Sound Advice: Action Bronson to Perform at Madison Theater in December

This story is featured in CityBeat's Nov. 29 print edition.

Action Bronson is a rapper, storyteller, food connoisseur, basketball fanatic and journeyman — this much is clear while listening to his music.

Somewhere between avant-garde and true to hip-hop’s roots, Bronson’s approach to the genre is just as innovative as it is fun. He strolls atop beats that pull elements from jazz and blues featuring instrumental arrangements that call for a listener's attention to grasp each subtle detail, but his raps are too amusing to tune out. 

A few things are clear when listening to his lyrics: he loves his life, he references his cultural interests often and cleverly, and his delivery is fueled by nothing short of bravado — always.  

His bars reflect a certain lived experience, one where taste for all things deluxe is treasured and routine appears to be shrugged off. A lot of his bars warrant a double take, sometimes because of lyrical prowess that deserves admiration, but perhaps more often because of his frequent lewd and offhand utterances. 

Another staple of Bronson’s wordplay is his vivid storytelling. He doesn’t hesitate to give the lowdowns on his indulgences in lavish cuisine, leisurely excursions or salacious encounters. For better or for worse, the zany life descriptions he has to offer are enticing coming from an agent of a genre that champions authenticity. 

His respect for hip-hop's bedrock is shown also through his command of boom bap, an East Coast style — an unsurprising quality of his music given that he hails from Queens, New York. In fact, he often draws comparisons to Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah for their similar accent and delivery. 

Much of the jazz and rock influences in his music are infused through boom bap structures. Intricate drum patterns, groovy momentum swings and confidently ambling flows are twisted into a sound that reflects years of genre meshing and evolution. 

Action Bronson is performing at Madison Theater on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. Info: madisontheater.com.