As far as large, bearded rappers go, you’d be hard-pressed to find a duo more thrilling and punchline-happy than Action Bronson and Rick Ross (Killer Mike is the only immediate competition that comes to mind). The two have never appeared on the same song before, but on the latest cut from the forthcoming Blue Chips 7000, the unthinkable happens: the infamous Maybach Music tag pops up on an Action Bronson song. Although the two rappers inhabit quite different worlds, their chemistry is undeniable on this track.
“9-24-7000” shares a similar title with Blue Chips’ “9-24-11,” which samples Dean Martin, and Blue Chips 2’s “9-24-13,” which samples Dionne Warwick, but oddly enough, the new cut doesn’t flip any old standards, instead making use of an ambient-sounding ‘80s piano lick. What the significance of the date September 24th is to Bronson, we have no idea, but as it’s now been the root of three excellent songs, we’re not going to question it further.
Adding another outlandish opening line to his already-illustrious repertoire, Bronson hops on the mic with a, “Yo, if I didn’t say it was me, you’d prolly think it was Sting.” That sets the tone for the entire track, which doesn’t need a theme more involved than “extreme braggadocio.” References to Kevin Spacey, Guns & Roses’ “November Rain” (Bronson’s second!), Street Fighter’s Ryu, Puerto Rican band Calle 13, and long-forgotten rap group Fu-Schnickens follow, making “9-24-7000” quite a vivid array of pop culture name-dropping.
Before Blue Chips 7000 officially drops this Friday, be sure to check out the previously-released music video for “The Chairman’s Intent.”
