The Ariel Helwani Show - Action Bronson

Episode Date: April 28, 2022

The prolific Action Bronson joins the show this week! He’s an MMA superfan and one of Ariel's favorite entertainers, and he stops by to talk about the creative process behind his new album, Cocodrillo Turbo. He also talks about his favorite locations to perform, how losing over 150 pounds has made him better on stage, his pro wrestling fandom, AEW’s Hook using one of his songs as his entrance music, hanging out with Alexander Volkanovski, Nathan Diaz's holdup with the UFC, his thoughts on the greatest diss track of all-time, and much more. You can follow Action on Twitter @ActionBronson and Instagram @bambambaklava.Action Bronson is a New York-born rapper, actor, and entertainer. His new album, Cocodrillo Turbo, drops on April 29. For more information, please visit actionbronson.com.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

Hello there, friends. Welcome back to a brand new edition of The Helwani Show. I, of course, am Ariel Helwani. It is Thursday, April 28th, 2022. I hope you're all doing well. Thank you very much to the Lovely Feathers for this great theme song. Love them very much. Can't wait until they reunite either later this year or next year.

And, of course, we were off last week. Hope everyone had a good break, at least for me. If you weren't off, maybe you had a break for me. Maybe you needed a break for me, but we are back. And I'm very excited about today's program. One of my favorite people on planet Earth is on today's show. And I've been waiting for the right time to have him on this year's show because I've talked to him in the past.

I love talking to him. He makes me laugh. I love everything about him. I love his vibe. I love what he represents. I love how he lives his life. I love his story. I love his references. I love his music. I love his shows. I love everything about him. His name is Action Bronson, aka Bronsolino, aka Mr. Bam Bam, aka Bam Bam Baklava. He's a legend. He's a renaissance man. I've called him this before. He's an author. He's a rapper. He's a host, content creator. He's, I mean, the guy does everything. He's an athlete. He does everything. And he's really an inspiration. And what he's done over the past year to change his life, two years, I should say,

to change his life, to lose all that weight. But he's back on tour now year to change his life. Two years, I should say, to change his life, to lose all that weight. But he's back on tour now. He's got a new album coming out on April 29th called Cocodrilo Turbo. He's got a new video out, new single out called Sub-Zero. It's amazing.

And I just thought with all these things going on in his life, of course, he's a massive MMA fan, old school NBA wrestling fan. We've got a lot in common. In fact, I think he's a kindred spirit of mine. It was great to catch up with him and great to see how things are going and talk about the new album, talk about his tour called NBA Leather. He's in Canada right now.

Talk about all those things and a whole lot more. Great to catch up with the one and only Action Bronson. If you've enjoyed our conversations in the past, eating matzo ball with him, strolling the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn with him, you'll enjoy this conversation very much. And we don't have to focus on MMA in this particular show. We get to talk about other things as well. So I really enjoyed it. I hope you do as well. And I can't thank Action enough for his time. Without further ado, here's my conversation with the one and only, the inimitable, the incomparable Action Bronson.

Enjoy. You and Chido Vera, you guys always have different looks. Sometimes you got the big beard, sometimes you got the short. Sometimes you go no beard, you go just stache. Is it just based on mood? You know what? These days, it's just when i'm feeling myself you know if i'm feeling if i had a good workout like damn i'm gonna shave my face and see what it looks like

under there because i'm always told that i look more jacked with a shaved face and a mustache like freddie mercury yes respect um well you look fantastic we're gonna get into all this i can't wait to uh to talk to you thank you for doing this uh so you got the album dropping april 29th you've already released one single i have listened to sub-zero and and watched it i swear to especially on my little break over a thousand times the beat is amazing the rhymes the video is great the old school patrick ewing jersey is tremendous the fact that you're wearing the the elbow pad and your workout shorts like it's just like you just rolled out of the gym. The whole thing is freaking amazing. I want, what is like,

it's so random, but it's so you, it's so great. Where does the idea for a video like that come from? How do you conceptualize it? No, I just, I like to take things that I'm into throughout my life and just, you know,. What's sensationalized them. Like. Like things that are like niche. Like strong man. And bodyboarding. This is shit that I've been into my whole life.

But most people don't even know about it. And it's fucking sick. Like if you watch. Like highlight video. If you like highlight videos of any extreme sports. Skateboarding. This. That.

You watch. Dudes and women on a bodyboard hitting waves and flipping in the air and flying. It's unbelievable. Getting tucked under unbelievably huge waves. It's just, it's a rush, you know? And I love Escape from Los Angeles. I love Kurt Russell.

He's a great actor, you know? And I just felt like that was something that bodyboarding through the city is something that I just needed to bring that to life. So it just so happens that we have the wave pool right there in Jersey. And my man, Will Scootin, hooked it up big time. And the homie James Luris, he also did my video back in the day for Acting Crazy. So it was like, we already had a rapport and it just came together so unbelievably. I don't know.

It was like, you know, I still like things like this. A lot of people, they don't take pride in doing videos. There's a lot of shit where it's just very simple. I still like to do something that's, because I like theater. Did you take that? It's theater to me. Oh, it to do something that's, because I like theater. Did you take that? It's theater to me. Oh, it's great.

That's going to last forever. You know, they're going to see that piece forever. So I'm happy it's stamped that way. Was that at American Dream? It was. Nice. So they just let you in there and you, what, you go off hours?

Yep. We did that overnight. We did that like midnight. And to be honest, all the scenes that didn't show up, man, I was on fire that night. I had a triple espresso and I was literally like, I was shredding for three hours and it was the longest I've ever shredded for. Right. Have you always been doing the boogie boarding stuff or is it more now? Yeah. Really? Even when you were heavier? Nah, not even when I was a kid. Really?

Growing up, I used to go to the beach every single day, Jones Beach or Robert Moses State Park. And you know, I mean, I was chunked back then too, but now like, you know, I was able to maneuver. Right. But I always loved, because you had accessories and shit. You got the fins, you know, there was like a strap on your wrist.

It was like multicolored. It was crazy crazy and me and my friend troy we just our mothers would take us to the beach together and we were just hours in the water with the boogie board with the mori boogie board are the you know obviously like the music industry has changed uh mtv you know i remember coming home from school i'd watch bt all freaking afternoon right i'd watch oh it was the best what is it like putting so you say like these things still mean something to you right the videos still mean and it's still a big deal you could still get millions of views you do get millions of views on youtube but you feel like we are moving more and more away from that or are we going back to old school where people are investing in the videos because of

youtube and whatnot how do you feel like we're we're at right now to old school where people are investing in the videos because of YouTube and whatnot? How do you feel like we're at right now? Yeah, I think that people are definitely investing in the videos. But, you know, there's so many. You don't, to get a quality video of somebody with a name, you pay a lot of money. And it's usually record label paying for the name. And sometimes you're not happy with it but you could spend less money and direct it yourself and be you know ecstatic with it and save money so a lot of times that's the issue is the money to make something real sick it costs a lot of fucking money people

sometimes they don't want to get behind that so you have to pick and choose but to me i still like to keep that because i like to do i like to go all out whether it be you get go out all out for one or for two i like to do that because it it shows that what you put in you get you know you get back and i i go all the fuck out all the way so like it's just in me some people don't care you know like that and not to say that you know they i care more than them i just care about certain things more i'm a fucking detailist you're also an old soul like you like the old right i i could remember at least 50 different lifetimes i've had uh like for this for this album how many music videos will you produce

um i'm hoping to produce at least three three classics you know and like classics the idea of wearing the ewing jersey i'm just curious like why do you pick that for that video is it just what you were wearing that day uh i mean yes and i just you know that that's gonna be immortalized that's what i've seen and i'm you know i'm a nick through you know, that's going to be immortalized. That's what I've seen, and I'm, you know, I'm a Knick through and through, and that's it. I'm a Knickerbocker. What about the Knicks this year? Actually, exactly a year ago.

Why do we even have to waste our breath? Come on, come on. A year ago, we went to the game against the Suns, you and I. It was tremendous. The vibes were great. The building wasn't full yet, but you could feel like it was like spring in New York. The Knicks were back. I mean, you could make a case this time last year,

Julius Randle was the most beloved athlete in New York, right? In New York. 100%. Oh my God, we were so high. We were so, we were intoxicated by him. Yes. And now a year later, this, I have made the case that,

and you know, it's been a depressing two decades two plus decades this is one of the most depressing seasons in nick's history not because of the record the record's fine it's whatever it's because we had the expectations of last year and the good vibes of last year that we thought all right we get kembo we get this guy we get fournier now we're going to take another step we went freaking backwards did you even watch the games or did you give up on them midway? You know, I gave up. I'm not even going to lie. I gave up on it.

I can't even sit through and watch and give them my time. Same with the Jets. I couldn't even do it. I mean, I'm still keeping up with them, but it's hard to give up that hard-earned time, you know? And there's so much youth on that team that's promising. So I'm still, you know, last half full with them, to be honest with you, Obi and Quickly.

We just need to nurture and add more pieces. Add the right pieces. You want Tibbs to stick around? In essence, I like Tibbs, but I don't know if he's the guy. I don't know. He's not. I don't know, like, why is he keeping these guys on? He's not.

Like, every time these men come in they're explosive and they show lots of like you know energy we need that we need to keep that on the floor and not not suffocate it i mean kemba didn't work out it's just old school mentality sometimes these guys they're not they're not reacting well with that like Back in the day, it was more of the theme in sports where you listen to the older coach. No one's listening to that, man.

You know? They're not speaking to him. He's not speaking to the players. That's just the problem. Do you ever peek at the Nets? I mean, it's Brooklyn. I listened to the game last night while I was in the car. You're listening. I don't watch games.

I'm listening, bro. I'm old school. No one listens to games anymore. Ian Eagle is the man. He might be my favorite right now. Kelly Trapuka. Yes. There's very few things that I love.

I actually feel like you and I are kindred spirits in this regard. You mentioned these, cause we're almost the same age. I'm a year older than you, but you mentioned these obscure nineties players. Like when I used to know the 15th man on the Clippers, like you mentioned Marquis Grissom and Ron Gant and like Marquis Grissom is one of my favorite baseball players of all time.

Montreal Expos, Ron Gant was my favorite brave. Why do you get such joy out of mentioning these names? Because I feel like I see the joy coming out of you when you mention Kelly Trapuka of the Charlotte Hornets. Because I understand who I'm talking to. You can't say that to somebody and then they'll have the same smile. But when I say it to you, I know you know.

So that's how you have to be selective in who you're mentioning these players to. You can't just be throwing Kelly Trapuk out to anybody, bro. But what is it about that era that makes you always go back? It's just that it's all these – that shows you what I was doing. I was looking at basketball cards, countless hours of basketball cards, and olden polonies. Antoine Carr. Yeah.

I mean, come on, like unbelievable, like names that just, I still have the books. And no one remembers them. I used to go on QVC. I bought the college hoops cards.

Oh yes. Was it only basketball that you collected? I collected a lot of baseball cards. Okay. A lot of baseball cards and Marvel Series 1 and 2. The comics? Well, the cards. Oh, the cards.

Interesting. Okay. Holograms and shit like that. Oh, right, right, right. So cards are huge now. Are you back into it? Definitely not, but I will go back and buy a bunch of those holograms of the x-men that i liked just to have okay like i'm like a brand new but i still have a box with all the cards in but they're all

disheveled i have my marvel cards but they're all in sleeves and they're fucked up but i have my old ones so i'll keep those and i'll have a couple of brand new ones p PSA 10. Who's your favorite athlete of all time? Like number one. Oof, man, that's so hard to say, man. The person that just came to my, the one who came to my mind immediately is Mike Tyson. Just because he's had such a profound, like impact on several generations of my life and decades of my life from being able to watch him fight with my Albanian grandfather you know to going throughout the years and watching

him progress now going on his show and fucking him kissing my hands and us having a moment of love and just like unbelievable vibes. Like we've known each other forever. And it's like, I don't know, man, you know, like obviously I don't know Arthur, but he's just for me, he's like, I don't know, he's next level. Would you consider him a friend now? I would, I don't know him well enough, but I feel like there's something there. So for that. that you could definitely have

like i could hang out with him again you know i could definitely chill with him have dinner talk smoke yeah so you were on his show uh hot boxing is that so like do you have a moment there where you're like if 12 year old me would have known that i'd be sitting on a couch with mike tyson just shooting the shit he'd freak out like do you have those moments? Yeah, afterwards. But you know what the thing is with me? Like, I'm able to put that shit all to the side and just live in that moment and just perform, you know? Like, a lot of people, you can't just follow.

You're talking to Mike, for God's sakes. It's like a lot of people would be just nervous and can't get it out. You just got to put that stuff to the side. You're talking to Mike, for God's sakes. It's like a lot of people would be just nervous they can't get it out. You just got to put that stuff to the side. You're a pro. I'm a pro also, you know? I'm a pro in what I do.

Did you ever go to his early fights? Did you ever go, like, were you ever able to? I've never been to a boxing fight. I've never been to boxing. You've never been to a boxing match? Can you believe that? Period?

Only once more for lunch. No. It's unbelievable. I have so many, I have i have like long lineage of boxing with my grandfather i've been to golden gloves in queens yeah yeah and right up by the joint board and in a leg chest or my neighborhood they would have fucking like youth golden gloves but yeah just just mma wow well any particular i mean there's been a hundred massive events

at the Barclays I know I don't know I just they don't show you love they don't roll up the red carpet like UFC

nah I do I get the love shown regardless I just the thing is with this Andy Ruiz when he fought Joshua and knocked him out

yeah and took the belt yeah he DM'd me to bring him out. Come on. But I didn't see it. Oh, what? I didn't fucking see.

Yes. Like he wanted me to wrap him out or whatever. I don't know. And I didn't see it. And I fucking see like 15 days later a DM from him like, yo, would love to have you come out, bring me out for the thing. So that would have been the first one and it me out for the thing so that would have been the first one and it would have been fucking nuts you would have done it 100 why not oh my god that

would be an iconic moment i just asked you right before we we were taping if you're going to taylor serrano at msg but you're on tour on tour that would have been a great one i know i've been trust me i'll be watching yeah There's no doubt about that. Where are you going to be on April 30th? There's a fucking place that no one wants to go. It's called Hell, Michigan. Legit. Legit.

Hell, Michigan. I'm not going to plug what I'm doing because that's not what we're here for. Okay, fair enough. I like it. But I'll be there. Hell, Michigan. So this is part of the tour, NBA Leather? But this is not a stop. This is not a stop.

This is a soul, just me thing. Oh, interesting. Okay. Yeah. The next day in Vancouver, we start. Your neck of the woods in the great north. Are you going to montreal still 100 we'll be in montreal let's go i have a couple questions about the tour first of all nba leather

yeah what does that mean you know no one they didn't like the name desperados so i was like yeah fuck you want to get you want to get crazy? This tour is called NBA Leather Tour. And that's exactly how it happened. Wow. What does NBA mean? Does it mean? NBA Leather, which literally you fucking walk in the street, you see someone with an NBA leather.

That's just the name of the tour. Why is there the thing on top of the N? I didn't want to get sued. Ah, okay. And that's all it takes? I don't know. I'm not sure. I just figured.

So far, so good. So far, so good. You had one leg. Then you take a little break. Now you're going back to Canada, Europa. You're going to Montreal. How do you feel?

Tell me. I've never asked you about my hometown, really. Like, performing there, the cuisine. Love it. Everything? I mean, I've been going to Montreal for, I don't know, 12, 12 years now.

They've shown you love over the years, right? A hundred percent, a hundred fucking percent. Oh my God. I can't wait to just Montreal is brimy. It's like in the best of way. It's kind of like New York. It's not like the other Canadian cities, to be honest with you. It has more of like a, an It's not like the other Canadian cities, to be honest with you. It has more of like an underworld element to it.

You know? And I just like the vibe there. Like there's dudes like fucking GSP just at the bars, just fucking at the doors, you know? Just straight up killers. French Canadian wild men. Do you eat poutine? Do I? I mean, these days. Come on. Well, I'll have a touch. You you eat poutine? Do I? I mean, these days.

Come on. Well, I'll have a touch. You'll have a touch? I'll make sure I go hard that day. Is there like an underrated place? Like, we obviously know like everyone wants to perform in New York, this and that.

But is there a place that people would be surprised you're like, that spot? Like, it always, you get a twinkle in your eye when you know that you're going there. I mean, Vancouver, I love. You love Vancouver.

I love Vancouver. I love Toronto. I love Montreal. The twinkle in my eye, this tour was Atlanta. Really? And like the South. Yeah, like Texas. It was fucking next level.

I was impressed. I was very happy. What about it? They just, I don't know. It was like one of the loudest crowds that was around was in Atlanta and Austin. I know that's a music city, but it wasn't during like, it was off hours. It was off peak, you know? And that shit was fucking, if there was a roof to be blown off really it would have blown how much better is your experience performing in front of people now that you've lost all this way

i was i was really curious to know like the overall lifestyle the day-to-day on i see you like it looks like you're you're working out in between sets and stuff but you're wearing even a joke i really am fucking getting crazy with it bro i've did three fucking i was working out three times a day on tour just because i knew i needed to i would do one in the morning then i'd run or do some sort of cardio with the homie because he's my homie's like david goggins he looks exactly like him and he's fucking sick in the head. He just makes me run. Yo, get up.

He throws food out of my kicks, food out of my hand. Oh, if I'm eating something bad, he'll just slap it out of my hand. I told him, I'll just hit it out of my hand. If you see me eating a pop tart because I like to stop at rest stops. I always get a fucking pop tart. I don't know why. Like one of those things. Start getting into a habit.

Slap that shit out of my hand. And then before I go on stage, I like to go on drenched and jacked. You want to be sweaty already. Yes. So I work out an hour beforehand. It's like going out for a fight. Who's going out cold?

It's terrible. It's the worst feeling. I don't get warmed up until the fifth song. I need to literally, I have to be sweating profusely. Then I go on and I do my hour, hour 15. I come off, I'm chilling. Now you're not tired? No, not at all.

Really? No, my energy is through the roof. So what are you doing backstage to get drenched? I brought my mace with me. I brought kettlebells. I brought Bulgarian bag on tour. I had a whole plethora of items. Wow, so you're traveling with all this?

I'm traveling with a quiver. Golly. Are you traveling with a trainer as well? No, I'm the trainer. You're the trainer. You're the guy. I've graduated to the trainer. Now, do you feel like you are performing better because you're in better shape?

A hundred. Bro, I fucking did a split. A straight up fucking split. I got my legs all the way. Oh, I never did that before in my life. I did a split in front of the crowd. I was so hyped. Wow. It was fucking sick. And you could touch your toes now too much so easy it's not even like

that's that's passe we're trying to be able to do a bridge and like flips rolls why do you wear the can't do a somersault though oh like bam, like Bam Bam. No, I can do those. Those are cartwheels. Oh, you're right. You're right. You're right. Wow, somersault? You're striving for that? Well, no.

It's like I was training with fucking Hook and Taz. Yeah. And they were showing me some in-ring moves. And I had to do a simple snap mare where I have to flip over. And I got up and I was fucking vertigoed out. Wow. Yeah. So I'm not going to be fucking doing any in-ring technical maneuvers.

I'm not Dean Malenko over here. You know, I have a thousand maneuvers, but they're on the ground. They're more like ambush and slams. I have a thousand slams. Okay. You've just opened the door to another topic that I'm desperately wanting to talk to you about, but before I get to that, could I just ask, why do you wear the

elbow pad? Because I'm working out and second, it's sick looking. I just, you know... It just makes me feel good. I love it. Okay, so the hook thing is amazing i love hook this guy's incredible rising star aew he walks out he's got the cool uh shorts his hair is all disheveled

he's young he's fit he has his son doesn't give an f doesn't say a thing walks in walks out and he walks out to one of your songs it's incredible how did this all come about um i've known taz for a while now you know like i he reached he knew that i was a fan i guess through i think i did bubba's con a podcast or some shit like that i took or maybe i told taz a story about when bubba fucking threatened to slam me or beat the shit out of me and called me a fat fuck when I was at ECW when I was young. What? I never heard that story. Oh, the Elks Lodge in Queens. I used to go to ECW since I was 13 years old. Okay. My mother would drive me and my friends to go fucking the Elks Lodge. It was the illest shit ever. So I'm with my boy, John Paul, and I just got the Sabu shirt.

I saw Sabu. He signed it for me. I had the Bubba. I had the Dudley's 3D shirt. I saw Devon and Bubba. I was like, yo, he's a fuck out of here, you fat fuck. I'm going to beat the fucking shit out of you. He just went in on me.

And I was like, yeah, I loved it. To this day, I remember it. I loved every fucking second of it. Have you talked to him since? I talked to him about it. He had me on his podcast. We loved it. We laughed. Okay. So you're telling these stories. You're all good. And then how do you

get in touch with Taz, which leads to being Hook's entrance song. I guess we exchanged numbers at some point. We would just text every so often, like, yo, you got to get you in the ring to train or whatever. So I went out to Long Island to train. And Hook has been a fan since he's, I guess, a younger kid. And he loved that song and he wanted to use that song.

And I was like, was like bro go you fucking be my guest please he asked you yeah wow and uh how does that work with aew like uh without i mean like are they paying you for this or what i didn't want they whatever the whatever the the i i didn't make a big deal about any type of money i don don't care about that. I just wanted them to use it. They still have to, because it's not owned by me, it's on Atlantic Records, they had to pay some sort of, I guess a little fee or whatever. Okay.

But through me, I don't want a goddamn thing from them. And so when you see him coming out to that song, like that's a pretty, it's perfect for him. A lot of my friends are in the fucking crowd. Like, my boy Opaq is literally at every fucking wrestling event still to this day. Kid that I used to go to ECW with. Wow. And he's like, yo, what the fuck?

He saw Hook's entrance and he hit me. He's like, yo, he's coming out to you. So, he's so hype. Sick. Yeah, it's good. It's good, clean fun. Have you been to AE. Sick. Yeah. I was just, it's good. It's good. Clean fun. Have you been to a W have you been to an event?

I haven't. I haven't. They've come around. I mean, they've been to a scene. They look cool, man. It looks cool.

Like it looks as cool as it could look at this point, you know, like WWE, it just doesn't look as cool. Just looks a little bit more. Theatrical, a little bit more playful. It's too playy.

Are you following wrestling? A little something here and there. I see highlights and shit like that, but I don't watch anything in its entirety. No. I only follow mixed martial arts. I don't even watch any other sports.

Not Yankees? No nothing? I'm watching. I'm with a'll get to that. I don't even watch any other sports at this point. Really? Not Yankees? No nothing? I'm watching. I'm with a Yankee right now. Oh, for real? Yeah. I'm with my man who's been the clubhouse manager for over 20 years. Oh, wow.

My man, New York Heat. Just chilling? Yeah, he's just chilling. I see you and CeCe working out all the time. Yeah, no. CeCe's an animal, man. He did his thing this morning. Okay. Wow. Look at this. It's like, how man. He did his thing this morning. Okay, wow. Look at this.

It's like, how many times have you worked out today? It's midday. Almost two. Almost two? I did one long one. Okay. And then I'm about to go hit the bike because it's like 65 right now. Might go get a little espresso, a little Turkish coffee or something.

Respect. Yeah, this is great but the the wrestling stuff is amazing like you'll always mention especially 90s wrestling 80s wrestling you know even in sub-zero rock bottom through the buffet all that stuff right it's great um and i recently i don't know if i've ever talked to you about this i recently read or i saw a clip is it true that your favorite again kindred spirits, Bret Hart is your favorite of all time? I mean, if we had to fucking go through it, the excellence of execution is my guy.

Wow. Me too. That's my man. Nadine Royalty. There's no doubt about it. Why him? He just, he never, he was just the consummate professional. And he never, it was always real.

He just made everything look so real. And it's like, just his style was so amazing. Like breathing heavy with the mouth open, the hair all crazy disheveled. The back trip to the fucking sharpshooter. Like it's just the, it's just classic. Those moves that get, get strung together and dialed up they just live in my memory forever i love that video game in your house that was a low-key like mortal combat style wrestling game that's fucking underrated i love that fucking

game i used to smash everybody with that. I also love Vader. Okay. Just got into the Hall of Fame. I mean, there's so many wrestlers that I love. New Jack. I love Dreamer, Bubba. I love the Dudleys, like Sabu. There's so many guys. I'm a fanboy.

I'm a fanboy. Would you go to those WWF events in the 90s at msg and like when wrestlemania i was at 10 i was you were at 10 i was 100 percent owen versus brett yep i was at and i and the ladder match yeah yeah oh yeah razor and uh sean michaels i was also at that i was at the the dark show where they fucking where they they broke. The click? A hundred percent. What? I didn't know all this. I used to go to a lot of those house shows.

Wow. Yeah. The house shows were the ones that they came around all the time. You know? Yeah. And those weren't televised. You were at the click, the curtain call. Yup.

Did you understand what was going on? Like, did you realize there? No, I had no idea. I was just like, yo, they're all in there together.

That's sick. But I didn't realize that like, yo, it's something crazy is happening. Wow. Like they all broke out. I was just like, yo, they're all in there together. That's sick. But I didn't realize that, like, yo, that something crazy's happening. Wow. Like, they all broke out. I realized, but I just was like, you know, sometimes it would be like a Royal Rumble type of situation where heads would come

out, you know? Sometimes they came out. Everyone came from the back. So I just thought it was that. Wow. And WrestleMania 10, where were you? Like, where were you sitting? if you see the x where everyone's coming out i was up top on the other side like really high okay yeah who'd you go with mom you and your mom yeah me and my mom and that was the day i remember who i met there was like one famous dude that i met and it was latimer from the program. Like around that time, he was popping.

So he was in the front row and he's at the foot. It was massive, like six foot eight, the huge jaw. He had the fucking black motorcycle jacket on. I remember it like it was yesterday,

coming down the escalators. Why'd you go with your mom? That was my rise, my ride or die, as it takes me. Was she a fan? No, she just did everything that I ever wanted fucking best ever she was you you guys were inseparable you're a mama's boy still still always how is she doing now she's great yeah she's really good she's she's like uh

she's third level in pilates wow Which is pretty next level at 78 years old. She's an instructor or she just does it? Nah, she just got into it when I started working. How didn't she fucking, she's just killing it. She's doing things I never thought I'd ever see my mother do, like fucking planking for two minutes and she's just killing it. She's doing her thing. And she wasn't doing this before 2020?

She wasn't doing any of this no she's always been like trying to be health conscious but not this okay like putting herself through some physical work is good um so so all right so we'll get to mma uh you were just hanging with alex volkanovsky oh hell yeah i saw peter lug right? Yeah. What was that like? Took him to get some steaks. It was good. He's a nice guy. His whole team is nice. I think I met the camera guy when I was in Zealand last time.

He was with Izzy. With Izzy, yeah, yeah. Were you guys filming something or you were just hanging out? He was filming some content for himself. I just wanted to have a steak, get the guy some potatoes and some fucking meat. What are you liking right now in MMA? What's getting you hyped? Everything.

You're watching everything. Everything. There's so many storylines in every division at this point. So it's like I'm just excited every week. My guy Chito is fighting April 30th. That's right. I'm hoping that one more fight, get him a shot. Maybe this

went over Rob and then I don't know if one more, but you never know. One more, the next one, see what happens with Aldo. Aldo wins. Or if they fucking make that fight. There's a lot of things happening. What do you think about Aljo and Jan?

He beat him. He beat him he fucking beat him like he straight up he won i watched i watched every second i watched it three times he won yeah it was uh yan can't he there's when you're helpless in a position that should mean mean something. He was helpless. It was like, Aljo wasn't helpless on his feet. You know? Like, in the fourth and fifth round, obviously he fucking was playing games

to try and get him down. Like you said, he gave it up. But in the positions where it mattered, Jan was fucking helpless with him on his back. He could not do a damn thing. He could have been in that position for three days. It was surreal. After how the first fight went, to see him that dominant in the second and third,

you want to see him fight TJ or Aldo? I'd like to see the TJ fight. Yeah? Yeah, I like to see that. You don't care about that PED stuff? I like it all. Nah, the PED stuff, like, it doesn't really... Oh, you're the fucking man.

The PED stuff, if he's off it, he's off it. What are you going to do? He did it, he fessed up, and that's it. Just move on. You can't keep beating a dead horse. You know? So they're testing him now. As long as he's not on it and everything's fair, you fight now.

See who that better man is. He didn't lose the belt, you know? You got to come back. You like Kamsa? Do I like him? Yeah, of course. He's fucking crazy. Thought that fight was unbelievable. Gilbert, you know, that was not going to be a walk in the park

at any point not on the feet, not on the floor there's just no way Hamzat versus Colby you like that? I love that, I fucking love that the thing is this Hamzat's ferocious

he comes with ferocity you know, Colby has tenacity but he's ferocious he comes with ferocity you know Kobe has tenacity but he's ferocious you know he's fucking ferocious he wants to hurt you and like and but he's still doing it in a calm manner he's not like over overcompensating for really trying to hurt you for like over punching or over over wrestling in a certain position position. Just everything is clean and perfect, right? I mean, but he showed heart. There's no doubt about it. Gilbert put it on him, bro.

Gilbert put it on him. In another world, I could see that another way, you know? Gilbert put it on him. What about Diaz? It's kind of messed up with him. Nick or Nathan? Nathan. I just don't understand what they're doing. Like, why are they doing this? It's kind of messed up. Nick or Nathan? Nathan. I just don't understand what they're doing.

Why are they doing this? It's frustrating. The guy's been a workhorse and a legend forever. Why are we doing this? Why do this to the people that are your legends in the sport? Why do this? Yeah. I don't get it.

It's hard to watch. He's offered to fight so many different people. What's going on? I know. I don't get it. It's hard to watch. Get him like he's offered to fight so many different people. What's going on? I know. I don't know behind the scenes work, so I'm not going to pretend like I fucking know, but we need to get him to fight. Let him move on with his career in some capacity. You want to see Jones Stipe?

Huh? You want to see Jones Stipe? I'd like to see Jones fight somebody. Yeah. I'd like to see him fight somebody yeah I'd like to see him fight somebody Jones I mean

shit man I love Stipe but that I don't know if that's totally fair for him you know like getting like I think Stipe

should get a shot title shot you know he already has a win over him they're one and one give him the trilogy against Francis

fuck it you want to see it again why not give him another They're one and one. Give him the trilogy. Against Francis? Fuck it. You want to see it again? Why not? Give him another shot, bro. It's one-one. It's only right. It's only right.

It's only right. Everyone gets a trilogy. Right. It's only right. I'd like to see Jones fight somebody. I mean, for me, I know how I feel about it. I thought he was the best fighter I've ever seen in my life.

So, he's number one in any weight division he goes to, in my opinion. I think that he's beating anybody. He loses to Stipe, in my opinion. That's the beauty of this game. I can't wait to see that. And if that happens, I'm equally as happy because it's just beautiful. It's poetry. This is sport. I'm going to happy because it's just like, it's just beautiful. It's like, it's poetry.

This is sport. I'm going to let you go in a couple seconds. I just want to give you a few quick ones here. Okay. Yes, sir. We were debating this on the MMA Hour recently, and I'd love your take. Greatest diss track of all time. What is it?

Oh, man. Maybe No Vaseline by Ice Cube. Wow. I said hit him up. I mean, that's a good one, too. That is a good one. But I feel like every song Tupac made at that time was a diss track. But that one is like the diss track of all diss tracks, no?

It is. It's a good one. It's a hard hitter. It's a hard hitter. But yeah, I mean mean no vaseline just for the vulgarity of the situation you know my guy in new york rick was saying ether i mean jay-z's opposition to that is pretty next level also that's right you know like he had in mind he brought michael jackson out at summer jam bro like he brought michael jackson. It's not like you're bringing anybody. You're bringing Michael Jackson out

at Summer Jam Hot 97 Festival. There's nothing that... It's like bringing Prince out at fucking... Like right now. It's not even the capacitor. Just bringing Mike out is next level. That's fair. By the way, did you ever

meet Biggie? No. He was gone way before my time, yeah. Passover just wrapped up while we were recording this. Favorite Passover dish? Did you partake with your mom? Do you do anything?

I like to make kugel. It's not really something that people do well, but I've discovered how to make a, I like to make kugel. I like, you know, it's not really like something that people do well, but I've discovered how to make it incredibly delicious. I like like mac and cheese. So noodle kugel kind of mimics that for me. Cause you could go potato or noodle. You could, oh, you could do a mixture. You can make the noodles with potato.

Interesting. Oh, and what do you do? Just noodles? I just, I, I, sometimes i mix it up i do noodles and bread crumb you do noodles in different situations just to make a different uh different textures um would you put do you put fruit in it like raisins and stuff like that i don't i don't do a sweet one oh okay interesting okay i do more of a savory one with onion and stuff like that so it almost mimics like a mac and cheese or like a or like a stuffing okay and and now that you're health conscious will you have matzo ball

soup or no 100 okay yeah health kind matzo ball is the healthiest thing you could eat yeah that's true that's true why hasn't pitbull gone back to you in six years? You know what? His team DM'd me. They wouldn't give me his number. I just wanted to talk to him. I didn't want to talk to the team. They want to set something up. I just want to holler. It's good. It's been too long, man.

We have business. We literally have business. I have a song right now that I wanted to do a remix with. Me, MF Doom, and Pitbull. I already got Doom on it. All we need was Pitbull. And this was from 2015. It's been a long time. Okay. And you're waiting for it to hit you. I'm still waiting. And are you able to watch some of your old stuff? Can you go back and watch early days?

I've been talking to Logan Paul about this. He can't watch your old stuff? Can you go back and watch early days? I was talking to Logan Paul about this. He can't watch his old stuff. I sense from the greats that I can't even watch stuff from, and I'm not calling myself a great, but it's really hard for me to watch last month's stuff, let alone nine years ago's stuff. What about for you? It's shocking

actually. I watched the episode recently when I was in Kosovo and I was so happy i thought i was killing it bro it was a fucking walking house everyone's laughing and hugging me and kissing me i'm fucking a walking house literally it was crazy but i'm able to watch it all because i've i've gone through all kinds of like but as of like two three four years ago was the worst so from that era that's fucking heavy duty but i still find some sort of beauty in myself good man i don't hate everything about everything that's good i'm happy i had a nice shirt on you i mean your hair looks good huh you're lovable

you were loved that's the thing i don't want to just be lovable. I want to be fuckable. Okay. That's a great one. I love it, but I want to, don't just kiss me here, kiss me there. Fair enough. Is this album your last one? I'm doing, I'm fucking, I'll never stop until I don't want to anymore. Until it's not fun.

It's still fun for me. You know, I enjoy it. Because you said signing off in Sub-Zero. So I wasn't sure if that meant like you're signing off, signing off. No, I'm not. I'm not signing off totally. All right. No, no, I'm here to stay. I've been here for a long time and I'm not going anywhere. I feel like I'm aging really well. Beautifully. I'm preserved. I have lots

of natural preservatives. No sulfites. I love you, man. You're the best. You too, brother. You're the man. Action. Congrats. You're an inspiration. Enjoy the tour coming up. Good luck with the new album dropping April 29th.

Cocodrilo Turbo. You got to get the drilo. That's right. And yo, say hello to Montreal. I haven't been to Montreal in months now. I got you. It's a tragedy. Anywhere I should go eat that you remember?

Yeah, everywhere. Like a low-key spot. Chinatown. You know anything good over there? Chinatown. They got some good dumplings over there. Have you been to the Orange Julep? I have not. That's the place I need to go? it's a massive orange like a massive orange yeah on to carry literally you know it'd be sick by the way literally steps from tri-star

i might have to show up you know imagine you and where you at for right we won't get into when i hooked you up with one of the all-time greats to do a training session and fell through. I had fucking the Rona, bro. Oh, that's what happened? I had the Rona, yeah. You set me up with DC and I got the Rona. I didn't want to go see him. It was bad.

It was after I came back from Mel Gibson gave it to me. Stop. I told you. How do you know it was him? Because it was only me and him during the prelims, and he was all up in my face talking. Straight up. Straight up.

I was so excited about you and DC doing a video together training. I mean, it would have been next level. I would still like to get that done at some point. Yeah. All right. We'll figure it out. Anyway, orange julep when you're in Montreal. Tell them Helwani sent you.

Done. Love you. Thank you so much. Appreciate you doing this. Peace, my brother. All right. There you have it. Action Bronson, legend.

I mean, an absolute inspiration. Like I said, a renaissance man. He is on tour right now. He's got the new album. He's got the new single out. He's got the new album. He's got the new single out. He's got the new tour ongoing. He's got a ton of stuff. And he's always doing something.

He's teaming up with this person. He's dropping that. He's got this going on. The guy is a machine. And then you wake up at any point, no matter where you live, and he's working out. And he's carrying weights and dumbbells and all these, I mean, he's doing like a hundred pushups off the side of the road. The guy's nuts. He's an absolute machine, but he's a joy to talk to. I enjoy talking to him very much. And I hope you did as well.

And so I want to thank him very much for his time. I want to thank all of you for your continued support. If you want to watch this interview and it's fun to watch action as well, he's always in a nice state. If you get what I'm saying, go youtube.com slash aria hawani that's where you can find this conversation all our previous conversations we've had a lot of great ones over the last few weeks so go check those out please if you can rate download subscribe review comment do all those things that people say help these types of shows i appreciate it very much you give us a five star great you give us a little rating, great. A little download, great.

A little comment, great. I appreciate all those things more than you know. Love doing this show. Happy we're back and it's good to come back with someone like Action Bronson. So again, thanks to him. Thanks to the production team. Most importantly, thanks to all of you for continuing to support this little engine that

could. Enjoy the rest of your week. i'll talk to you next week take care Thank you.