Action Bronson went down a bumpy road to release his Blue Chips 7000 album. He experienced a tremendous amount of headaches due to his predilection for samples, which is an endearing effort for traditional Hip Hop heads but a strenuous burden for those clearing them.
The obscure samples appeared to have derailed the project’s release for a while, yet publicly calling out his label and threatening to leak the LP somehow helped Bronson’s cause as the final edition of the Blue Chips series finally arrived.
And thankfully, it was worth the trouble.
Blue Chips 7000 is a return of sorts for Bronson. Over the past two years, he’s become more of television personality, with some people not even realizing he’s a rapper. He’s become one of the main faces of the fledgling VICELAND network with Fuck, That’s Delicious and hilarious off-shoots like Action Bronson Watches Ancient Aliens. The cable channel keeps adding to his plate too, so it’s impressive that he even has time to focus on music anymore.
It’s evident that rap is still the focal point for Bronsolino on Blue Chips 7000 though. There’s obviously a lot of TLC involved in the creation of this project. Deep dives into crate digging with producer pals Harry Fraud, Party Supplies and The Alchemist result in an array of vibrant and eclectic sounds.
His pen game is on point too with a cavalcade of rewind-worthy wordplay distilling his comedic persona. “I’m qualified to speak for my attorneys/ Address the jury in a Shaq jersey (black one)/ This is one night only, Dragon vs. Phoenix/ I think I’ll fuck around and throw Aladdin on the remix,” he raps on “Hot Pepper.”
Bronson’s music isn’t completely detached from his new career path with his album playing out like an audio version of a new TV show for VICELAND. Random audio clips used as intros on tracks like “Wolfpack,” “Hot Pepper” and “9-24-7000” give it this feel.
“La Luna” is the most dramatic example, using the concept of Bronson rapping over a car service’s on-hold music. For better or worse, the phone call style plays out for more than half of the track before it kicks in proper. It’s a quality cut, but it feels like it just found its groove by the time it comes to an end.
Brevity is a major aspect of Blue Chips 7000. “Chop Chop Chop” is by far the longest track on the album at just over four minutes. It helps give the LP a lot of replay value, but sometimes it comes across like viewing an unfinished painting. “Bonzai” and “My Right Lung” leave the listener wanting much more, each providing barely two minutes of slick bars and retro vibes.
When Bronson does find that sweet spot of timing, it works gloriously. The guitar-laced “The Chairman’s Intent,” complete with violin breakdown in the middle, is top notch with lines like, “Two pumps from the inhaler got me feeling like Lawrence Taylor.”
Griselda Records’ Daringer, one of the new contributors on the production side, gets Mr. Wonderful back on the soulful tip with the standout “The Choreographer.” The smooth backdrop spurs Bronson to deliver the most entertaining hook on the LP. “I’m the man right now/ I got the plan right now/ Fuck that, I got the world in my hand right now/ I should be somewhere sunny getting tanned right now,” he raps.
Blue Chips 7000 is a triumphant moment for Action Bronson the rapper, re-establishing his position as the court jester of Hip Hop. It’s unabashedly fun and a refreshing celebration of sample-based beats in a genre largely moving away from them. There’s no deep thinking or worldly insight here, but Bronson has never tried to be that artist. He sticks to what he does best and succeeds in doing so.
He needs to credit GhostFace Killah on all his albums. (So unoriginal)
Tha lord loves
Pretty good
I don’t listen to white rappers because white lives don’t matter. People need to accept that hiphop is black music.
I can’t wait for that new Darius Rucker album!
Race cards do not belong in the deck!
Yikes
What kinda name is Narel. Gotta be the whitest name i have ever heard. Acronym for learn or something? Cant even spell, probably why your parents hated you enough to name you narel. Your daddy looked at you when you came out of your moms asshole and said “damn this boy look stupid as hell, lets name him narel” then shot his dick off for making such a stupid kid.
Dope project. That 9-24-7000 track with Ross is one of the smoothest songs I’ve heard all year. That beat is incredible.
Action Bronson gave us a banging ass lp from start to finish.
That vintage Bronson
It’s amazing to me that hiphopdx would give a 4.1 review for an artist who basically copies Ghostface Killah in every concievable way. Great artists innovate. Wu-Tang innovated. ACTQ innovated. Kanye West innovated. Even Odd Future, Drake and Future came with their own sounds. This guy makes a crappy version of Supreme Clientele and you giving it 4 stars. Mark my words: NO ONE WILL REMEMBER THIS LP 5 YEARS FROM NOW
7000 sounds NOTHING like Ghostface or Supreme Clientele you fucking TROLL!!! You’re recycling the same old shit that other people have said about AB. Find something original to say. AB has classic albums and on TV EVERY FUCKING DAY!
GO FUCK YOUR MOTHER!!!
Slam, i couldn’t have said it better. This artist is fake as F.
RIP fatass
This guy has created his own lane, LET HIM BREATH. Why are you so worried about Ghostface’s rep? How many times has Ghost backed flipped out of a Acura into a bubble bath? Tired old shit.
Mate, like on a really cursory level yes Bronson sounds like Ghostface, but only initially. The comparisons stop there. Being a fan of both I don’t think they sound remotely similar anymore, they use different samples, different beats, and their subject matter is totally different. Like Ghostface will rap with like this gangster persona talking about drug deals and stuff, whereas Bronson will rap about some loopy shit like smoking bowls on spaceships with aliens. And food. Loads of food. Sounds like you’r really new to this music man, to say this sounds like Supreme Clientele suggests you have really fucking limited references in rap music.
I will actually. Speak for yourself, not the masses. I don’t recall the world voting for you to speak on its behalf.
Very solid album from AB. I would list a favorite, but it’s still too new and I can’t choose a favorite yet.
To all the haters… stop with the bullshit and just admit that this album fucking slaps. My man has his own style and personality, but that old school 90s, early 2000s feel. Oh yea by the way, Big Body Bes is a National Treasure.
LOL! own style….Thx 4 the laugh buddy
Peace
Trash.
Although I don’t think he did much new shit in this album, it’s classic Action Bronson and that’s why I love it.
Heat
This Shit is wackkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk End of story!
Pretty forgetable.
Like your mom
This shit slaps. Seriously go jerk off of lil Uzi vert and all them horrible sourthen rappers if you like grabage ass rap music.
Action a better rapper then anyone right now.
Better rapper than anyone right now?stop it bruh???..he dope but u obviously havent heard of conway Dave East nick grant Fred da godson Benny etc
U reaching…Shit is nice but some of it sounds like some throwaway ghostface shit….Royce got it locked right now
“I might hang off the side of a mountain and trim a bonzai , perfect ten on the swan dive” hahaha action is crazy with it. So many good one liners throughout that only AB would think of and the production like always is dope af
And btw action and gfk are nothing alike except for action sounding something similar to him. The subject matter and production ( except maybe fishscale , the production on that album was unorthodox) are completely different. Gfk is rapping street tales, drug dealing, etc. Even his random shit is about fashion, the hood and the like. His production while always sample heavy was way darker and grimier than what AB raps over. Two totally different artists
I love AB but some of you got his dick down your throats. 4.1?…it’s not bad, but no where close to that rating…ears fucked up in 17.
Better than Mr Wonderful
I really don’t care his flow sounds like Ghost. What I do care about is how he handles it. After he came down on Ghost saying he doesn’t sound great no more, dude get’s NO respect or support from me. You just don’t shit on greats like that.
Hip-hop @ it finest