There is a good chance Action Bronson is my favorite rapper right now.

I used to be (kind of) up on what was happening on the underground circuit, but I guess as I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten more lazy. That, and I’m not what one would consider a music guy in the first place. I like what I like, and of any genre hip-hop has influenced me most and piqued my interest more than any other type of music.

So that’s where I am.

I wasn’t introduced to Action Bronson until I heard some mixed tape he did that was produced by Alchemist, who’s probably my favorite producer (even over Kanye West). I’ve been a fan since the first time I heard Bronson spit. I don’t know if I’ve heard any track he’s been featured on where he didn’t have the best verse, and his solo work doesn’t lose its edge. Action Bronson rhymes about the usual stuff (i.e. drugs, women, money, swag), but he does it with a playful self-awareness that separates him from his contemporaries.

So here’s a gold star for you, Mr. Bronson.