London producer Saint James has been building up quite the roster of collaborators, making his big streaming service debut with two killer MCs. Moreover, he enlisted Boldy James and Elcamino for “Mr. Perfect,” a release that followed over two decades of amazing work in the underground with hip-hop’s old and new legends. This time around, the beatmaker provides a chime-heavy, wondrous, crisply percussive, and laidback instrumental for these spitters to skate over. They previously collaborated on the cut “No Fighting” from this year, and this continues a pretty cohesive working relationship that matches cold bars with measured deliveries.
Furthermore, Saint Jame$ didn’t reinvent the wheel here, but this is a bit more of a dreamy atmosphere than what you might be used to hearing Boldy James over. As far as the lyrical work here, it’s pretty raw, gritty, despondent, or at least accepting of the dire circumstances that the lyricists faced or still face. It’s the type of hardened street narrative that Elcamino’s crafted through previous work like the 38 Spesh collab EP Martyrs Prayer II and the They Spit On Jesus LP.
As for Boldy James’ other work as of late, he’s already got an AOTY contender with Penalty Of Leadership, a spot that tracks like these prove is a tough one to knock off. If you haven’t heard Bo, Saint Jame$, and Elcamino’s “Mr. Perfect” yet, find it on your preferred streaming service or check it out on YouTube above. Let us know what you thought of it in the comments section below and check out some standout bars down there as well. As always, stick around on HNHH for the latest great rap drops around the clock.
Saint James, Boldy James & Elcamino’s “Mr. Perfect”: Listen
Quotable Lyrics
Laid back in the coupe, get you whacked for a fee,
Know ‘fore that s**t happen to me, it’s gon’ happen to you,
Ain’t clearing up no rumors, they gon’ be mad when I do,
Most of the s**t you heard about me, it’s sad, but it’s true
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output.
Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond.
Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C.
His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
