Following the birth of a son and around the time he released the 2020 full-length
Only for Dolphins
,
Action Bronson
began focusing on his health, adopting a better eating regimen as well as taking up boxing and rigorous training. He soon lost over 125 pounds, and wrote a self-improvement book (F*ck It, I'll Start Tomorrow: A True Story) chronicling his journey.
Cocodrillo Turbo
, his seventh album, is the most motivated the rapper has sounded in years. Apart from the occasional reference to his current figure ("Standing at a weight around 248/Ain't none of it bacon"), the record is hardly reflective, however. A wild fantasy world filled with bizarre animal-themed lyrics and the usual edgy braggadocio, the album's production (by beatmakers such as
the Alchemist
Griselda
associate
Daringer
Mono En Stereo
, and
Bronson
himself) piles zoo sounds and trippy echo effects on tracks crafted out of punch-drunk jazz and sideways psychedelia, seemingly shooting for sheer outlandishness above all else. The cartoonish sinister laughter throughout "Tongpo" is a perfect match for
Conway the Machine
's signature giggling ad-libs.
gets overexcited and interrupts
Hologram
's verse during "Estaciones," quickly apologizing and letting his guest start over. He maintains that level of energy on absurd capers like "Subzero," and sounds breathless even on some of the slower, less intense tracks. The way he repeats the line "I need the money on the table by this morning" during "Turkish" is the closest thing to a hook on the entire album, but there's loads of one-liners that are just as memorable. A typically murky
Roc Marciano
feature kicks off "Zambezi," and the brief, exuberant "Ninety One" precedes "Storm of the Century," an unexpectedly moody finale filled with roaring thunder, bluesy guitar licks, and noirish saxophone by
Yung Mehico
. ~ Paul Simpson