Action Bronson talks working with Mac Miller, auditioning for The Matrix 4, and doing whatever he wants

Action Bronson has been keeping himself busy during the coronavirus pandemic. Besides releasing new album ‘Only For Dolphins’, the New York rapper with an appetite for life has aired a new season of his cooking show Fuck, That’s Delicious, created a new fragrance for men, and has embarked on a new fitness regime which has seen him lose a whopping 130 pounds so far.

We caught up with rap’s renaissance man to discuss his new record, classic movies, auditioning for The Matrix 4 and working with the late Mac Miller.

Your new album is called ‘Only For Dolphins’ – is that because it’s so complex that only dolphins can understand it?

“You got it. You knocked it out the park right there. That’s exactly why I named it that.”

Do you feel like some of your previous albums might have gone over the heads of some people?

“I don’t really know, but everything has a meaning to me. So whether they get it when I’m gone or while I’m here, one day it’ll make sense to them. Then when they do get it, it’ll be like an ‘aha’ moment. So it’s all fun and games, you know, it’s like putting pieces of the puzzle together. I’ve been putting pieces of the puzzle together for years. It’s fun.”

You’ve got a number of tracks on the album named after movies, why is that?

“I was just nerding out. I’m a nerd when it comes to movies and shows. I feel like I just know so many of them from back in the day and so many obscure ones too. I have over 5,000 VHS tapes in my possession. That stuff is easy for me. It’s low-hanging fruit.”

Do you think it’s the first time Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Cliffhanger’ has ever been mentioned on a record?

“Yeah, for sure. I’ve been dying to tell someone about Cliffhanger because they don’t even talk about it. I’ve been dying to bring a Cliffhanger reference into hip-hop. I feel like what I do in hip-hop, no one else has done.”

Do you think ‘Cliffhanger’ is better than ‘Rocky’?

“I think Cliffhanger is better than certain Rocky films, but Rocky as a whole is better. But then again, what about Copland when he was fat? What about Cobra? Stallone had a lot of bangers.”

More than just being a movie fan, you’re now starring in them. You recently appeared as a casket salesman in The Irishman alongside Robert De Niro. What was it like working with him and Martin Scorsese?

“It was pretty phenomenal to work with them, and just very surreal. There was lots of off-camera banter and laughter. We had a lot of good laughs. It was just another level of the game. You have to just reset the whole video game and start over because shit just got crazy.”

On ‘Cliffhanger’ you mention that you might have landed a role in the upcoming new Matrix movie – is this a real thing?

“I actually cannot confirm nor deny due to an NDA.”

That sounds like it could be more of a yes than it is a no…

“Nah, I definitely didn’t get the role. I would have known, I would’ve acted in it. I would have been in a fucking harness hanging off a wire from a bridge or something. I definitely read for it, though, but it was bizarre. It was during COVID and the reading was over the phone. It was just a weird situation. I’m better in person, I have to charm you. You’ve actually got to see the whole me. It’s not good to just get a snippet of me over the phone, you know? You have to really take in the Baklava experience.”

Is it true that you want Delroy Lindo to play you in a movie about your life story?

“Yeah, absolutely. I respect Delroy that much as an actor that if my story was to be depicted on film I would want him to be playing me. I don’t feel like it has to be something where someone has to look exactly like me, you know? I think that’s stupid. I wanna fucking transcend art.”

Speaking of movies, you appeared on Mac Miller’s second album ‘Watching Movies With The Sound Off’ on ‘Red Dot Music’. What was it like working with him?

“I remember he came to Alchemist’s house, we were up probably like 15 hours straight. It was good vibes in there and the track ended up being one of the best songs on the project. He always told me that was his favourite song. I love performing that song.

“He was a great musician. He was a great artist and a very, very, very nice guy. He was a very good kid, great soul, always smiling, good fun to be around. He was just a happy dude. Funny, always joking. It was sad to see him go the way he did. We lost a good musician. We lost a good kid, a good soul.”

You’ve been keeping yourself busy in lockdown by starting a new fitness regime, right?

“I’ve dropped 130 pounds already since around March. I changed my whole diet, my whole life, my whole moving around. Exercise regime. Everything.”

Do you have any specific goals?

“Nah, there are no fitness goals – except to never not be fit again. The reason why I’ve dropped the weight so quickly is because I was never meant to be that way. I was just really out of fucking control and I got my shit together. I’ve got to stay alive, man. I have a lot of things to live for. I love life. I love my family. I love my friends. I love art. I love the movies. I love fucking basketball.”

The fourth season of Fuck, That’s Delicious aired earlier this year – have there been talks about another season?

“No matter what, Fuck, That’s Delicious will continue, but you’ll just have to wait to find out what’s happening next very shortly.”

You’ve created your own fragrance for men called Splash, can you tell us about it?

“It hasn’t hit the market yet, but man, when it does it’s over. It’s like the essence of the fucking Lord, you know? That’s what you’re gonna smell like.”

Finally, what’s next for the man who seemingly does everything?

“I’m venturing into whatever else I can possibly do. I’m trying to have an art show at some point this year or next. I’m releasing all kinds of different products that all coincide with the album. I’m gonna continue to do more videos for the project, as many videos as we have songs. I’m gonna continue to work out, stay healthy, keep my mind sharp, keep my mind right and just work on a whole bunch of other projects until they’re ready to explode.”

Action Bronson’s ‘Only For Dolphins’ is out now via Loma Vista