Interview - Action Bronson: Wrestling Fan, Chef Rapper And A Comedian - RESPECT.

Action Bronson’s penchant for refined food has been mentioned so many times in hip-hop circles. It’s obvious: He can rap about food. What’s more, he’s not just spitting simple metaphors to pastas like Alfredo or Linguini; rather it’s those meticulous dishes you can’t quite pronounce correctly. Action may be the only chef rapper of his kind, battling anyone with an iron tongue fit for boom-bap beats that shape the Flushing, Queens’s lifestyle.

Action’s Dr. Lecter, a masterful mixtape that recalls the past glories of New York, caught the attention of DJ Statik Selektah. You have seen them poke fun at each other in their announcement of Well Done releasing on November 22, which shows how much their musical relationship has evolved since their first meeting last year. While most of these collaboration albums are done remotely, Action and Statik started small and ended up with 15 tracks that gather all the elements of New York for another infusion of its atmosphere. From the smooth “Cocoa Butter” featuring Nina Sky to the emotion spilling “Love Letter,” Action’s foray into different flavors of hip-hop has the rhymespitter ready to serve another mouth watering album.

Although Action’s food fixation holds true, he’s surprisingly a big, big fan of old school professional wrestling. If you listen closely in his past mixtapes, you can hear Bronson’s homage to its illustrious past, name-dropping greats like Iron Shiek, Bam Bam Bigalow and Rob Van Dam. “It was an addiction when I was younger,” he said.

It’s too bad Action declined our offer to have a meal with him. Maybe we should have offered tickets to the Rock versus John Cena match at Wrestlemania 28 instead. RESPECT. sat down with the 27-year-old to discuss what lies ahead for the professional chef turned rap money maker.

Tell me about this new album, Well Done.

The new album with Statik Selektah its called Well Done. 15 tracks. Straight AIDS on the album. You can literally catch AIDS listening to the album.

I’ve listened to the album a couple times, and I really enjoyed it.

Well, you need to get a fuckin’ AIDS test, my friend.

[laughs] So how did you and Statik get together?

Three months he hit me up. I went over there, we did some joints and that was that. Next guy.

Do you guys go way back?

No we don’t go way back. We go way back to this year. The earlier this year and little bit before that.

What does Statik bring that is different from other producers?

I don’t know, Statik is very talented. He has a great gift for music. Everyone brings something different to the table. He has a sound, but he has a lot of sounds. So, he’s multi-faceted with it, he can do any type of beat. We are just open to do that shit, just experimenting and doing.

Well Done has features from M.O.P’s Lil’ Fame, Mayhem Lauren and Nina Sky that are based in NY. What is it like growing up in Flushing, Queens?

I mean, you are exposed to a whole bunch of shit. There are thousands of different ethnicities in that one area. You just grow up quick, actually, that’s what it is. You are forced to grow up quicker. It’s a city thing, you know?

How do you translate that into your music?

I just take whats around me. What I been through and what’s goes around me and all the thoughts I have. Just the essences of the streets. And the gardens, and the beautiful vegetables growing in gardens. You know? And all the beautiful cows being bred. All the beautiful cows being combed by Japanese men, that’s how I channel my raps.

[laughs] You got someone like ASAP Rocky who’s going Trill while representing Harlem, but you are trying to bring back the identity in New York hip-hop circa 1995.

I’m not really trying to bring back anything. That’s what New York hip-hop is. But ASAP – that whole crew – they are on some other shit. They definitely New York, but they are younger than me. I’m about to be 28. They grew up in the era where the Texas shit blew up heavy. So I can see them being influenced by that shit and the other southern rap and its big sounds. But what I do, is what I know. That’s not to take away from anybody. Everybody is doing their thing. And reppin’ New York. I like that shit, I fuck with them.

It’s been known you are a chef, a foodie, and love puffing on some marijuana. But you also drop some wrestling lines? Where you a big fan?

Of course, I was a humongous wrestling fan. It was an addiction when I was younger. I just stopped watching it in 2000 I think, something around then. I was just done with it.

What was your most memorable wrestling match?

Some of them with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. They had some epic matches. There’s been so many. Mankind – Undertaker. When Mankind got thrown through the ring. You remember that?

Yeah.

I’ve seen some epic ECW matches. Live at the Elks Lodge. Just stupid shit like Sabu and Rob Van Dam matches. Just crazy shit. Sandman.

You are a hardcore fan if you know the ECW stuff.

I was at every ECW event they had in Queens. They used to have it in Queens. At the Elks Lodge, they had their main spot in Philly and the other spot, the underground shit; the raw one was in Queens on Queens Boulevard. I was heavy duty in it.

If you were going to compare yourself to any wrestler, who would you be?

I would be Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit. I’m like Chris Benoit. I’m the little guy with the attitude who beats the shit out of you and submits you. With the body of Bam Bam. With the mix of Rick Montreal because I’m fancy like that.

So another association: Ghostface Killah. You have a track with him and Term called “Meteor Hammer.” It’s a flattering association, but are you starting to see fans seeing you as Action?

I’ve never been anybody but me. I hear that from people, but not everybody says something like that to me. That’s not like a common knowledge over here. I’m just me. I don’t give a fuck what anybody says. You can say hundred people sound like a hundred people, you know?

Ok. In an interview, you’ve said Kool G Rap and Cam’ron are your main influences. What do you see in them that you kind of carry on with you?

Well, Cam is fucking hilarious when he raps; he’s a very funny guy. Kool G Rap has that wild, says crazy things with an ill flow. If you mix both of them up, its me.

Do you want to reach out to them someday?

I would love to. I have two songs with Kool G Rap already. I don’t have any with Cam, but I would definitely do a song with Cam – one hundred percent.

So you’re doing rap now, making that rap money.

[laughs] Yeah, right.

Do you still find time to cook?

Of course, I cook all the time. I cook in my house every day, at least once a day I try.

You’ve done some cooking episodes on YouTube. Is a new one coming anytime soon?

They’re in the works to be done professionally. We gonna make them right. We are not just gonna come out with some bullshit. We are gonna make them right.

So if Kanye has “Swagu,” what is your signature dish?

What does he have? “Swagu?” I don’t even know what that is. My dish would be the côte de boeuf. I don’t know what “Swagu” is, but I know what the côte de boeuf is. That’s the motherfuckin’ rib-eye steak that’s been braised that’s still on the bone. Cooked medium for me. Nice and pink.

[laughs] You’re collaborating with Alchemist on a new project. You said you’re ten songs in. Got a name for it yet?

We’re actually done. We’ve actually did 13 songs. We don’t have a name yet. Soon enough.

Got any possible titles?

I was thinking of one … the one that I like was Swedish Penmanship.

That’s pretty good. I like that.

You know, that’s what I thought. Or, Just Add Water.

Yeah?

Or maybe, The Chairman’s Intent. [laughs] You like that one? The Chairman’s Intent?

Yeah. That’s pretty good. What does Alc kind of do for you? He isn’t from New York, right?

Nah, he’s not from New York. But he makes music that sounds like he should be in an apartment in Queensbridge. He makes really great New York music.

What’s next for you?

Got the album coming out with Party Supplies after Well Done in February. Got five more after that. And you know just keep hitting people in the head with my fucking flaccid dick.

[laughs] That’s all the questions that I had. Did you want to add anything about yourself?

I like walks in the park. Water sports. I like watching people play guitar. Hiking. I like slow struts in the street. I like sex with fucking hookers. [laughs] You know, that’s pretty much it, buddy.