Project Description
ACTION BRONSON
‘Blue Chips 7000’
(Album Review)
Reviewer – Benjamin Smith
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Celebrity stoner Action Bronson’s fourth release, Blue Chips 7000, is the natural progression of his work to date. There are no real surprises; Bronson is a textbook example of the why fix it if it ain’t broken approach.
The collaboration with long-time producer Party Supplies continues as successfully as ever, with the addition of touches from Alchemist, who made a name for himself with the likes of Mobb Deep and Dilated Peoples back in the 90s and Harry Fraud who’s worked with everyone from Prodigy and Talib Kweli to Rick Ross and Wiz Khalifa.
The most noticeable thing about the beats on Blue Chips 7000 is the throwback funkfeel. So much of it has a 70s bounce it’s like the soundtrack to a Blaxploitation film. Coupled with Bronson’s understated delivery, the total package makes for pretty good day – time hip hop. It’s a particular quirk of his style that because of his wheezy, out of breath vocals it feels like he’s trying to catch up to the beat, even though he’s usually half a second ahead of it.
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The key Bronson themes are all here- smoking weed, playing basketball and eating good food. Some listeners who’ve grown accustomed to modern hip-hop’s penchant for guest spot saturation might find this a little sparse; personally I find it refreshingly uncluttered. Rick Ross makes a memorable appearance, but without doubt the highlight of the record is Hot Pepper (feat. Jah Tiger and Meyhem Lauren). A reggae fused, bass heavy joint with an unforgettable hook Hot Pepper is the kind of track that gets into your head and won’t leave you alone until you play it again and again.
Blue Chips is good listening. It’s not going to take home any prizes for grounbreaker of the year, but the Bronson recipe either satisfies or it don’t. Me, I say let it ride. Sometimes all you have to do is not fuck with the formula.
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