Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 12 april 2017
Rappers becoming fixtures on food scene

“Some of the folks in the recently gave his Atlanta
food industry are trying to tapas restaurant a dismal
appeal to a younger audi- inspection.
ence and associate their Action Bronson often
brands with that,” said Dar- rhymes in culinary speak.
ren Seifer, food and bever- The rapper, whose first al-
age industry analyst for the bum included tracks titled
NPD Group. “Jerk Chicken,” ‘’Shiraz”
But it’s not all about inking and “Brunch,” went to cu-
new business deals. Some linary school for a year be-
artists were busy in the fore dropping out and pur-
kitchen long before they suing music.
started making music. In an episode of his pro-
Rapper Flava Flav grew up fanely titled Viceland
cooking in his family’s soul show, he prepares chick-
food diner. Before bursting en cutlets with a sesame
onto the music scene with panko crust that he serves
the group Public Enemy, with Mexican chocolate
he went to cooking school sauce, ice cream, flam-
and says he once was the beed Hennessey bananas
head chef at the Nassau and torched marshmal-
County Courthouse in New lows, calling it “a fat guy

KELLI KENNEDY This Feb. 26, 2017 photo made
Associated Press available by WorldRedEye.
com, shows rapper Snoop
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) Dog, right, and Chef Guy Fi-
— Rapper Snoop Dogg eri, cooking together during
furiously stirred flour into a a demonstration at the South
creamy bechamel sauce, Beach Wine & Food Festival in
a whisk in one hand and Miami Beach, Fla.
a microphone in the other Associated Press
during a cooking demon-
stration with chef Guy Fieri. form shows like VH1’s “Mar-
He tossed herbs into the tha & Snoop’s Potluck Din-
mac and cheese and ner Party” and rappers like
spicy wing dishes with the 2 Chainz drop cookbooks
dramatic flair of Emeril La- along with their albums.
gasse, raising his hands in Mobb Deep rapper Prodi-
the air, spinning around gy, who served time in pris-
after taste tests and occa- on, recently came out with
sionally singing lines from the cookbook “commis-
songs like “Drop It Like It’s sary kitchen: my infamous
Hot” as a crowd cheered prison cookbook,” which
wildly. includes a recipe that
Wearing black shades, his mixes Ramen noodles and
dreads in a ponytail, the Doritos. You can even buy
pioneering rapper rushed Rap Snacks, honey jalape-
off the cooking stage and no potato chips with Fetty cover on top. York. sandwich.”
emerged 20 minutes later Wap’s face on the bag. Rev Run of the rap group “It’s like music — you’re R&B singer Kelis, whose mu-
at a nearby beachside On a recent episode of Run-DMC has also be- always creating different sic intersected with hip-hop
DJ booth, also part of the Snoop and Martha Stew- come a fixture on the food tastes, different flavors,” he and is perhaps best known
recent South Beach Wine art’s VH1 show, she roasted scene with the Cooking said in a phone interview. for “Milkshake,” went to
& Food Festival, spinning a whole pig, proclaiming Channel’s “Rev Run’s Sun- He’s had several restau- Le Cordon Bleu after hit-
tunes, including many of the new way to eat pork day Suppers.” The father rants, mostly centered on ting the charts, leading
his own, while a stage- was “nose to tail.” of six told The Associated his fried chicken, that have to a cookbook, a pop-up
hand passed out joints to “Nah, nah, nah. In the Press that cooking is more closed due to “poor man- restaurant in London and
the sweaty, enthusiastic ‘hood we say from the about family time and less agement,” he said. Rock- an album titled “Food,”
crowd. rooter to the tooter,” says about the creative process house Las Vegas is current- with songs like “Jerk Ribs,”
Snoop may seem an un- Snoop, who helped Stew- for him. ly featuring his grub and he ‘’Cobbler” and “Biscuits n’
likely guest for a festival art make a Cuban mo- “Music, like food, has no said he hopes to another Gravy.”
where high-brow food- jito, busting out a quippy language barriers. When restaurant. “I love working with my
ies come for $500-a-plate rhyme before toasting the people hear music or eat Rapper 2 Chainz, whose hands and getting to cre-
dinners to mingle with audience. tasty food, all of a sud- hits include “Champions,” ate something,” said the
chefs like Jose Andres and Earlier this month, Miami den we have something in dropped a cookbook singer, who is planning to
Daniel Boulud, but it’s em- rapper Rick Ross tapped common,” he said. with one of his albums, open a restaurant in Los
blematic of the widening Stewart to announce the Marketing experts say featuring recipes for beer- Angeles later this year. “It’s
intersection between food debut of his new album Stewart and the Food Net- steamed snow crab legs very different than music
and music that Snoop and on Twitter. The queen of work, which sponsors the and herb-crusted lamb ... you can’t really control
other rappers and hip- homemaking also includ- South Beach festival, are chops. But he’s struggled what you hear. They have
hop stars are capitalizing ed a photo of her holding using the partnerships to in the food business after to hear it, whereas food is
on, where unlikely pairings a cake with Ross’ album stay fresh and relevant. the Department of Health a choice.”q