It’s been an interesting two years for Action Bronson since he released his debut solo album Mr. Wonderful in 2015. While he’s released very little music since, he’s remained very much in the public eye. He’s done this through two shows on the new Viceland network (the travel/food focused F**k That’s Delicious and the inexplicably entertaining Traveling the Stars: Watching Ancient Aliens with Action Bronson), an entertaining social media presence, appearances on cooking shows. Basically, he’s focusing on being a “f**king professional musician, entertainer, beloved individual, heralded human, forever chef” as it says on the cover of his upcoming cookbook.
(For more info on Bronson’s multiple projects check out Shaw Setaro’s recent interview on complex.com.)
Blue Chips 7000 is the completion of the Blue Chips trilogy and while the first two releases where entirely produced by Party Supplies, the beats on 7000 are handled by various producers including frequent collaborator Harry Fraud. Musically, the 13 tracks are tailor made for Bronsolino’s unique style and provide the perfect backdrop for his left-of-center musings.
Lyrically, acceptance by a wider audience hasn’t tempered Bronson’s off-the-wall lyrical content at all. The album starts with the lyric “Puerto Rican / Air Force One’s at the wedding” (Wolfpack) and ends with hypeman Big Body Bes stating “…and when I die, make sure you spread my blood on a BMW / Albanian Style / I want to die by machine gun!” (Dorag vs. Headband”).
In between there are the typical Bronson references to food, drugs, professional wrestling, etc. but also more bizarre things like multiple references to Street Fighter 2 and Erykah Badu. Even after two years off, he’s still one of the most unique lyricists in the game, routinely filling his songs with bizarre details while letting the listener’s imagination fill in the blanks like an impressionist painter.
Top 5 Most Insane Lines on “Blue Chips 7000”
1. “I’m standing like the Notre Dame logo” (Durag vs Headband)
“I’ll cut your face like wedding cake” (The Chairman’s Intent)
“I’m always eating dinner / Still got the body of a swimmer” (Bonzai)
“These dude are trash like Michael Jordan’s jeans” (Let It Rain)
“I’d give my right lung to dunk a basketball” (My Right Lung)
NOTE: This list is by no means comprehensive, almost any five lines from the album could be on this list.
The guest list on “Blue Chips 7000” is short with Rick Ross (did he really mention Fu-Shnickens?) being the only non-crew member to make an appearance. Meyhem Lauren’s verse is solid, but Big Body Bes brings his hypeman/spoken word game to a new level on this project and somehow manages to be arguably the funniest and scariest man in Hip-Hop.
While fans had to wait over two years for new music from the man known as Bam Bam Baklava, most of them will be happy with the finished product. The beats are unique, the rhymes are memorable and the artist remains one of the most bizarrely entertaining figures in all of pop-culture…can you really ask for more?
Best Songs: “The Chairman’s Intent,” “TANK,” “The Choreographer”
Perfect For: East Coast Hip-Hop fans that can take a joke
Blue Chips 7000 Rating: 8.5/10
Also Worth Checking Out…
Blue Chips – The entire trilogy is a reference to the 1994 film Blue Chips staring Nick Nolte as a corrupt college basketball coach and young NBA stars like Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway as players. If you are a fan of Bronson, sports or the ’90s this movie is absolutely worth your time.
Action Bronson on The Rachael Ray Show – In the fall of 2016 Bronson appeared in a cooking segment on the daytime talk show and the sexual tension was so thick you could cut it with a professional grade serrated knife.
