Action Bronson

“All right, that was fun,” he says. “Now, I’m going to hand out chocolates.”

“That’s him; he speaks very matter-of-factly,” manager Paul Rosenberg told Pollstar. “He’ll go on stage and say, ‘All right. I’m here to sing raps. Put on the next rap song.’  It’s great.”

Bronson – aka the Queens, N.Y.-bred Arian Asllani – has been following a unique career path that blends rap music with cuisine. His quick ascent has included some recent controversy, but he’s also been promoting his second album, Mr. Wonderful, with performances and cuisine. Bronson was a well-respected chef who focused on music when he broke his leg in the kitchen.

“When the guys in the office first started telling me about him – “There’s this guy you gotta check out, he raps but he’s a chef’ I thought it sounded a bit silly,” Rosenberg said. “But after I heard the music and realized how authentic his interests were on both sides and how passionate he was on how to integrate them, it became intoxicating.”

Rosenberg, who also manages Eminem, The Alchemist, and Danny Brown, noted there are fans who know Bronson through the “Fuck That’s Delicious” series presented by Vice, where “Mr. Wonderful” visits culinary locations and speaks to chefs like his hero, Mario Batali.

“People who learn about him through that circle back and check out the music. It’s all very complementary, like a fine wine pairing with a meal,” Rosenberg said. “The biggest display of it so far has been at the Odd Future Carnival last year, where they had Fuck That’s Delicious Land and they had curated menus by him and he served food.   He’ll do it when possible.

“At SXSW this year we had a Mr. Wonderful food truck that was serving empanadas, one of which was a recipe he put together. We used that to help promote the album.”