Taking a first glance at New York native Action Bronson, one may think they’ve discovered an extra cast member from “Duck Dynasty.” With his rotund frame and his scraggly orange beard, Action Bronson does not appear to be a person who’d be up and coming on the hip-hop scene.
Bronson is no rookie to the scene, however. He’s released a couple of independent studio albums, an EP and a few mixtapes. His new mixtape release, Blue Chips 2, serves as a foundation set by Action as he makes big waves in the commercial rap scene.
Filled with colorful lyricism, comedic metaphors and unique sampling across the album, Action Bronson differentiates himself from most mainstream rapper’s success stories. This is evident on “Pepe Lopez,” in which Bronson touches on his affinity toward the Hispanic communities of New York, intertwining picturesque rhymes throughout.
Throughout the mixtape, Action makes himself stand out from his competition because he does not merely paint a picture of the harsh realisms of the streets. He takes the violence and the drugs and notes their prominence in his neighborhood. But he manages to channel all of that negativity and paints it in a more vivid picture; this technique alleviates the devastation and pain that other rappers seem to dwell on in their music.
On Blue Chips 2, Bronson juxtaposes the struggles of his early life with the success he’s reached at this point. At certain points, Action Bronson even mentions that he’s not close to being done with his pursuit of success in the hip-hop scene. This lyrical presence in his past, present and future shows that Action is motivated to project himself into the upper echelons of hip-hop, but his almost comical approach to opening up the window into his past shows listeners that he can transcend that pain and adversity.
Bronson’s unique style also stems to production; this mixtape features little in the way of bangers. He prefers more obscure samples, primarily of the indie persuasion. These are sounds that someone like Brother Ali would rap along with, and they help listeners concentrate on the sound almost as much as Bronson’s bars.
Even though this isn’t Bronson’s first rodeo, his recent feature in XXL’s Freshman Class issue this year has catapulted him into the commercial hip-hop scene, and his lyrical content is being scrutinized by the public more than ever. This mixtape plays a key role in shaping who Bronson wants to be as an artist, especially as he gears up for a studio album drop in the near future. Blue Chips 2 has certainly created a unique identity for Bronson and, if anything, it’s indicative of the success he’ll achieve in the future.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfP7qK0khuQ
