A raunchy, cylinder-shaped ginger of Eastern European ancestry might not be the first dude you’d peg for rap stardom, but that’s exactly the mantle Action Bronson is on the verge of possessing. Over the last two years, the 28-year old Queens native has become one of hip-hop’s most charismatic and colorful new characters, thanks to his wicked sense of humor, a buffet of impressive releases and the rare knack for updating cherished East Coast aesthetics into indisputably modern music.Last year, The New York Times hailed Bronson as “one of the most promising prospects in New York hip-hop.” That formidable potential is now being realized. When Bronson gleefully tossed slabs of meat from Peter Luger’s famed steakhouse into a wild-ass crowd at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, the mosh pit of skaters, knuckleheads, rap purists and young women was evidence of his ever-widening appeal.Born Ariyan Arslani, Bronson grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, the son of an Albanian immigrant father and a Jewish mother from Brooklyn. He was an only child, but the population of the two-bedroom apartment swelled to as many as 13 inhabitants due to cousins, aunts, uncles and refuges from ethnic strife in Kosovo.It was in the family restaurant that Bronson developed his enduring fascination with quality eating. After studying in the Art Institute of New York’s culinary program, he took jobs ranging from busboy to sous chef. Consequently, songs in his discography often read like menu items: “Roasted Bone Marrow,” “Pouches of Tuna,” “Jerk Chicken,” “Ceviche.” Rolling Stone, appreciating the theme, described Bronson’s music as “the ultimate in comfort food, with a contemporary twist.”While Bronson was a ravenous musical connoisseur who grew up admiring artists like Kool G. Rap, Cam’ron and Mobb Deep, he never contemplated rapping himself. But a few years back, he penned a satirical song over a Southern beat CD and the results were improbably impressive. With an oversized personality, intricate wordplay and the cagy charm of an outer-borough striver, he was a natural. And after a broken leg forced him out of the kitchen, Bronson began writing seriously. In 2007, joined with Mayhem Lauren and Jay Steele to release the Last of a Dyin’ Breed: Volume 1 mixtape under the collective name “The Outdoorsmen.”Bronson’s insistent delivery and penchant for flamboyant phraseology initially drew some comparisons to Ghostface, but he has long since matured beyond such superficialities. In 2011 alone, he released Bon Appetit….Bitch!, The Program EP, Dr. Lecter and WellDone. 2012 introduced collaborations with artists like Earl Sweatshirt, Riff Raff and SpaceGhostPurp, as well as Blue Chips, the brilliant street album produced by Party Supplies. In awarding the effort a lofty 8.1, Pitchfork called Bronson “one of the most hilarious and creative writers in rap” who savagely captured the essence of New York’s seedy soul: “It is what a Weegee photograph would look like now.”In August of 2012, Bronson signed with Vice/Warner Bros Records. With the leading youth media company’s multi-platform power now backing him, forthcoming projects like Rare Chandeliers with Alchemist, Saab Story with Harry Fraud and Blue Chips 2 will find countless new listeners. His debut LP on Vice/Warner Bros. Music is scheduled for 2013. For Action Bronson, this accelerating rise to greatness may just persuade him to put off “laying back, eating poutine” for a little while longer.His newest album, Blue Chips2 made Complex Magazine's top albums of November 2013. Check it out here: http://www.complex.com/music/2013/12/best-albums-november-2013/action-bronson-blue-chips-2

He's half of the brains behind the Cash Money label, his productions have moved over 23 million units, and it all started because of a DJ father. Surrounded by music while growing up, producer/rapper/hip-hop mogul Mannie Fresh decided early on that if he had to get a job, it had to be doing what he loved to do, and that was play music. The New Orleans native got his start in 1984 as a member of New York Incorporated, arguably New Orleans' first hip-hop crew. The parties Mannie started to DJ around this time were to become legendary and brought him to the attention of rapper Gregory D. The two partnered and worked on album that was to become 1992's The Real Deal released on RCA. Rap fans in the Big Easy fell in love with the album but it failed to gain much attention outside of the South. Although they remained friends, Mannie and Gregory D split professionally, due in part to Mannie's displeasure with the way major labels handled street music. The stage was now set for the producer's meeting with Brian "Baby" Williams. When Williams offered Mannie a chance to join his fledgling Cash Money label, it couldn't have been better timing. Soon artists like Baby, Juvenile, B.G., and Lil Wayne were taking Cash Money to the top, thanks in no small part to Mannie's quirky and bright production. By the late '90s, Cash Money was the preeminent Southern rap label and Mannie and Williams were now working on their own group. The two formed Big Tymers in 1998 and released a series of successful singles and albums. The producer behind everything from Juvenile's 400 Degreez to Teena Marie's La Do??a finally busted out on his own in 2004 with the wild solo album The Mind of Mannie Fresh. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi