Review: Action Bronson – Dr. Lecter
Action Bronson – Dr. Lecter (2011) [Self-Released] // Grade: A-
When Action Bronson showed up a couple of months ago with his video for “Shiraz,” purchasing expensive prosciutto and hitting on celibate older black ladies, a good amount of 90’s NY rap fans perked their ears up. On “Shiraz,”Bronson had an effortless flow over a bohemian, jazz flute beat, that someone like Q-Tip, would feel entirely at home rhyming over. Instead of rapping about love, unity or how awesome it is to live in a Janet Jackson video from the mid-nineties — because, that’s where post ATCQ Q-tip perpetually exists, like some kind of reversed rap Rip Van Winkle — Bronson was spitting about fucking hookers at the Jets Inn (a particularly grimey love motel out in Queens near the airport where romance goes to get bruise marks on it’s neck).
While cats were interested in dude’s rhyming, the unspoken question was “what’s this cat with the ginger beard about?” What’s his deal beyond talking about expensive food? Bon Apettit…Bitch, Action’s mixtape of a mere three months ago, showed that he could sustain the 90’s rap sensibility over the course of an album length tape while jumping from NY classics to original compositions and having it all feeling natural and fresh (something few dudes have been doing lately — NY rappers are by far, a more endangered species than redheads, natural selection is a bitch). He came across as a more than proficient rapper that didn’t walk around with a permanent screw face on but actually sounded like he was having fun when he rapped.
Dr. Lecter finds Action defining his persona and getting noticeably better on the mic. Bronson’s storytelling and punchlines feel more fluid and natural than they did before. This is especially prevalent on the slower, easy listening joint on the album “Forbidden Fruit” where Romance Bronson comes on with the relaxed slick talk. He also adds to his preoccupation with market price haute cuisine by exhibiting a fascination with what I can only call “weird white dude trivia.” Using references to random white dudes from the 70s/80s/90s who weren’t wildly popular, but made enough of an impression to stick in the developing psyche of a wee Action. Over the course of this tape he shoutsout Barry Horowitz (a perennial loser in 80s/90s WWF), Larry Csonka (a 70s smash mouth running back for the Giants) and Bill Parcells (erstwhile coach of the New York Football Giants and Jets) which is awesome because it’s a very singular viewpoint, likely only to come from a white NY rapper.
This album also has Bronson really coming full force on his degenerate shit. The line in “Shiraz” about having sex with prostitutes at the Jets Inn was only the tip of the iceberg. Pause. On “Ronnie Coleman” — a song about losing weight vs. being a fat ass — Bronson makes multiple references to banging out prossies. He does this both as a fat dude and as his hypothetically thinner self. This is important because it shows a real understanding of the prostitute/john relationship by Bronson (it’s not about availability of sex, it’s about power). Talking about extra grimey, raw shit is not uncharted territory in rap, but like gun talk and flossy shit talking some people just do it with more sincerity than others.
As a proper first full length this record gives you exactly what you want from a new artist, an expanded view of their world and a refined approach from mixtape material. Action Bronson is definitely a dude to look for in the future, he’s one of the few dudes out right now (revived Raekwon and Roc Marciano included) making NY rap that doesn’t feel like he’s stuck in a negative feedback loop of reliving David Dinkins era crime fantasies from East New York. If there were any justice in the world, paragons of NY hip hop like Funkmaster Flex would have this dude on blast all over Hot 97. But, I’m pretty sure justice is an abstract concept used to civilly justify revenge and right now those dudes at Hot 97 have more pressing and transient issues to attend to.
April 6th, 2011 at 9:50 am
this guy is a much better rap reviewer than “zachg”
April 6th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
and see, I just checked this out on the strength of the review and its EVERYTHING that turns me off about backpacker and modern East Coast hip hop. Forced accents, that stale old mid-90s cadence, and the “holier than thou” attitude that is built on lies. It’s really rare for me to enjoy backpacker shit, Superstar Quamallah and Tajai manage to pull it off. The Cool Kids manage to keep me interested. Not this stuff though… sorry.
But what the fuck do I know I like Roach Gigz and Space Ghost Purp!
April 6th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
You didn’t grow up in NY like Ray & I did (At least I don’t think you did?). This is an incredible throwback to the grimy shit that first made me like Hip Hop with out being full re-hash of the 90s. I’m not really sure what the “holier than thou attitude built on lies” is really referring to either… I think Bronsolini is pretty self-deprecating WHILE being braggadocio all at once and I love it. Every single yarn he spits and or comment he makes are beyond plausible to me… he’s true NY character.
April 6th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
[...] out my review of Action Bronson‘s Dr. Lecter over on the Mishka Bloglin: “When Action Bronson showed up a couple of months ago with his video for “Shiraz,” [...]
April 6th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
yeah I grew up in NY…. Strong Island during the days of PE and De La and the whole Strong Island movement. Almost had a rap career at one point (lol) got played on RHU by Jeff Foss and got into a little battle with Charlie Brown before the LONS lp dropped.
April 6th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
I moved to LA in 92, My Pal… and that’s where that “Holier Than Thou” thing comes in. Before that I wore my BRONX IS THE HOME OF HIP HOP patch on my sleeve… until I started hanging with OGs who grew up on KDAY and didnt give a shit about Bronx’s version of hip hop. There were cats in every ghetto across the country rapping.. it was kind of a natural progression. G Funk and West Coast rap has very little do do with NY Hip Hop – from its genesis it was based on West Coast “Funk” and Pimp Game (which you can still hear in its purist forms in Bay Area Mob.)
That kind of opened my myopic NY mind to the fact that there were other things out there… so I kind of chuckle at myself when people try to pull that NY rank when it comes to hip hop. I find myself liking East Coast Hip Hop less and less as the years go on. I think in a way NY limits itself because it was the “First City” so it imposes too many rules on rap… whereas other cities tend to continue to experiment and stay vital.
Despite my role as the WSB of Witch House around here… hip hop is my first love. I am VERY opinionated and protective of it.
April 6th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
Nattymari, I understand what you’re talking about in the theoretical. Ive heard tons of NY rappers lazy their way over tracks and bullshit, with NY rap bias as their shield. I just honestly don’t hear that on the AB stuff. dude doesnt give me that NY first vibe, nor does he feel stagnant. Regional hip hop is awesome, and Im a fan of weird as fuck rap, but dont think that regional sounds are really any more embracing of change and experiment than hip hop is as a whole. I really dont ever remember Dre, Snoop, E-40 or Ice Cube championing the Anticon kids or Living Legends. Everyone has their biases.
April 6th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
This fool straight took Ghostface killah’s flow.
April 6th, 2011 at 8:09 pm
Ray,
I’ll give it another go. And one thing I can say about the Bay is they tend to respect each other. Check out the song “From the Bay” and you’ll hear a roll call at the end that includes Digital Underground, Souls of Mishchief and Bored Stiff next to people like Mac Dre and The Click…
Also remember that it was Shadow who pretty much championed the Hyphy Movement to the world… and now Tajai and Zion I are pretty much Thizz Nation whilst gangsta rapper Dre Dog is backpacker rapper Dre Nikitina by now.
That’s one of the things that I love about the Bay. I mean the early Living Legend stuff is straight mob beats.
April 6th, 2011 at 11:23 pm
you guys are getting really nerdy with it cut it out i like dope thumping head bobbing beats with sick ass loops, scratches and retarded dope crazy rhymes das it! but i do respect and love the Bay are stuff when i Dj u best believe all the costs get love specially East & West.
and for that “holier than thou” thing, just remember rappers are fiction writers/ artist not everyone is a gansgta but can portrait one in their music it’s part of the game also remember being bragadocious is what made Mc’s come out w/ diff. flows and styles all about outdoing each other. in the end i just say to each it’s own i would never get a punk gutter kid to like beat down metal core sh*t is like comparing steak to lettuce.
p.s this and the Roc Marciano Holy bejesus!! can’t get enuff!
December 28th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
[...] Highline Ballroom when the NY rap gods gifted us with a late Christmas present in the form of an Action Bronson & Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire show. It was some shit straight out of a Hallmark card. Jolly old [...]