Action Bronson, Saweetie And More – VIBE.com
Hip-Hop has had a long fascination with food, exhibited by the countless food, drink and restaurant references found within the genre.
Whether used as a simile (“Gettin’ funky on the mic like an old batch of collard greens“), metaphor, (“Watch these rap ni**as get all up in your guts, French vanilla, butter pecan, chocolate deluxe“), or as a means of inspiration (“Remember when we used to eat sardines for dinner…birthdays were the worst days, now we sip champagne when we thirsty”), Hip-Hop has a way with crafting culinary bars that allow listeners to immerse themselves so deeply, they can taste it.
Foodies who also happen to love Hip-Hop are currently preparing for the New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) Oct. 12-15, as the four day event will be hosting ‘The Cookout: Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary Celebration’ featuring Rev Run, Ice-T and DJ Cassidy on Oct. 15. In addition to catching Hip-Hop 50 performances, attendees will enjoy tastings from the city’s most talented Black chefs alongside hosts Angela Yee and Tamron Hall.
In anticipation of the festival, check out these Hip-Hop and R&B foodies known for their passion on the mic and in the kitchen.
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Action Bronson
Image Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for NYCWFF) Action Bronson’s love for food is a well-documented one, as the Queens rapper and former chef has starred in his own culinary documentary series, F*ck, That’s Delicious, since 2016. He’s also dropped several lists of his favorite spots to eat in his native NYC and around the world.
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Kelis
Image Credit: Instagram Kelis graduated from famed culinary school, Le Corden Bleu, as a saucier in 2010 and has gone on to pen cookbook My Life On A Plate and start her own culinary and beauty brand, Bounty & Full.
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Snoop Dogg
Image Credit: Brian Feinzimer/Getty Images. Snoop Dogg may not be the first person you think of when Hip-Hop foodies come to mind, but thanks to his relationship with Martha Stewart, the Long Beach OG does have a bit of experience under his belt. So much so, that he felt confident enough to drop his own cookbook, From Crook To Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg’s Kitchen, incorporating newly-learned techniques with the hood recipes he grew up on.
He also collaborated with Master P on his own Snoop Cereal.
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Bun B
Bun B brought his love of burgers to his native Houston with Trill Burgers, where its signature item went on to not only be deemed the best burger in the city, but in America after winning Good Morning America’s Best Burger Competition in 2022.
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Saweetie
Image Credit: Instagram Saweetie’s taste in food has been widely debated, as some deem her seemingly random meal combos (Hot Cheeto pizza, for instance) as adventurous while others simply don’t get it. It makes no difference to the Bay Area native, however, as she continues to share her unique tastes via Instagram or even YouTube, Mukbang style.
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Flavor Flav
Image Credit: Photo by Karen Neal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. With a name like Flavor Flav, or course the Public Enemy hypeman has experience in the kitchen, first learning the basics while working in his parents’ Freeport, Long Island diner.
He takes particular pride in his fried chicken, even telling renowned chef Wolfgang Puck that they should have a “chicken standoff” to see who is really the best. He also opened a short-lived chicken restaurant in Iowa back in 2011.
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2 Chainz
Image Credit: YouTube screenshot 2 Chainz‘s love of fine dining is well documented on social media, his Most Expensivest Sh*t YouTube series and via his 2013 cookbook Meal Time.
He also owns Atlanta’s Escobar Restaurant, which recently landed a residency in Las Vegas.
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Mia X
Image Credit: Youtube screenshot. The No Limit veteran has been whippin dem pots for decades, dropping her own cookbook, Things My Grandma Told Things My Grandma Showed Me, in 2021.
She’s so dedicated to her culinary journey, that the New Orleans MC took the reins as her Team Whip Dem Pots served up hundreds during the 2022 Rock The Bells Festival in NYC.
“I’m really serving my own damn food. I really cooked my own damn food,” she said in a clip posted to Instagram.
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