Whether or not its because of his badass name, Action Bronson has been one of the hottest underground rappers over the past couple of years. Most people became familiar with him from his impressive appearances on songs of high profile rappers and his highly acclaimed mixtape releases. Personally, I cant picture myself knowing Action Bronson by anything other than the guy who sounds dead up like ghostface killah. Its not just a slight resemblance, the voice and lyrical content are down right shockingly similar to Ghost. Of course the question that must be asked, has anyone seen these two guys in the name room?
Im on record for liking this guy a little bit, as he's appeared on other reviews plenty of times and I've displayed my liking for him. Other than those cameos, I havent heard any other work from Bronson. I didnt realize how big he already was until he appeared on the XXL Freshman list of 2013. So Saaab Stories is my first chance to get the full Action Bronson experience. Best case scenario, this motivates me to check out at least one other mixtape from this guy.
1. 2 Virgins (Feat. Big Body Bes)
Take a gander at the tracklisting and youll see the high profile guests that Bronson convinced to be on the album. Unless I'm wrong, Big Body Bes is an exception to this list.Im not sure whether he is Action Bronson's weed carrier or just someone Bronson thought was well known. Either way, he lays down a boastful verse that ultimately sucks. Bronson wasn't giving me much but i really enjoyed the Harry Fraud produced instrumental. The drum line is executed perfectly and helps carry this song. Overall, the opener could have been better.
2. Triple Backflip
Bronson gets extra originality points for this track that is more or less didicated to marijuana. Honestly though, this track isnt bad and serves as a nice rebound from the opener. Unfortunately, Action Bronson isnt really the reason this song succeeds. The hook is incredibly catchy, a real highlight of the song. Thats Bronsons work but it doesnt really tell me much about his rapping ability. Through two songs, Harry Fraud has been the best thing ive heard from the EP. Id be okay with that if this wasn't a project to help boost the fame of Action Bronson.
3. No Time
This Action Bronson solo cut proves to be the best thing I've ever heard fron the man. Bronson embraces his ghostface comparisons and cooks up a track thats sounds like it came straight out of the 90s East Coast rap scene. While the other songs havent necessarily been bad, this is the first time that Action Bronson's rapping is the highlight of the song. His smilies aren't corny and most of his lyrics go into large detail. Harry Fraud holds his own as well as this beat is up to par with the rest of the album. This was actually a great song.
4. The Rockers (Feat. Wiz Khalifa)
While I still hate Wiz, I was glad to see him make an appearance on this song. The fact that he's on this song shows the level of popularity that Action Bronson currently has. The last song reassured me that I want this guy to become a major player in the rap game. If you guessed this would be another weed song just because Wiz Khalifa makes a cameo, then you would be completely correct. Seriously Wiz, doesnt this ever get just a little boring. Theres other drugs out there man get out of the house. Also, the fact that Bronson decided to include Marty Jannetty in the hook of the much more popular Shawn Michaels fascinates me.
5. Strictly 4 My Jeeps
Don't feel bad if you were unaware, but this was actually released as the first and only single from this EP. Surprisingly, the really liked this song despite the horrible name and hook. Bronsons rapping on here is top notch as well as Harry Frauds continuously impressive instrumentals. For the first time on the project, I noticed how good Bronsons flow is. Not that its been bad on the previous tracks, but this is the first time it really struck me as something impressive. Thankful this song is one of the biggest highlights of the EP.
6. Alligators
There wasnt really any point of this song where I had any idea what the hell was going on. In a weird way, the production is almost eerie and sounds nothing like anything else from this EP. One of the strongest parts of this project is the overall variation among the songs. For the most part, none of these songs sound very similar, which makes for a very entertaining aspect of this project. This song wasn't giving me too much and all I could really remember about it is the hook, which im not completely sure I know how I feel about it. After three forths of the song, it kind of changes and makes for an unneeded addition to the song.
7. Seven Series Triplets (Feat. Raekwon & Prodigy)
Ok, this is a really good song and makes for an enjoyable listen but Action Bronson ends up being the least impressive out of everyone. Raekwon seems like he is warming up for the new wu tang album, while Prodigy also sounds like he has had a resurgence. Furthermore, Harry Fraud provides one of his best beats so far. Bronson is by no means bad but he is just really outshined by all of his companions. While Im dissapointed Action Bronson doesn't get to shine on the closer, this song was still really good and was probably the best of the EP.
Rating: 3/5
Saaab Stories is a mixed bag that ultimately doesnt live up to the hype that I have personally put on it. On songs like "No Time" and "Strictly 4 My Jeeps", the album is excellent, which is mostly because of Bronsons rapping. Those songs are great but dont really justify this entire release. Other song such as "Seven Series Triplets" are also good but end up being products of everyone but Action Bronson. Personally, I thought the biggest star of the EP was Harry Fraud and this could propell him onto a bigger stage. In conclusion, this is a good project, but its mostly not a product of Action Bronson. In the slew of new albums coming out in the coming weeks, its probably in your best interest to let this one pass.