Hip-Hop Legends' Favorite Foods

Contrary to popular belief, hip-hop stars cannot subsist on fame and fortune alone. They gotta eat! Let's take a look at the last 40 years of rap to suss out what your favorite artists prefer on their plates.

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Ghostface Killah — Ziti

Most of us like ziti, but Wu-Tang's Ghostface Killah loves it. Check out this lyric from "Apollo Kids."

"Ayo, this rap is like ziti, facin' me real TV / Crash at high speeds, strawberry kiwi."

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ghostface explained that he included ziti because, well, he loves the dang stuff. Now, about that strawberry kiwi ...

Drake — Scallops at Thomas Keller's French Laundry

It's one thing to rap about a favorite food. It's another thing entirely to rap about said food and the restaurant you are eating it at. Drake takes it home in The Weeknd-assisted "The Ride" by referencing not only scallops, but also famed chef Thomas Keller and his Napa Valley icon, French Laundry.

"Dinners at French Laundry in Napa Valley / Scallops and glasses of Dolce ..."

(Scallop photo via Arnold Gatilao on Flickr)

Ludacris — Fried Food

Luda, as his friends call him, has a deep affinity for deep-fried Southern staples. Not only did he call one of his albums Chicken-N-Beer, but he has many rhymes that reference artery-clogging delicacies, too. Check out his 2000 track "Southern Hospitality."

"Dirty South mind-blowing dirty South bread / Catfish fried up, dirty South fed."

E-40 — Cheese

Rapper E-40 has numerous references to cheese in his lyrics, from the song "Gouda" to his penchant for referring to money as mozzarella and the quest for cash as "cheddar chasing." Watch the man break it all down in this video.

LL Cool J — Cereal

They say ladies love Cool James, but, apparently, Cool James just loves cereal. His track "Milky Cereal" stretches the limits of credulity with bad cereal pun after bad cereal pun, but, as he says in the intro, "Ain't nothing like a nice bowl of corn flakes in the morning to smooth you out."

Cee Lo Green — Soul Food

Long before Cee Lo was a worldwide icon, he was simply a chubby hip-hop artist, as part of Goodie Mob, rapping about what he loved: soul food. He lays it down on his 1995 track called, appropriately, "Soul Food."

"A heapin' helpin' of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and collard greens / Too big for my jeans."

Das Racist — Fast Food

They may be known for their hit "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell," but that certainly isn't their only song that features lyrics calling out tasty fast food. Check out "Rainbow in the Dark" for a tribute to all things White Castle.

Nas — Fried Chicken

Both Nas and Busta Rhymes deliver finely honed odes to fried chicken on their song "Fried Chicken." However, even though both rappers love the taste of deep-fried poultry, they recognize that it isn't the healthiest thing to eat on the regular.

"Mmm, fried chicken, fly vixen / Give me heart disease but need you in my kitchen."

Edan — Pretty Much All Food

Boston-based rapper Edan produced what is probably the genre's ultimate tribute to food, appropriately titled "Beautiful Food." This is only a sampling of a song that reads like a trip to Old Country Buffet.

"I'm talking about Chicken la King / Mango and garbanzo / Tabouli / Grilled potatoes and vegetables / With roasted garlic and basil / Zucchini ziti / Granola fruit bar ..."

Action Bronson — Cooking

It'd be hard to write about the great intersection of hip-hop and food without mentioning Action Bronson. The man was a chef before he became a rapper, after all. He shows off his culinary skills in many of his videos, like this one for "Strictly 4 My Jeeps," in which he expertly prepares lamb chops. Mmm, lamb chops.

Rev Run — Pizza

The legendary Run–D.M.C. singer dreams about pizza so often, he dedicated an entire episode of his show Rev Run's Sunday Suppers to mastering the art of pizza making. It's tricky.

Rev Run's Sunday Suppers