Released: 2021 • Features: The Alchemist
“Level Tipping Scales” by Boldy James, featuring The Alchemist, is a distinct track that delves deep into the gritty realities of hustling, highs, and heartbreaks of street life, all wrapped up in an unconventional storytelling style. The song portrays a poignant narrative of struggle, survival, and the consequential turbulence that comes from a life touched by the illicit drug trade.
Starting with the line “I talk choppin’, been heartbroke since I lost Moxy”, Boldy James shares insight into his past life, the pain of loss, and his involvement in cutting and selling drugs. The term “choppin'” refers to cutting up drugs, providing the listeners with an insight into Boldy’s early days in the streets. Losing “Moxy” signifies a personal loss, which could represent a person or something he valued.
The term “Big Meech” refers to the infamous co-founder of the Black Mafia Family, a drug trafficking organization in the United States. Boldy is open about his street transactions, admitting “First half a mil’, nigga’s did it off of all Roxies.” Roxies is street slang for the prescription drug Roxicodone, indicating the level of Boldy’s involvement in the drug game.
As the verse progresses, Boldy details the hustle, “Last week, we ran through 20 kis and a 50 bale.” This refers to his activities dealing with kilos of cocaine and bales of marijuana. He’s critical of the quality, observing it has a “different smell” – a smart caution in a game where impurity can make or break you.
His line, “Gave grandma a hug, just got through two bricks on the love”, implies he’s not just involved for selfish gains, but also to support his family – a theme common in hood narratives. “Bricks” refers to kilograms of cocaine, further emphasizing the scale of his operations.
Approaching the end, the rapper touches on the bleak yet necessary realities of his lifestyle with: “Always make sure I put on a show whenever I perform / I ain’t go to college, but I cut the blow with the dorms”. Here, Boldy makes it clear that he deals with his real-life drama with the meticulousness of a performance, and though he might not have had higher education, he learned his trade in the school of hard knocks.
Finally, the song ends with a sampled dialogue: “Now, when have you ever heard a gang member / Being called a psychopathic killer? / He just kills ’cause he wants to kill”. This echo chillingly underscores the brutal realness of the life and environment Boldy hails from, where violence is not a trope but a terrifying certainty.
Throughout “Level Tipping Scales”, Boldy James, backed by The Alchemist’s brooding production, discloses a raw, unfiltered account of his experiences in the drug trade, highlighting the harsh realities of the street life – an essential piece for understanding life narratives from the other side of the tracks.
