| Action Bronson | |
|---|---|
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Birth name |
Arian Asllani |
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Born |
2 December 1983 (age 34) |
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Genre |
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Occupation(s) |
Rapper, television star, author, talk show host, chef |
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Years active |
2008-present |
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Label |
Warner Bros. Records (2012-2013) |
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Associated acts |
AG da Coroner, The Alchemist, Big Body Bes, Harry Fraud, Meyhem Lauren, Statik Selektah |
Arian Asllani (born 2 December 1983), better known by his stage name Action Bronson, is an American rapper, television star, author and talk show host. Bronson was a respected fire-flame gourmet chef in New York City but decided to concentrate solely on his music career after breaking his leg in a kitchen incident. He released his debut studio album, Dr. Lecter, independently in 2011, followed by the release of Statik Selektah collaboration album Well-Done that same year. His second and solo studio album, Mr. Wonderful, was released in 2015 and performed well commercially and critically. His third and latest solo album, Blue Chips 7000, was released in 2017.
Aside from his rap career, he is known for hosting his talk/variety show The Untitled Action Bronson Show, as well as his travel program, Fuck, That's Delicious, on Viceland. His frequent collaborators Meyhem Lauren, The Alchemist, and formerly Big Body Bes are regulars on both of his television series. In September 2017, he published his first book, based on his travel show, a cookbook, also entitled Fuck, That's Delicious.
Early life and career
Bronson was born in Flushing, Queens, New York to an Albanian Muslim father and an American Jewish mother. Growing up, he was raised in his father's Muslim tradition. Before embarking on a career as a rapper, which was originally just a hobby, Bronson was a respected fire-flame gourmet chef in New York City. He hosted his online cooking show titled Action in the Kitchen. After breaking his leg while working in a kitchen, Bronson decided to concentrate solely on his music carer.
Career
2011: Dr. Lecter and Well-Done
On 4 January 2011, Action Bronson released his debut mixtape, Bon Appetit ..... Bitch. Action Bronson's debut studio album, Dr. Lecter, was independently released under Fine Fabric Delegates on 15 March 2011. The album, produced entirely by New York-based record producer Tommy Mas, was made available for digital download and in CD-R on his official website. In November of that year, Bronson followed up with Well-Done, a collaboration album with American record producer Statik Selektah.
2012-13: Major-label deal and Saaab Stories
On 12 March 2012, Action Bronson released his second mixtape, titled Blue Chips, with Party Supplies.
In August 2012, it was announced Paul Rosenberg signed Action Bronson to a management deal with Goliath Artists, which also houses such names as Eminem, The Alchemist, Blink-182 and Danny Brown. Also in August 2012, Bronson was featured on Odd Future-rapper Domo Genesis and record producer The Alchemist's collaborative album No Idols, on the tracks "Elimination Chamber" and "Daily News". Later that year, Action Bronson joined both Warner Bros. Records, via media company VICE, and concert booking agency NUE. On 12 November 2012, Bronson released Rare Chandeliers, a collaborative mixtape with The Alchemist.
In March 2013, Bronson performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and later that month was featured on XXL magazine's 2013 Freshman Class, a list of the top up-and-coming rappers. In May 2013, Action Bronson was moved to Atlantic Records, and subsequently released an EP titled Saaab Stories with producer Harry Fraud on 11 June 2013. In July 2013, he announced his major-label debut album would be released in early 2014. On 1 November 2013, Bronson released Blue Chips 2, the second installment in his Blue Chips series, in the promotion of the album.
2014-present: Mr. Wonderful and Blue Chips 7000
In February 2014, Action Bronson, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and 360 accompanied Eminem on a brief tour of Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. On 6 May 2014, Bronson debuted a food-oriented web series, titled Fuck, That's Delicious. The show is a Vice Records-sponsored monthly web series that chronicles the food-obsessed rapper's exploration of all things culinary.
On 5 August 2014, Bronson released the song "Easy Rider" as the first single from his debut album, Mr. Wonderful. On 20 August 2014, the music video for the song was released. Bronson officially released "Actin Crazy" via digital distribution on 20 January 2015. The full album was released on 23 March 2015. It is his best performing album commercially, as it peaked at #7 on the US Billboard 200.
On 16 May 2016, Bronson presented at the Webby Awards.
Bronson released his third solo album, Blue Chips 7000, on 25 August 2017. It failed to match the commercial success of its predecessor, only reaching #53 on the US Billboard 200.
On 13 April 2018, Bronson announced via Twitter that he had left Atlantic Records to become an independent artist. He also announced the release of a new mixtape, White Bronco.[1]
Television
Action Bronson is the star of two television shows which air on the Viceland channel: the food travel show Fuck, That's Delicious, and a nightly food talk show, The Untitled Action Bronson Show. He also starred in the now-canceled comedy documentary series Travelling the Stars: Action Bronson and Friends Watch 'Ancient Aliens'.
Controversy
In March 2016, the Program Board of the George Washington University announced that Bronson would be the headlining performer for the university's yearly spring concert, "Spring Fling". Controversy soon erupted when Bronson's song "Consensual Rape" came to light, as well as statements Bronson made that were considered homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic. Various student groups pushed for the university to cancel the performance in light of the news, sparking a discussion on the merits of safe spaces versus artistic freedom. Bronson responded in an open letter, claiming that his songs "depict a story" and "aren't meant to be anything but an artistic expression," condemned all forms of sexual violence, and offered an apology.
In April 2016, Bronson was similarly disinvited from the Trinity College Spring Weekend concert.
Musical style
Influences
Action Bronson cites Kool G Rap, Nas, Cam'ron, Mobb Deep, UGK and Wu-Tang Clan as major influences.
Rapping style
Bronson frequently raps about food in his songs. He is also well known for his frequent and often obscure references to athletes and sports teams.
Ghostface Killah comparisons
Early in his career, Bronson gained attention for lyrically and stylistically resembling Ghostface Killah. During a 2015 interview on ESPN, a question was asked to Bronson about the comparisons between himself and Ghostface, which Bronson responded to by saying that everything is compared to something else, and he is "just glad [he is compared to] one of the greats". Bronson then said afterward, after one of the hosts mentioned he thought "Ghost got some new stuff" when listening to Bronson, "he's not rapping like this no more".[2] Ghostface took offense to this, releasing a six-minute video of him insulting Bronson.[3] The two have since settled their beef.
Personal life
In October 2015, Bronson was hospitalized in Anchorage, Alaska, for emergency surgery after a concert on 23 October. He remained in the hospital for several days.
Discography
Studio albums
- 2011: Dr. Lecter
- 2015: Mr. Wonderful
- 2017: Blue Chips 7000
Collaboration albums
- 2011: Well-Done (with Statik Selektah)
Collaboration EPs
- 2013: Saaab Stories (with Harry Fraud)