Boldy James, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. His debut album My 1st Chemistry Set was released on October 15, 2013. Boldy James was born James Clay Jones III on August 9, 1982, in Atlanta, Georgia to his parents James Clay Jones Jr. and Toni K. Broadus. In 1983, Jones and Broadus returned to their original home of Detroit, MI with their son after Jones was wounded in the line of duty serving as a police officer. They resided on the Eastside of Detroit with James’ grandmother. In 1989, James’ parents separated and his mother sent him and his younger sister to live with their father to live on Detroit’s westside on Stahelin Hell Block near McNichols Rd and the Southfield Freeway. James’ love for music came to the forefront at the age of 12, when he performed in a middle school talent show and begun writing his first raps shortly after. He attended high school at Detroit Cooley, and dropped out after the 9th grade. He got the name Boldy James from his friend from his block, James Osely III, who people in the neighborhood called Boldy. He didn’t rap, he just sold cocaine, and “I liked the name because his name was James too,” says James. When his friend was murdered he decided to carry on the name using it to rap. In 2009, Boldy James first big break on the national scene came in the form of 2 features on The Cool Kids and Don Cannon mixtape Merry Christmas, on the songs “BBQ Wings” and ”T
