Action Bronson on getting fired from Citi Field, growing up in Queens, and MORE! | Café con Lindor

[Music] Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first episode of Cafe Gingor. I have uh somebody I respect, somebody I look up to, somebody I have learned to appreciate a lot, a two-time bestselling author, hip-hop artist. Oh my god. Um, a chef, TV personality. Uh-huh. And one of the coolest thing is Shulie Sinetic. Creator. Creator. I’m just a I’m just a What aren’t you? I’m just a I’m not many things, but I know what I am. A girl that I’m definitely a girl that gymnastics dad. I’m trying to do gymnastics myself, honestly. Yeah. I don’t feel like you’re ever too old for that type of thing. How How you How you maneuver now? I maneuver well, honestly. for a big man. I have unbelievable agility. Yeah, I’m shy. It’s crazy. I tell you what, I I’m not old, but the older I’ve gotten, I do some stunts and then I get up, I’m like, are you going through that or I go through that every day, but I work through it. All right. I work through it. That’s That’s key, you know? Like, you got to just stay you a lot of cafeesito, a lot of uh a lot of water. You got to be hydrated. I feel like you always got to move around and this heat is honestly perfect for the moving around. Yeah, the body is loose and limber. It’s like doing a workout in the ham or the sauna. What’s What’s the coffee to water ratio? Probably 10 to two. Coffee like nitro espresso. Yeah. Oh man. Cold. I like it. I like it hot. I like it cold. Yeah. Strong, not soft. Yeah. That that’s that’s talking about that. That’s why I created this. For me, Cafe Gindor, it’s about the circle you create. You know, coffee is the an amazing time to have conversation to to just talk about anything to be quite honest, you know. It just bring people together. It makes that circle tight. It really does. It gets me just I’m a blabbermouth when you put some coffee in me. Yeah. Yeah. I’ll just keep going. Let’s give you some coffee right now. This Thank you for your trick. What we got here, my man? We got a cheese iced sesame latte and a uh cortata for you. Yeah. Thanks, guys. It’s all cute. Yes. You did it right. You did it right. The black sesame courtado is something else. It hits different. It really does. I like I like to be a little bit a little bit uh experimental with the cafe also because I like it all kinds of ways. The black sesame to come here and have something different. I like to be I like to have my mind blown. I like sensory overload. I haven’t got into cold. No, no, no cold for me. I It don’t matter. I mean, it’s hot as hell right now. I’m I got a jean jacket and I’m drinking hot coffee. Yeah, but it’s for the look. Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans. Puerto Rico. It’s that Caribbean. Latinos, we like we like that heat. It’s true. Like you said, we it makes them limber. We move. Well, I can’t I can’t dance salsa when it’s cold. No. No. Only when it’s hot. Sao. That that size sounds it sounds like you have that accent. Oh, come on, man. You know, you know, I I don’t want to I don’t want to embarrass myself, but you know, surprise, surprise. You already know that. Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about how Queens you you were born in Queens. 100% flushing right there about a minute away. I love that. Let’s talk about how New York and Queens have shaped you into who you are today. I come from a an Albanian father and a Jewish mother living in Queens, you know, like I went to school with everybody you could imagine. Every ethnicity, every ethnicity has been in my home. I’ve been in their homes. Food, music. I remember in elementary school, we would have the cultural day and everyone would come in their traditional something from their home and everyone had something different. So culture is important for you. 30 kids, different cultures. That’s special because it it uses a little bit of of all parts of the world and you have a quote that says growing up here you see all parts of the world one million%. So I mean you know driving down the Roosevelt like you hear every kind of music that you could imagine like you know my favorite combo Puerto Rico group I love that type of stuff. These are my guys you know. Yeah. So, so you have a little bit of food in you. You have music in you. All the culture. That’s all it is. That’s that’s cultura, right? That is corta. That is it’s and it’s all for the culture at the end of the day, you know. It’s our roots. It’s where we come from, you know, like Puerto Ricans, we have Africans, we have Denos, which and then we have European, the Spaniers, you know, and it’s like you have this melting pot. Puerto Rican is such a melting pot. It’s just like wings, you know, where it’s like that’s why I love the Mets. That’s why I love the city because it is a melting pot. Our team is a melting pot. It always been. It’s always been and that I always I always believe that the the team always reflected where it’s from. And there’s not many teams like that around anywhere. But the Mets for the most part usually reflect Flush and Queens. Yeah, it really does. The one thing that I would always tell them is like, “Yo, listen. You got everybody selling the food outside. Bring them inside.” Yeah. Bring that experience inside. Let them have that. Bring have the woman. Every Saturday in the big Flushy metal park, they got the festival or the Colia. They have the lady with the little the karito and she has Coronas and beers inside the baby carriage. Bring that inside. I want to buy a beer from the lady with the baby carriage. I single field. That’s the goal. Bring queen to City Field. 1 million%. That’s the That is the ultimate goal. Make it Queensfield. Yeah, man. It already is. Yeah. Yeah, I used to work there. Yeah, I worked in the commissary kitchen. That’s what I say. I I worked in that. I was there when it was Shay. So, you were a head chef there? That’s No, no, I was my head chef. They really liked me over there, but I got into an argument with one of the people and there was an incident and I was fired immediately by Omar Maniah. Omar Mia. Omar’s my guy. Love that. Omar’s great. Like, so so that incident, was it something that you started or was it something that I don’t start, but I finish? That’s that’s what happened. That’s that Queens. That’s what happened. You know, like I’m I’m very I’m chilling. I’m working. And then there’s only so much that I had thrown over the table. It was It was a bad incident. There was some There was some things that I did that I don’t regret, but I probably should have chilled. Yeah. You should have stayed. But that’s what happened. I got fired and then my life took a turn for the better. For the better. Which is fantastic. Was this before your 2011 album or was Yeah, this was this was 2009. M. So then the album came out. Yeah. Well, I was still working on everything. I didn’t know who the hell I what I was going to do. I went back to go work at another place that I was working and then in that I broke my leg. You went upside down for me and took a crazy turn with the music. You have 29 basso players in it. And you much I think I have more and there’s more. If I showed you the books that I have in my house or baseball cards of people that are like random, you just look at one and oh yeah, okay, let’s rap about that guy. One stat line is your favorite, which is the very one. Oh, what is it? 328, 73 home runs, 137 RB. That’ll that’ll get that’ll get you a tattoo. So, the question is, what do I have to do to be in your arm? Oh, no. Yeah, you’re you’re going to get you’re going to get a back piece. The cookies with the frog in the frog. No, we we got to win a World Series. We win a World Series. Hey, you will. Let’s do something. We’ll win a World Series. I get back Labot and you get Lindor somewhere. We’ll just get matching Queen tattoos. There you go. We’ll do that. We win our series. We’ll do that for sure. You heard here first. We’re going to get matching tattoos. Smaller one. Let’s talk about you creating a shoe. Your first one was a 990 V6. Yeah, the back level. Yeah, the bird. That was a big hit. That was a big hit. And it was the first time that shoe was seen. To be honest with you, for me, this is just like another level of a It’s like another coloring book. I like to color. Okay. I like to I like to create art. I like to draw. I like to carve wood. It’s a platform that allows me to really put forward my my mind, my soul, my body, my heart through color. Yeah. And different type of texture. Yes. On a shoe. But at the end of the day, that’s culture also. Like I grew up with every I’ve had every single Nike shoe. Every like every single shoe since I was a kid. I was a spoiled ass kid cuz I had two twin cousins. The my my cousins Eina and Fatima. These girls. They were a little bit older and they had all the fire and they would pass it down and they would buy cuz I had this, you know, the kids size. That’s love. That’s what I’m saying. That’s love. I always respect that and they they put me on to a lot of things from a story of Queens. So now you hook them up. Well, they’re they got married and they’re back home. They’re not even like American anymore. Oh, they’re Oh, they’re back in Kosovo. They left Queens straight up. They they they’re not they’re in they forgot the culture. Not really. They know it in their heart cuz they they put me on champion sweatshirts, starter jackets. That’s cool. So, is it is the process? You talk about the the 990 V6. It was a way of you putting all the colors, you putting art to it, you print your mind to it. Do you start like, and you talk about a canvas like when I create my Lindors, I’m not good at putting things together. I’m good at just I’m a visionary. I I I visualize it. I see it and then boom, I say it and then let the people, the creative people, the designers, let them put it together. Is that something how you do it or are you actually like No, I’m a control freak. Yeah, I’m a freak. M I need to be there from from the root to the tooth. The opportunity didn’t just arrive from New Balance. It’s been years. Like I I think that my my relationship with New Balance is the truest relationship partnership with any company with any one of their partners. In a time where everyone would champion Nike growing up, I was wearing New Balance for 30 years like that. If there was any company I could have chosen, I would have chosen New Balance over Nike no matter what. So, the fact that I was able to, you know, to be able to get into this position, like this is literally all I wanted. Yeah. This this is what I wanted. This is massive. It’s massive. And I just needed to get my foot in the door, man. I’ve been a sneaker collector and, you know, my whole life. And to be able to put my stamp on something that is so near and dear to my heart, there’s like like what else can I have asked for? I’ve done so much stuff in my career. Yeah. musically, visually, this, that. I’ve really done enough through many lifetimes, but I still keep going because I that’s that’s what I want to do. Yeah. I enjoy. And you haven’t messed with your shoes. I appreciate you. You haven’t messed I mean, you know, from the from the minimist to the runners to the lifestyle shoes. I mean, I got them all thanks to you. Of course you always have them all. Much love. I got them all. And they hit different. You know, every shoe has a story. Every shoe has unique space. They’re fun to look at. At first, the colors, cuz I’m more into like my outfits are like a little loud, so then my shoes kind of tend to be more neutral. I go I do it the opposite way. I I can tell. I can tell. You see like this and then bow. Yeah. Yeah. No, I see you. I see it. I am I’ve liked how you bring colors, how you bring textures to the point that the Lindor threes that I’m coming out with, that’s one of the biggest things I continue to emphasize. I was like, I need texture. I need texture. Yeah. I need those little hidden features that tells stories. Exactly. It tells a story and and it tells a story that might not make sense in the moment to your point, but eventually 5 10 years from today, people are going to be like, “Oh man, that makes a lot of sense.” Yeah. Well, it just got kind of makes sense to you. Like when we did the the the Lindor once with my colorway. Yeah. We put the diamond grid on the on the toe. Yes. And just that it just made it pop even crazier. Mhm. Just like these little things, these little added peaks and valleys. And out of all these things you have accomplished in your career, do you have one favorite thing or one thing that says, you know what, this I did this for my family. I did this because this is what I always wanted. None of that. No, I never I never wanted I never had dreams. I wanted to be on TV. So, yeah, because I wanted my mom and my dad to see me back in Puerto Rico, you know. The only thing I knew is I didn’t know big leagues was I didn’t know what big leagues were. I just I didn’t know I I just wanted to be on TV because I keep on watching Little League Wars series and watching all these all these kids on TV. I’m like, I want my mom and dad to be able to see me and be proud. You right. What is it about sports? Cuz you you like handball. I love everything. Love baseball. You were a seventime batting champion growing up in Queens. No, I swear to you. Wait until you see me sweating. I can’t wait. Actually, let me let me get the bat. I I brought you a bat. You brought it for me? I Come on, man. Come on. Yeah. There you go. Just take it out of the wrap. Get me a Francisco Endor back. This is it. What? That that’s my brother. This bed is gorgeous. That’s art. No, this is gorgeous. Maruchi did their thing. Did you design it like this? Yeah. Yeah. I wanted flame tempered. So the way they flame flame tempered and then half. Yes. Yo, this is That’s it. This is incredible. Enjoy my brother. Oh my god. This is Now we got to get you to be eight times Valentine. And with this it’s over. I need to put some stick on it though. Otherwise it’ll it’ll fly. Bye-bye. I thought I would bring you batting gloves, but look at this. Let me see. Look at this. That’s it. That’s the vibe. Let me see the batting stance. Okay, that’s a flick of Wait, that’s that workout stuff. Don’t swing now. You got to let it go easy. The elbow. Yeah, you dropping the elbow. Dropping the elbow into the slot. A It’s over. It’s over. Trust me, it’s over. Ah, I don’t want to show you Instagram videos of he throwing DP to me, but man, CC was in the building and he was like, “Yo, those are gone.” Yeah, he’s a pitcher. He knows. You got to take it to City Field. Let’s take you City Field. Let let you hit a couple out. Done. Yeah, we get definitely got to do that. Thank you, man. That’s a that’s a little gift, my brother. Just much love. You always take care of me. And this is really beautiful. Incredible job. You’re an inspiration to a lot of people in the city, a lot of people around the world. You have touched a lot of people throughout your lifetime and and I don’t even want to hit with this. No, you don’t worry. Hey, I got I got another one. It’s all good. We’re coming to the end of Cafe Lindor. We got my boy here action. It was an amazing talks. Um great inspiration uh that this guy is for not just for me but for a lot of people around the world. So just make sure you check out Cafe Golindor action right here and much love people. Peace. [Music]

On the first episode of Café Con Lindor, Mets Superstar Francisco Lindor sits down with Queens native Action Bronson to discuss fashion, food, and much more on Café Con Lindor

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