Throughout his career, rapper and chef Action Bronson,
also known as Ariyan Arslani, has always stayed true to himself,
ignoring outside noise to follow his own path. But despite his outspoken nature, there's still
a lot unsaid about him. Let's explore what fans don't know about Action Bronson.
Action Bronson has always been fascinated by food and its endless potential. As a teenager,
he made one of his first iconoclastic moves and dropped out of high school early, realizing that a
conventional path was not his cup of tea. Instead, he dove straight into the restaurant industry,
relying on the knowledge that he'd picked up while observing his own family in the kitchen.
It's been said that Bronson was majorly influenced by his mother and grandmother's cooking
techniques, and that he sought inspiration for his own dishes from the meals they used to make.
In other words, cooking was a deep-rooted passion that was evident even when Bronson was a child,
so it was only natural that he decided to go further down that path professionally as an adult.
Additionally, Bronson's family ran a Mediterranean eatery, something that definitely worked in his
favor when he was trying to get familiar with the industry and practice his skills. Bronson
didn't stop there, though, and did receive formal training in the culinary arts to make
sure that he wasn't missing out on anything. Action Bronson has chosen to be a practical chef
as opposed to someone who is a purist and makes things harder than they're supposed to be. As
an example of his more pragmatic style in the kitchen, Bronson has vouched for microwaves
and how useful they can be in terms of getting everyday cooking right. He told the magazine:
"Microwaves are very useful things. You have to know their limits and what they
can do. A microwave is a very effective way to heat things up very quickly."
Bronson added that if you want to get something done super fast,
a microwave can be the best solution. His example is super relatable too — he cites wanting to heat
up chocolate in seconds and using a microwave to get the job done. According to the expert,
"There's a lot of benefits to using one. You just have to know how to use it."
Action Bronson's flourishing career as a chef experienced a major setback when he
met with an accident. Before he had his eyes set on the rap game, Bronson was working a
day job in a restaurant, where he suffered an accident that resulted in a broken leg.
"Some sort of thing happened to me in the kitchen. I broke my leg, and now --"
"Stop moving.”
"I'm sorry, I can't -- I have restless leg syndrome."
"Hold onto the counter."
"There you go."
The injury seriously affected his career plans. Unable to work in a kitchen while his leg healed,
Bronson made the decision to turn to music instead. But Bronson never quite gave up on
his love for cooking as his music career took off, and he remains an accomplished chef to this day.
So what kind of things has the chef been cooking lately?
Bronson shared some delicious details from his kitchen in an interview with GQ in 2020,
giving readers an idea of the dishes he was making for himself and his family while isolating during
the pandemic. One of the foods he spent time mentioning was octopus, which he cut up and
served in a variety of ways. He also experimented with different kinds of Colombian-style soup.
Bronson emphasized that cooking never fails to make him happy,
especially when he's sharing food with others. He said:
"Cooking is instant gratification. That's what I enjoy about it. You either know someone likes
what you made — you immediately see their eyes light up with joy — or you know the truth."
In the past, Action Bronson has lamented how observers sometimes get the wrong
idea about him when it comes to his art, life, and public image. Way back in 2013,
Rolling Stone asked the rapper to speak on something that he feels is often misunderstood
about him. In response, he brought up the fact that he's been accused of being a misogynist,
something that he vehemently denies. In response to that misconception, he said:
"[...] I respect and love women totally. Sometimes I use words that aren't pleasant,
but I'm talking about a certain type of person. Why be offended by anything? This is art."
Of course, not everyone has been able to separate the art from the artist,
and misconceptions about Bronson's personal views have caused some small controversies
in his career. In 2016, he was removed from the lineup of a concert at George Washington
University after students accused him of writing lyrics that were misogynistic and insensitive to
the LGBT community, with the university's program board describing him as, quote,
"an artist who is not consistent with our values."
The rapper decided to issue a statement on the matter, which read in part:
"I can't continue to walk around with the thought that people are
thinking these things about me that are far from who I really am."
One of Action Bronson's most popular gigs beyond his music career kicked off in 2016
when he launched a food-based series with the cheekily profane title, "F--k, That's Delicious."
As you might guess from the title, Bronson's program didn't exactly follow the rules of a
typical food documentary. The host made a reputation for himself by
throwing around swear words at a pace to rival Gordon Ramsay.
But don't think he's being thoughtless -- as anyone who watches the series knows,
there's a purpose behind the profanity. As he explained in an article for Vice,
"There are no other words to describe what you just ate.
You just have to curse and be vulgar and violent, you know what I mean."
In a 2014 interview, the rapper told Crack Magazine that he was exposed
to a lot of foul language as a child -- and not just in English. He said:
"I know curse words in many languages, just from growing up in Queens."
Action Bronson's music has rarely been like the kind of hip-hop you
might be used to hearing in the mainstream. While many rappers make food references,
Bronson's made a point of making his next-level.
In an interview with Rolling Stone,
he proudly proclaimed that he's different from others in the industry and said:
"Nobody raps about food like I do. I rap
about fine dishes — things that only real foodies know about."
He added that one of the major factors that gave him the confidence to take the leap from working
as a full-time chef to becoming a musician was being around friends who chased music
relentlessly. He told himself that if they could pull it off, he could do the same.
Bronson used rap as a way to bounce back after the leg injury that he suffered in the kitchen.
His first album, "Well Done", was made when his leg was on the mend.
According to Bronson, the two sides to his unique career
actually make a lot of sense together. He said in an interview with The Guardian,
"Music and food go hand in hand. The dish in the middle of the table
is like the song you put on for everyone to start grooving to."
Action Bronson may be a celebrity, but that doesn't mean he hasn't also stayed true to his
roots. He told The Guardian that when dining out, he doesn't believe in only sticking to
the fanciest of restaurants, and likes to keep all his options open. Bronson said:
"I'm not a snob. I didn't grow up on fine dining and I love everything."
Additionally, Bronson is also fairly approachable as an artist and doesn't
have a reputation for turning away his fans. When he was being profiled for Crack Magazine,
Bronson agreed to pose for pictures with numerous fans during the interview,
even while he was busy finishing his meal. Bronson said that he doesn't forget to be grateful for the
love he receives from his fans and doesn't mind taking out a little time for them. He explained:
"The fact that people take the time out to recognise what I do,
you gotta be thankful [...] Everyone take a picture, we have a good time,
boom, we go about our business." After spending years battling health
issues such as hernias, asthma, and pre-diabetes, Action Bronson finally decided to do something
about it in 2020, and drop his body weight down significantly. And when he made that decision,
he certainly stuck the landing. According to a piece by Men's Health, Bronson lost
a staggering amount of weight — approximately 125 pounds. And he has plans to keep it off for good.
"My life goal is to never, ever, ever
be in a predicament where I have to be worried about my life because of my health."
To lose the weight, Bronson kept things simple,
following a strict fitness routine coupled with a dedicated diet plan. Speaking to Men's Health,
he explained that the change in lifestyles was a long time in the making, saying,
"This journey started way long ago.
I was born heavy. I was a heavy child. This transformation was long overdue."
One thing that really served as motivation for
Bronson was the birth of his son in 2019. As he explained:
"You always want to be around for your family."
As he got older after years of being overweight, Bronson knew that neglecting
his health was no longer an option. This meant major changes to his daily routine,
such as exercising regularly and embracing challenging high-intensity
workouts. He also educated himself on the nuances of nutrition. He said:
"You're playing quarterback with your own body. It's all about decisions."
As an artist, Action Bronson is more than just a chef and a rapper. He has revealed in the
past that he has turned to graffiti to feel inspired, especially when it comes to music.
According to Hip Hop DX, Bronson spent years trying out new tricks as a graffiti artist,
an activity that not only served as the foundation for his hip-hop career,
but also made it possible for him to connect with many friends.
He said that being an only child meant that he had to entertain himself by
relying on his imagination, which he used to create his own street art.
"I incorporate it into the music ... If it wasn't for graffiti, there wouldn't be any me, any rap.
That's pretty much the basis of it all." Action Bronson is no stranger to drug use,
and he's specifically spoken often about his fondness for marijuana.
He told Variety in a 2019 interview that he'd love it if weed could be freely available for
everyone to enjoy, both recreationally and for its medicinal properties. According to Bronson,
"It's medicine and it's there for one and all to enjoy and love."
Beyond his effusive praise for marijuana,
the rapper has also spoken about his share of negative experiences with other drugs,
particularly with Xanax. He recalled a frightening incident in which the sedating narcotic left
him so dysfunctional on a plane ride that his fellow travellers thought he might have died.
While Action Bronson does appreciate his fans, he's managed to get into confrontations with some
of them, especially people who have approached him aggressively during his performances.
Bronson said that he wouldn't cause harm to anyone in everyday life. But when he sees fans getting
too close to him when he's performing, he naturally perceives it as a threat.
Speaking on the topic during an appearance on ESPN's "Highly Questionable," he said:
"I'm just a gentle human being, but people run up on — if someone ran
up on your set right now and tried — who knows what they're trying to do?
They're coming with open arms, I know that as a chokehold."
That said, Bronson could think of a specific experience that upset him greatly and scared him.
A fan got too close to the rapper during a performance in Europe,
and he ended up being thrown off the stage and hitting the ground.
The rapper was briefly afraid that he had caused serious damage to the person. He recalled:
"All you heard was a thud, I thought that the kid was paralyzed for sure."
Fortunately, the fan didn't sustain any serious injuries during the incident.
Outside of these unusual altercations, Bronson has also been pretty generous when it comes to
praising his fans. He told Crack Magazine that as far as he is concerned, his fans are all smart,
good-humored people who have good taste. You could say the same thing about Action Bronson himself.
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