Action Bronson may not be the only gourmet chef to transition to a career in rapping, but he is definitely the most successful. On his VICE cooking show, Fuck, That’s Delicious, Bronson has even asked the world’s top chefs, such as Mario Batali, to cook dishes inspired by his music and has written songs based on the dishes that connect with him.

Bronson, born Ariyan Arslani, is half Albanian and half Jewish. While many artists avoid embracing cultural influences that are so foreign to hip hop, Bronson has drawn musical and lyrical inspiration from his family’s cultural heritage.

He’s also developed one of the most controversial personas in music for his unfiltered lyricism and behaviour in interviews. Most notably, his headline performance at Toronto’s NXNE festival was recently cancelled due to overwhelming support for a petition to “prevent his misogynist music from being performed in a public space.”

The petition, based on an interpretation of a verse from an unreleased song he recorded in 2011, has lead to a fierce debate about the value of censoring an artist’s freedom of expression.

Like many hip hop artists, Action Bronson’s music will never appeal to everyone, but his commitment to authentically expressing himself through his music is what has made him as successful and impactful as he is today.

“I could never change the overall feel of my music, that’s why people like me. I don’t follow trends and I don’t follow crowds. Having a record label increases my ability to reach new fans that appreciate that.” – Action Bronson said to the Observer

Be unapologetic in your convictions and take on projects that are meaningful to you. Regardless of what you do, by allowing your work to be a transparent reflection of who you are and what you believe in, you’ll always be able to find an audience for your work.

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