Dr. Lecter-Action Bronson

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a little late to the Action Bronson bandwagon. In fact, the first time I heard him was on Legendary Weapons a couple weeks ago, and I have yet to check out his mixtape or other album. The review that follows is simply my thoughts on him from this album alone, free of external bias. Which is probably the right way to write a review anyway.
The first thing everybody says when Bronson's name is brought up is: Oh, he's that Ghostface biter. Which brings up the subtle question, What is the difference between biting and homage? Elzhi very clearly and deliberately changed his rhyme schemes to fit Nas's when he recorded Elmatic (play The Breakfast Club and Elmatic back to back if you don't believe me), but this wasn't seen as biting because the album was a deliberate homage. On the flip side, one of the largest arguments against Jay-Z's place as a great rapper is the allegations that he bit many lines from Biggie and others (Cam'ron's epic diss "Swagga Jacka" is a must-hear). These lines may be defended as homage, but the fact that Jay often just uses them without adding additional interpretation is troubling.
I'd place Action Bronson somewhere in the middle, equivalent to the place Eminem found himself in 1996, when critics accused him of sounding like AZ. On the one hand, Bronson's voice, flow, and rhyme scheme sound eerily like Ghost's; on the other, it's clear that, although he's flattered by the comparisons, these similarities are unintentional. Unlike both Elzhi or Sean Carter, he doesn't repeat lines; what he spits is fully of his own unique creation. In my humble opinion, the coincidence can only help him going forward; Ghostface's myriad fans may soon become Bronson's as well. Additionally, his voice and rhyme scheme are odd in comparison to most other rappers, so the fact that there's been an artist with the same stylings whose gained mainstream success might open the door for Bronson a little more. But enough with the hypotheticals; let's talk about the music.
The production on the title track 'Moonstruck' is handled by the previously-unknown Tommy as, who also produces the rest of the album, and it's very clear from the get-go that his stylings match Bronson's flow perfectly. A simple jazz-synth loop with one of my favorite hooks of the year manage to produce a sound that is grimy, dark, and just a little Wu (That may hurt the case against Ghostface comparisons, although the most Wu-esque album by a non-Wu member has to go to General Monks' Each Step Becomes Elevated). The rest of the album's beats are just as dope, and perhaps Mas's crowning achievement is that Bronson's voice is never overpowered nor overpowering; he keeps the beat interesting yet simple enough to highlight the emcee over it.
Bronson keeps up his end of the deal, too. On my first couple listens I didn't pay much, if any, attention to subject matter, but still found myself remarking over the number of food references. By talking about something close to home, Action Bronson makes his lyrics unique and personal, yet the constant, seemingly nonsensical allusions ("Crack the pepper over thin crust that's handmade") call to mind, you guessed it, Ghostface. Still, from a technical aspect his rapping is top-notch, and he maintains that standard over the entire album.
The only place I can criticize Dr. Lecter is in its terrible features. It's for good reason you've never heard of Meyhem Lauren and Shaz Illyork; they're boring, predictable mediocre rappers who have no business being on tracks with Bronson or Mas. Still, the eleven solo tracks are among the most enjoyable on the year, and this album falls squarely into my Top 10 of 2011.
Rating: 9/10
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By Crakpot
http://crakpothiphop.blogspot.com/