Mentioning Family or Friends in Beef Rap

Girls, cars and jewelry are well-documented tropes of hip-hop, but anyone who listens to plenty rap knows that eating is one of the genre's most pervasive obsessions. From the Sugarhill Gang to Drake, MCs have demonstrated a abiding urge to document what's on their plate. Sometimes, nutrient is used as a cultural signifier to depict the rags-to-riches journey, which might start with Hamburger Helper only cease with filet mignon. At other times it plays into metaphors of consumption, with artists such every bit Lil Wayne (who calls himself "the rapper eater") describing the ravenous manner in which they gobble up the competition. And that's not to mention all of the food-related slang in rap: cheese for coin, beefiness for grudges and so on.

To survey the total breadth of culinary references in hip-hop, we've rounded up 50 of the lines that never fail to hitting us in the gut. Did nosotros miss whatever of your favorites? Leave a comment here, or holler at united states of america on Twitter (@thefeednyc) using the hashtag #foodrap.

50. Ghostface Killah, "Apollo Kids" (Supreme Clientele, 2000)

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

Ghost explained this enigmatic couplet in an interview with Amusement Weekly: "The rap'due south good because information technology's like ziti, which was my best food back then. I threw 'strawberry kiwi' on because I'm into experimenting. I was thinking of a mode to write without nobody knowing what I was saying except for me."

49. Big Daddy Kane, "Platinum Plus" (Big L's The Big Picture, 2000)

The lyric: "Come in the hood flippin' the chicken-and-broccoli Timbs."

Those would exist brown-and-green Timberland boots, a must-have fashion accessory on the streets of belatedly-'90s New York.

48. 50 Cent, "21 Questions" (Become Rich or Dice Tryin', 2003)

The lyric: "I honey you like a fat kid love block."

Though purists aghast at this corny line, Fiddyâ€"ever the shrewd marketerâ€"knew exactly what he was doing: turning a nation of teen girls into gangster-rap fans. It's safe to say that the line dominated the demographic'due south AIM away letters for much of 2003.

47. Kanye West, "Niggas in Paris" (Spotter the Throne, 2011)

The lyric: "That shit cray, ain't it Jay? / What she order? Fish filet?"

We're not sure if this insta-meme boosted McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sales or sent them into a slump. Fertile ground for an infographic, it would seem.

46. Young Jeezy, "Put On" (The Recession, 2008)

The lyric: "Big wheels, big straps, you know I like it supersized / Rider's a redbone, her weave look like some curly fries / Inside fish sticks, outside tartar sauce / Pocket total of celery, imagine what she telling me / Blowing on asparagus, the realest shit I ever smoked."

...and so on and then along. Jeezy is a food-rap legendâ€"this snippet is simply a taster.

45. E-40, "Gouda" (My Ghetto Written report Carte, 2006)

The lyric: "Aye, I buy the weed man / Hella turkey bags merely to put my weed in / Oh, we gettin' chalupa / Wrapped cheese in a rubber band and call it gouda."

Information technology'due south safe to say that no rapper in history has known the name of more than cheeses than E-40. If just he worked at Murray'due south.

44. The Notorious B.I.G., "Hypnotize" (Life Afterwards Expiry, 1997)

The lyric: "I tin fill you lot with real millionaire shit: escargot."

If Biggie had written this vocal today, he might have replaced escargot with "omakase dinners at Masa."

43. LL Cool J, "Milky Cereal" (Mama Said Knock You Out, 1990)

The lyric: "Then in that location was Pebbles, times was rough / She was turning Trix, to become a Cocoa Puff."

LL sort of betrays the limits of his lyrical agility on this conceptual track, which is total of clunky puns on name-brand cereals. But there are a few choice lines, and we love the bizarre fashion in which he says "Cocoa Puff."

42. Kittenish Gambino, "That Power" (Camp, 2011)

The lyric: "MM..Food? like Rapp Snitch Knishes / Cuz it'southward Oreos, Twinkies, coconuts, delicious."

Here's some meta food rap for you: Gambino (also known as comedian Donald Glover) references the MF Doom album MM..Food? and its track "Rapp Snitch Knishes," then meditates on biracial identity via some gastronomic allusions of his ain (Oreo, Twinkie and coconut are slurs for people who are said to be "white" inside despite the color of their skin).

41. Ludacris, "Southern Hospitality" (Back for the Offset Time, 2000)

The lyric: "Dirty Southward mind-blowing Dirty Due south bread / Catfish fried up, Dirty S fed."

Luda would later release an album called Chicken-north-Beer, but it was hither that he established his love for Southern-fried delicacies.

forty. Edan, "Beautiful Food" (Sprain Your Tapedeck, 2001)

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

This grocery-list--style joint from the Boston-based emcee is comprised solely of the names of different foods. To our knowledge, information technology is also the only rap vocal to e'er feature a shout-out to tabouli.

39. Das Racist, "Rainbow in the Nighttime" (Close Upwards, Dude; 2010)

The lyric: "I'm at White Castle, tiny-ass hamburgers, tiny-ass cheeseburgers, tiny-ass chicken sandwichesâ€"it'south outlandish child."

The duo behind the oddball hit "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" celebrate their fast-food fetish in one case once more on this rails. But don't pigeonhole them as lowbrow eatersâ€"subsequently in the song, they hint at their refined tastes with the line, "We could swallow the flyest cave-aged cheese for sheez, ma."

38. Rick Ross, "I Love My Bitches" (God Forgives, I Don't; 2012)

The lyric: "Am I actually just a narcissist / 'Cause I wake up to a basin of lobster bisque?"

Narcissist? Possibly. Fatso? Most definitely.

37. Cee Lo Light-green, "Soul Food" (Goodie Mob's Soul Food, 1995)

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

Before he became a global megastar with hits like "Crazy" and "Fuck You," Cee Lo rapped nearly getting fat on delicious nutrient in Atlanta.

36. Kelis, "Shake" (Tasty, 2003)

The lyric: "My shake brings all the boys to the thousand / And they're like, 'It's amend than yours.'"

Love it or detest it, Kelis's euphemistic chorus has successfully cemented its spot in the pop lexicon.

35. Immature Dro, "Thou Hustle Mafia" (Grand Hustle Presents: In da Streetz Volume iv; 2006)

The lyric: "What you know 'tour shark meat, perch and tilapia?"

That sounds like some large-dominate pescatarian eatin' right there, Dro. But nosotros're concerned about the rest of your diet: "Alligator, dog meat, caviarâ€"we mafia."

34. Lil' Bow Wow, "Take Ya Dwelling" (Doggy Bag, 2001)

The lyric: "I got 'em scattered, covered, smothered like hash browns / See I'1000 the best just inquire around."

Back when Bow Wow was still li'l, he paid homage to the famous hash browns at Waffle House, which yous can get "scattered" (spread on the grill), "smothered" (with onions) and "covered" (with cheese).

33. The Streets, "Don't Mug Yourself" (Original Pirate Textile, 2002)

The lyric: "Chatting shit, sitting at the wall table, telling jokes, playing with the salt, lookin' out the window / Daughter brings ii plates of full English over, with enough of scrambled eggs and enough of fried tomato."

Mike Skinner, the original don of geezer rap, refers here to a full English breakfast, which traditionally includes some combination of eggs, tomato, toast, sausage, mushrooms, bacon and broiled beans.

32. Action Bronson, "Tapas" (Peter Rosenberg's What's Poppin Volume 1 Mixtape, 2011)

The lyric: "I'm on the fine art and the food scene / Fuck rap, laying back eatin' poutine."

Afterward giving upwardly cooking for music, Queens rapper Activity Bronson has quickly become ane of the virtually fecund practitioners of food rap, lacing songs like "Brunch" and "Jerk Chicken" with culinary references. He even dropped a mixtape called Bon Appetit...Bitch!!!!!

31. Fat Boys, "All You lot Can Swallow" (Krush Groove Original Soundtrack, 1985)

The lyric: "$iii.99 for all you can eat / Well, I'm a stuff my face to a funky beat."

If this video is any indication, Sbarro used to be the greatest restaurant in New York.

xxx. Fabolous, "You Ain't Got Nothin' " (Lil Wayne's Tha Carter Iii, 2008)

The lyric: "My lil' man is on ya, Marlon and Shawn ya / Lay the beef on his noodle / Make some luger lasagna / forty-cal fettuccine, trey-pound pasta / Yous reach for this medallion, you must similar Italian."

Guns made out of pasta sound like a gangster Giuseppe Arcimboldo painting. Side note: On the aforementioned track, Juelz Santana reminds u.s. to never invite him to a cocktail party with the line, "Haven't you all heard? / Y'all all herbs (yep) / I stick toothpicks (where?) / In you hors d'oeuvres." Cheeky bastard!

29. MF Doom, "Beef Rapp" (Mm.. Food, 2004)

The lyric: "Beefiness rap could atomic number 82 to getting teeth capped / Or even a wreath for ma dukes on some grief crap / I suggest you alter your diet / It can lead to high blood pressure if you lot fry it."

The masked indie rapper crafted this unabridged indie albumâ€"an anagram of the name MF Doomâ€"around nutrient-inspired samples (including "Would Y'all Like a Snack?" past Frank Zappa) and lyrical references. Other tracks include "Hoe Cakes," "Fillet-O-Rapper" and "Kon Queso."

28. Puff Daddy, "It's All Virtually the Benjamins" (No Way Out, 1997)

The lyric: "Yeah, living the raw deal, three-form meal / Spaghetti, fettuccini and veal."

Six years after, Diddy would put all that carbo-loading to good use past running the New York City Marathon.

27. Jay-Z, "Get Crazy" (Young Jeezy'southward Let'south Go It: Thug Motivation 101, 2005)

The lyric: "More than a hustler, I'grand the definition of it / Principal chef, lord of the kitchen closet."

Sure, Jigga's talking near cooking crack, not duck confit. Nonetheless, we appreciate his Gordon Ramsay-like vigor behind the burner. If only he would lay down a verse over some "buttery biscuit base."

26. Method Man, "Ice Cream" (Raekwon's Only Built four Cuban Linx, 1995)

The lyric: "Scout these rap niggas get all upwardly in your guts / French vanilla, butter-pecan, chocolate deluxe / Even caramel sundaes is getting touched / And scooped in my water ice cream truckâ€"Wu tears it up."

Fun fact: That guy in the background yelling, "The ice cream man is coming!" is Eddie Spud.

25. Talib Kweli, "Support Offa Me" (The Beautiful Struggle, 2004)

The lyric: "Tried to tell you not to fuck with these debutantes / That's more than Kobe beef than Japanese restaurants."

In the wake of Kobe Bryant's 2003 sexual assault example, Talib reiterates some oldie-but-goodie advice.

24. Water ice Cube, "It Was a Skilful Day" (The Predator, 1992)

The lyric: "No barkin' from the dog, no smogâ€"and momma cooked upward breakfast with no hog / I got my chow on simply didn't hog out, finally got a call from this girl I want to dig out."

All-time. Twenty-four hour period. Ever.

23. Lil Wayne, "6 Pes 7 Foot" (Tha Carter 4, 2011)

The lyric: "Newspaper chasin', tell that paper, 'Look I'm right behind ya' / Bitch, real Gs move in silence similar lasagna."

Is Lil Wayne employing metonymy hither, using lasagnaâ€"a dish associated with Italian gangstersâ€"to stand for the mob every bit a whole? Or does he merely not realize that the m in lasagna isn't actually silent? (Or maybe information technology is silent?) These are the questions that keep the states awake at night.

22. Big Pun, "Banned from TV" (Endangered Species, 2001)

The lyric: "Champagne on the rocks, rockin' a Fort Knox Lazarus / Shark salad with carrots, pork chops and applesauce."

Further bear witness that Big Pun would swallow absolutely anything.

21. Roots Manuva, "Witness (1 Promise)" (Run Come Relieve Me, 2011)

The lyric: "Right now, I see clearer than virtually / I sit here contented with this cheese on toast."

Other rappers captivate over caviar dreams and how many bottles of Ciroc are at the tabular array. But Roots Manuva is happy with the simplest of English comfort foods: some melted cheddar, a piece of toast and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Lovey jubbly.

20. Snoop Dogg, "Nuthin' just a 'G' Thang" (Dr. Dre'due south The Chronic, 1992)

The lyric: "Falling back on that donkey, with a hellafied gangsta lean / Getting funky on the mike, like a onetime batch of collard greens."

File next to kombucha, Dr. Dre beats and fermented pork sausage at Zabb Elee on the list of stuff that's funky.

19. Guerilla Blackness, "Compton" (Guerilla Urban center, 2004)

The lyric: "Keep my enemies on Four, in one case I toast them / But like my bagels / Have 'em like Christians over they head, smoking halo."

Nosotros could never figure out if this was some sort of destructive commentary on Jewish-Christian relations. Unfortunately, Guerilla Black's flash-in-the-pan career didn't provide further opportunity to dig into his religious views.

18. Necro, "Food for Idea" (The Pre-Fix for Death, 2004)

The lyric: "You're lost in the sauce every bit it clogs your vessels / I'll undo the blouse of your spouse and give her my house special / My raps are hot and sour, they choke you / You brand no moves similar a vegetable, you're fake like tofu."

Horrorcore legend Necro reimagines the local Chinese articulation as a hellish torture bedchamber, where fortune cookies read: "Very soon in the future you'll vomit green."

17. Jay-Z, "Maybach Music 2 (Lost Poesy)"

The lyric: "Half-dozen-deuce every time, I never had the Heinz / Fifty-seven can't ketchup [take hold of up] to mines."

This clever double entendre requires some unpacking: The Maybach 57 and 62 are models of Mercedes-Benz'southward most luxurious line of cars. Jay-Z calls the 57 "the Heinz," referring to the Heinz 57 slogan found on ketchup bottles. The 62, which he prefers, is referred to here every bit the "six-deuce."

16. Dead Prez, "Be Salubrious" (Allow'southward Get Free, 2000)

The lyric: "I'm from the old school, my household odour similar soul food, bruh / Curried falafel, barbecued tofu."

Ignore the part about smoking ganja, and this ode to good for you eating provides a great rebuttal to critics who say rap music is a bad influence.

15. The Sugarhill Gang, "Rappers Please" (Sugarhill Gang, 1980)

The lyric: "Have y'all always went over a friend'due south firm to eat and the food just ain't no good? / I mean the macaroni's soggy, the peas are mushed, and the chicken tastes similar woods."

In his verse from hip-hop's foundational posse cut, Wonder Mike describes that awkward experience of going to someone's house and trying to weasel out of eating a crappy meal.

14. Drake, "The Ride" (Have Intendance, 2011)

The lyric: "And you exercise dinners at French Laundry in Napa Valley / Scallops and spectacles of Dolce, that shit's right up your alley."

While most new-coin rappers are notwithstanding talking about surf and turf and bottle service, Drizzy separates himself from the pack with this knowing nod to Thomas Keller's haute-cuisine temple. We'd honey to know if the French Laundry sommelier actually recommended that Dolce for the scallops.

xiii. Fat Tony, "U Ain't Fat" (RABDARGAB, 2010)

The lyric: "I was once a chubby brat / Chillin' with my mom, buying jeans off the husky rack / Skipping collard greens and beans for a Kit Kat."

If you've got food bug, here's your theme vocal. Houston-based rapper Fatty Tony raps frankly about his trunk-image struggles, and in the video finds himself hallucinating virtually a waiter with a face fabricated of pizza and a store clerk with Kit Kats for hands.

12. Kanye West, "Final Phone call" (The College Dropout, 2004)

The lyric: "Mayonnaise-colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips."

While plenty of hip-hop heads have questioned Kanye's lyrical dexterity, this witty bit of wordplay had everyone pressing rewind on his debut album. Whips refers to cars, while phenomenon may exist a reference to the nigh-fatal crash that 'Ye survived in 2002.

11. Inspectah Deck, "House of Flying Daggers" (Raekwon's But Congenital four Cuban Linx... Function Two, 2009)

The lyric: "I pop off like a mobster boss / Angel pilus with the lobster sauce."

We might get with linguine when enjoying a squeamish lobster sauce, but nosotros know better than to mess with the Wu-Tang Clan.

10. Run-D.M.C., "Christmas in Hollis" (A Very Special Christmas, 1987)

The lyric: "It'due south Christmas time in Hollis, Queens / Mom's cooking chicken and collard greens."

Hip-hop'due south finest contribution to the Christmas song canon includes a rundown of Run-D.Chiliad.C.'south preferred holiday spread.

9. De La Soul, "Bitties in the BK Lounge" (De La Soul Is Expressionless, 1991)

The lyric: "Well, information technology was a Wed, me and Dominate Hog was kinda hungry / Like two eggs, and a slop beef slice of lettuce / And a drinking glass of milk and some cookies."

This fine example of storytelling rap recounts the perils of hollering at women in a Burger King.

8. Jay-Z, "Success" (American Gangster, 2007)

The lyric: "How many times tin I get to Mr. Chow'southward, Tao's, Nobu? / Hold upward, let me motility my bowels."

In chronicling the nihilism of fame and wealth, Mr. Carter wonders how much fine dining one man tin can stomach. #rapperproblems

7. Cam'ron, "Wet Wipes" (Killa Flavour, 2006)

The lyric: "Had a drunken mind, lodge wobbled out / Adjacent stop: Outset problem within the Waffle House."

It'south tough to choose only ane foodie reference from the homo who once referred to himself as "the sushi rex," but this example remains an all-time favorite. Taken in the context of "Killa Cam," on which he calls himself "the hooligan at Houlihan's," it's clear that Cam'ron is a eating house manager'southward worst nightmare.

6. Juelz Santana, "South.AN.T.A.Northward.A" (The Diplomats's Diplomatic Immunity 2, 2004)

The lyric: "I ain't here to wine ya / I ain't here to dine ya / I came here to pop ya / And I came here for lobster / The whole damn shebang, and they ain't bring the pasta."

This video e'er makes us feel a little sorry for Juelz: Even in the trattoria of his wildest dreams, he can't get good service. Go this guy to a Danny Meyer restaurant, stat.

5. Nas, "Fried Chicken" (Untitled, 2008)

The lyric: "Mmm, fried chicken, fly vixen / Give me heart illness but demand you lot in my kitchen."

This love letter to deep-fried fowl is perhaps the all-time high-concept food rap of all time. Nas and Busta Rhymes both deliver well-crafted verses near how the food they love the most is killing them.

4. Slick Rick, "Mona Lisa" (The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, 1988)

The lyric: "I went into a shop, to buy a slice of pizza / And bumped into a girl, her proper noun was Mona (what?) Mona Lisa."

Eminem gives Slick Rick's quondam-fashioned courtship a more sinister spin on "As the World Turns," when he raps, "I met a slut and said, 'What up, it's nice to encounter ya / I'd similar to treat ya to a Faygo and a slice of pizza.'"

3. Beastie Boys, "3 the Hard Manner" (To the 5 Boroughs, 2004)

The lyric: "Oops, gotcha, clutch like Piazza / Sneak between the sheets so hide the matzo / Holler back challah staff of life...next."

Thanks to the Beastie Boys, Jewish foodstuffs like matzo and challah establish their way into the rap vocabulary.

two. A Tribe Called Quest, "Ham 'N' Eggs" (People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, 1990)

The lyric: "I don't consume no ham and eggs, 'cause they're high in cholesterol / Ayo, Phife practise you consume 'em? No, Tip do you lot eat 'em? / Uh-uh, not at all."

If y'all yearn for the days when a rapper could say, "asparagus tips await yummy, yummy, yummy" and all the same audio dope, this is the track for you.

one. Rakim, "Eric B. Is President" (Eric B. and Rakim's Paid in Full, 1987)

The lyric: "Y'all scream I'm lazy, yous must be crazy / Thought I was a donut, you lot tried to glaze me."

Rakim is likely the virtually frequently-quoted MC in hip-hop history, and this line ranks among his virtually memorable.

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Source: https://www.timeout.com/music/the-50-top-rap-lyrics-about-food-hip-hop