"Heavyweight primate with a Harvard mind"
After 10+ years since its release, let's revisit Action Bronson's debut studio album, “Dr. Lecter”. The east coast rapper displays his never ending appetite for good food and vices over funky, sample heavy boom bap beats. What really makes Action Bronson unique from other rappers is his ever expansive vocabulary and imagination when delivering his over the top metaphors. On songs like “Buddy Guy”, Action Bronson raps “Roman sculptures, all of my students hold a diploma/stairs to the bath, garage door behold a lotus”. Bewildering lines like these, where you might have a slight idea of what he is actually talking about or describing, add to Bronsons “Most Interesting Man In The World” persona that he builds across the 15 track LP. One minute he is tasting wine in Sonoma, the next he is eating dinner in a brothel, and then he is making business deals on the autobahn. Who knew the Queens rapper was so well traveled and cultured; he even berates the listener for not knowing who Larry Csonka (an NFL Fullback in the 70’s) is on the song “Larry Csonka”.
Bronson switches it up on “Jerk Chicken” where he pays homage to his stoner roots by rapping over a reggae sample beat, doing his best attempt at a rastafarian accent, which adds to the sometimes humorous dimension of his music. He also changes pace again on “Forbidden Fruit” , where he delivers romantic lines to his lover over a sultry alto saxophone.
Whether hes speaking about how he cooks his food, does his drugs, or loves his women, Action Bronson manages to put images in your head that you've never thought to imagine, or want to taste. His rhyming is top notch and nonstop, always looking for a syllable to match from line to line. The title “Dr. Lecter” is very fitting; Action Bronson has an insatiable appetite for life.
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