Partnering with hip-hop production duo Party Supplies for the second and last installment of the “Blue Chips” series, Action Bronson has released another strong mixtape as he hurtles toward his 2014 debut album. The original “Blue Chips” came out last year to a lot of hype and showed that Bronson deserved a spot at the head of the rap game. This mixtape contains nineteen tracks, including features from Mac Miller and Ab-Soul. The chemistry between Party Supplies and Bronson is apparent and this mixtape hits with the same rawness that made the original “Blue Chips” so popular. The beats are sample-heavy and obviously 1990s influenced, and Bronson flows like a madman over them.
The album opens with “Silverado.” It has a piano sample that is all too reminiscent of “Pouches of Tuna” from the original album. “Pepe Lopez” features an upbeat tempo and strong guitar riffs; the verses are strong, but the beat outdoes Bronson’s vocals. “The Don’s Cheek” has a traditional oriental beat that Bronson fans should be used to hearing. He raps about different aspects of Eastern culture and drops many hilarious lines. “It Concerns Me” has another piano-influenced beat that keeps the head-nodding going. There is also a hilarious skit at the end of the track involving a Jason Sudeikis Applebees commercial. “Practice” features a brassy sample looped over and over again and has Bronson going hard over it. The Ab-Soul-assisted “Through The Eyes of a G” comes next which is laid back and undeniably upbeat. The best song on this release is “Contemporary Man.” The beat switches four times as the song jumps between different 1980s samples ingeniously and features Bronson over both John Cougar’s “Jack And Diane” and Phil Collins’ “Sussudio.”
The next ten songs are all similar in the same Action Bronson way that his fans love. “9.24.13” is a sequel to the original “Blue Chips” standout track “9-24-11.” Bronson sounds happy on this track, which is a contrast to the original. On the original, Bronson breaks down and lays out what is wrong with his life and how he wants to fix it. Hopefully, this track signifies his change toward the better. Bronson eases us out with the final track, “I Adore You,” which is very smooth and a great way to end a stellar mixtape.
Bronson brings the wit and Party Supplies brings the jazzy and retro beats. They create a shockingly appropriate tape for the end of the year. Party Supplies’ production is tremendous and rivals any other release this year in terms of overreaching quality. The bizarre and intricate approach that Bronson and Party Supplies attempts is perfected in a way that surpasses the original “Blue Chips” in many categories. The lyrics are still far-reaching, hilarious and filled with random name drops and irrelevant references to just about anything Bronson imagines. His lyrics are filled with outdated sports references and nods to his past career as a professional chef.
This is an incredibly entertaining album both for old rap hip-hop heads that will liken Bronson as the new Ghostface Killah and young fans who liken his arrival on the scene with fellow rappers Mac Miller, Chance the Rapper and the Odd Future collective.
