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Over the past year or so, Action Bronson has emerged as one of the most unique characters in hip-hop music, with a level of strangeness to him that rivals that of Kool Keith, but with less flash. Action trades the capes and wigs for a more basic tank top, shorts, and viking beard ensemble, although sometimes can be caught in full Swedish chef regalia, as he doubles as a cook in his hometown of Flushing, Queens, by way of Albania. With Saaab Stories, he teams with longtime collaborator, Harry Fraud, for a tightly knit seven track EP.


So back to his weirdo shit, the tone is set from the jump, as hype man Big Body Bes opens the record with outlandish threats, such as “my whole life is a fuckin’ discography, B!…. Quadruple platinum!” and later “take you back to fifth grade, punch you in the face on picture day!” This clues the listener in that these dudes are bit off in the head; that, and the album cover which finds Action standing over a concerned prostitute, who’s about to take a drink from the toilet.


But this is what makes Action such an enjoyable emcee to listen to, as he constantly is spitting laugh out loud lines over Harry’s lush production. “Triple Backflip”, for instance, boasts “R-R-R-R-R-R-Rip your dick off!” and later, “Come, hold my dick while I take a piss”. This all before the hook, which suggests Bronson will “do a triple backflip into the red coupe.” A fantastic visual if there ever was one, and this EP is choc full of them.


Harry’s production ranges from super chilled beats like the aforementioned “Triple Backflip”, (not to mention “The Rockers” and the two-part “Alligator”), to rugged and raw 90′s throwback beats. “Strictly For My Jeeps”, an early 2013 Hot 97 radio smash channels EPMD and LL’s “Rampage”, while “No Time” sounds like something Large Professor might have cooked up for Nas back in the day. The crown jewel of the LP, however, is “Seven Series Triplets”, with Prodigy and Raekwon, which really doesn’t subscribe to either aesthetic.


In general, hip-hop EP releases are a gamble, with only a few coming to mind that really delivered on every track (Beatnuts’ Intoxicated Demons, Digital Underground This Is An EP Release). This concise 7 track project proves the consistency of both Action and Harry Fraud, who manage to show quality on all fronts, in a short amount of time.

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4 Responses to "Action Bronson – “Saaab Stories” EP – @@@@ (Review)"
  • Hodges says:

    I’m a Bronson fanatic, Fraud not so much. I been rocking Backflip and Heel Toe like a single and B-Side for a minute now.

  • The man the myth says:

    No doubt those two cuts are pretty dope. I am with you, I am a huge fan of Bronson. The only issue with him is he is very repetitive, I think he mentions doing a triple backflip out of whatever vehicle at least in every other song. This Ep was decent, maybe a 3 and a half @’s, some of the beats I just wasn’t feeling. Fraud is hit or miss for me.

  • Dayz says:

    Agreed with both you cats. If you all have seen my posts since Dr. Lecter dropped I was Action’s biggest fan. But I gotta say at this point the repetitive nature of his verses is almost too much to take. I am starting to wonder if the MC I hailed as the new torch barer for NYC real rap is merely a one trick pony? I hope he comes with some new subject matter and is more focused on his major label debut. Most of his projects as of late, while having some dope tracks, sound like meandering freestyle sessions more than songs. Come’on Bronson show the fans you got what it takes to have longevity with this artform! I’m still rooting for ya! Also Brons has done enough already with hit or miss Fraud, get back in the lab with Tommy Mas!!!

  • The man the myth says:

    No doubt Dayz, I loved Dr. Lecter, when it came out I was hyped, and I had no idea who this dude was. Love Bon Apetit…bitch and Blue Chips. The Alchemist project and Statik Selectah project were solid, but both of those were the beginning point of him getting very repetitive. I think he is over-saturating himself by releasing so much music. He needs to step back and regroup.

  • Comments (4)

    Hodges

    July 7th, 2013 at 8:52 pm