Rap Lyrics about a Girl Who'S Chill
Girls, cars and jewelry are well-documented tropes of hip-hop, but anyone who listens to enough rap knows that eating is i of the genre'southward most pervasive obsessions. From the Sugarhill Gang to Drake, MCs accept demonstrated a constant urge to document what's on their plate. Sometimes, food is used equally a cultural signifier to depict the rags-to-riches journey, which might start with Hamburger Helper simply stop with filet mignon. At other times it plays into metaphors of consumption, with artists such equally Lil Wayne (who calls himself "the rapper eater") describing the ravenous manner in which they gobble up the competition. And that'south not to mention all of the food-related slang in rap: cheese for money, beef for grudges and so on.
To survey the full breadth of culinary references in hip-hop, we've rounded up 50 of the lines that never fail to hit us in the gut. Did we miss any of your favorites? Leave a comment here, or holler at u.s.a. 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 loftier speeds, strawberry kiwi."
Ghost explained this enigmatic couplet in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: "The rap'southward good because it's like ziti, which was my all-time food back so. 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 50's The Large Picture, 2000)
The lyric: "Come in the hood flippin' the chicken-and-broccoli Timbs."
Those would be brown-and-green Timberland boots, a must-accept fashion accessory on the streets of tardily-'90s New York.
48. 50 Cent, "21 Questions" (Become Rich or Die Tryin', 2003)
The lyric: "I love you similar a fatty kid love cake."
Though purists balked at this corny line, Fiddyâ€"always 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'southward AIM away messages for much of 2003.
47. Kanye Due west, "Niggas in Paris" (Lookout man the Throne, 2011)
The lyric: "That shit cray, ain't it Jay? / What she social club? Fish filet?"
We're non sure if this insta-meme additional McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sales or sent them into a slump. Fertile footing for an infographic, information technology would seem.
46. Immature Jeezy, "Put On" (The Recession, 2008)
The lyric: "Big wheels, big straps, you know I like it supersized / Passenger'south a redbone, her weave expect similar some curly fries / Inside fish sticks, exterior tartar sauce / Pocket full of celery, imagine what she telling me / Bravado on asparagus, the realest shit I always smoked."
...and so on and and so forth. Jeezy is a food-rap legendâ€"this snippet is just a taster.
45. E-40, "Gouda" (My Ghetto Study Card, 2006)
The lyric: "Aye, I buy the weed man / Hella turkey bags but to put my weed in / Oh, we gettin' chalupa / Wrapped cheese in a rubber band and telephone call it gouda."
It'due south safe to say that no rapper in history has known the proper name of more cheeses than Eastward-40. If simply he worked at Murray's.
44. The Notorious B.I.Grand., "Hypnotize" (Life After Expiry, 1997)
The lyric: "I can fill you with real millionaire shit: escargot."
If Biggie had written this song 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 there was Pebbles, times was crude / She was turning Trix, to get a Cocoa Puff."
LL sort of betrays the limits of his lyrical agility on this conceptual track, which is full of clunky puns on proper noun-brand cereals. But there are a few choice lines, and we honey the baroque way in which he says "Cocoa Puff."
42. Childish Gambino, "That Ability" (Camp, 2011)
The lyric: "MM..Food? like Rapp Snitch Knishes / Cuz it's Oreos, Twinkies, coconuts, delicious."
Hither'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 own (Oreo, Twinkie and coconut are slurs for people who are said to exist "white" inside despite the color of their skin).
41. Ludacris, "Southern Hospitality" (Back for the First Fourth dimension, 2000)
The lyric: "Dirty South mind-blowing Dirty South bread / Catfish fried upward, Muddied Southward fed."
Luda would subsequently release an album called Chicken-northward-Beer, merely it was here that he established his dearest for Southern-fried delicacies.
40. Edan, "Beautiful Food" (Sprain Your Tapedeck, 2001)
The lyric: "I'one thousand 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-listing--mode articulation from the Boston-based emcee is comprised solely of the names of different foods. To our noesis, it is also the only rap song to ever feature a shout-out to tabouli.
39. Das Racist, "Rainbow in the Dark" (Shut Up, Dude; 2010)
The lyric: "I'one thousand at White Castle, tiny-ass hamburgers, tiny-ass cheeseburgers, tiny-ass chicken sandwichesâ€"it'due south outlandish child."
The duo behind the oddball hit "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" celebrate their fast-food fetish once over again on this track. But don't pigeonhole them as lowbrow eatersâ€"later in the song, they hint at their refined tastes with the line, "We could eat the flyest cavern-anile cheese for sheez, ma."
38. Rick Ross, "I Love My Bitches" (God Forgives, I Don't; 2012)
The lyric: "Am I really merely a narcissist / 'Cause I wake up to a basin of lobster bisque?"
Narcissist? Maybe. Fatso? Near definitely.
37. Cee Lo Greenish, "Soul Food" (Goodie Mob's Soul Food, 1995)
The lyric: "A heapin' helpin' of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and collard greens / As well big for my jeans."
Before he became a global megastar with hits similar "Crazy" and "Fuck You," Cee Lo rapped about getting fat on delicious food in Atlanta.
36. Kelis, "Milkshake" (Tasty, 2003)
The lyric: "My milk shake brings all the boys to the m / And they're like, 'It'south better than yours.'"
Beloved it or hate it, Kelis'south euphemistic chorus has successfully cemented its spot in the pop lexicon.
35. Young Dro, "Thousand Hustle Mafia" (One thousand Hustle Presents: In da Streetz Book 4; 2006)
The lyric: "What yous know 'bout shark meat, perch and tilapia?"
That sounds like some large-boss pescatarian eatin' right there, Dro. Merely we're concerned about the residual of your nutrition: "Alligator, dog meat, caviarâ€"nosotros mafia."
34. Lil' Bow Wow, "Take Ya Home" (Doggy Bag, 2001)
The lyric: "I got 'em scattered, covered, smothered like hash browns / See I'm the best only ask around."
Dorsum when Bow Wow was still li'fifty, he paid homage to the famous hash browns at Waffle House, which you can get "scattered" (spread on the grill), "smothered" (with onions) and "covered" (with cheese).
33. The Streets, "Don't Mug Yourself" (Original Pirate Material, 2002)
The lyric: "Chatting shit, sitting at the wall table, telling jokes, playing with the salt, lookin' out the window / Girl brings 2 plates of total English language over, with enough of scrambled eggs and plenty 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 baked beans.
32. Action Bronson, "Tapas" (Peter Rosenberg'due south What'southward Poppin Volume 1 Mixtape, 2011)
The lyric: "I'm on the art and the food scene / Fuck rap, laying dorsum eatin' poutine."
After giving upwardly cooking for music, Queens rapper Action Bronson has quickly get 1 of the most fecund practitioners of nutrient rap, lacing songs similar "Brunch" and "Jerk Chicken" with culinary references. He even dropped a mixtape called Bon Appetit...Bitch!!!!!
31. Fat Boys, "All Yous Tin Eat" (Krush Groove Original Soundtrack, 1985)
The lyric: "$three.99 for all you can consume / Well, I'yard a stuff my face to a funky beat."
If this video is any indication, Sbarro used to be the greatest eating place in New York.
30. Fabolous, "You Ain't Got Nothin' " (Lil Wayne'south Tha Carter III, 2008)
The lyric: "My lil' man is on ya, Marlon and Shawn ya / Lay the beefiness on his noodle / Brand some luger lasagna / xl-cal fettuccine, trey-pound pasta / You reach for this medallion, y'all must like Italian."
Guns fabricated out of pasta sound like a gangster Giuseppe Arcimboldo painting. Side notation: On the same rail, Juelz Santana reminds us to never invite him to a cocktail party with the line, "Oasis't you lot all heard? / Y'all all herbs (yep) / I stick toothpicks (where?) / In yous hors d'oeuvres." Cheeky bounder!
29. MF Doom, "Beef Rapp" (Mm.. Food, 2004)
The lyric: "Beef rap could lead to getting teeth capped / Or fifty-fifty a wreath for ma dukes on some grief crap / I suggest you lot modify your diet / It can lead to high blood pressure level if you fry it."
The masked indie rapper crafted this entire indie albumâ€"an anagram of the name MF Doomâ€"around food-inspired samples (including "Would You Like a Snack?" by Frank Zappa) and lyrical references. Other tracks include "Hoe Cakes," "Fillet-O-Rapper" and "Kon Queso."
28. Puff Daddy, "It'south All About the Benjamins" (No Style Out, 1997)
The lyric: "Yeah, living the raw deal, three-course repast / Spaghetti, fettuccini and veal."
Vi years later, Diddy would put all that carbo-loading to good utilise by running the New York City Marathon.
27. Jay-Z, "Go Crazy" (Young Jeezy'southward Let'southward Get It: Thug Motivation 101, 2005)
The lyric: "More than a hustler, I'm the definition of information technology / Master chef, lord of the kitchen closet."
Sure, Jigga'due south talking about cooking cleft, not duck confit. Nonetheless, we capeesh his Gordon Ramsay-like vigor behind the burner. If only he would lay downwardly a poesy over some "buttery biscuit base."
26. Method Man, "Ice Foam" (Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, 1995)
The lyric: "Watch these rap niggas get all up in your guts / French vanilla, butter-pecan, chocolate deluxe / Even caramel sundaes is getting touched / And scooped in my ice cream truckâ€"Wu tears information technology upward."
Fun fact: That guy in the groundwork 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'south more Kobe beefiness than Japanese restaurants."
In the wake of Kobe Bryant'south 2003 sexual assault instance, Talib reiterates some oldie-but-goodie advice.
24. Ice Cube, "It Was a Proficient Twenty-four hour period" (The Predator, 1992)
The lyric: "No barkin' from the canis familiaris, no smogâ€"and momma cooked up breakfast with no pig / I got my grub on but didn't pig out, finally got a call from this girl I desire to dig out."
Best. Day. E'er.
23. Lil Wayne, "six Human foot 7 Foot" (Tha Carter IV, 2011)
The lyric: "Paper chasin', tell that paper, 'Look I'chiliad correct behind ya' / Bitch, real Gs move in silence similar lasagna."
Is Lil Wayne employing metonymy here, using lasagnaâ€"a dish associated with Italian gangstersâ€"to represent the mob as a whole? Or does he simply not realize that the g in lasagna isn't really silent? (Or maybe information technology is silent?) These are the questions that proceed the states awake at nighttime.
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."
Farther testify that Big Pun would eat absolutely anything.
21. Roots Manuva, "Witness (1 Hope)" (Run Come Salve Me, 2011)
The lyric: "Right now, I run into clearer than well-nigh / I sit down here contented with this cheese on toast."
Other rappers obsess over caviar dreams and how many bottles of Ciroc are at the tabular array. Simply Roots Manuva is happy with the simplest of English condolement foods: some melted cheddar, a piece of toast and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Lovey jubbly.
20. Snoop Dogg, "Nuthin' but a 'M' Thang" (Dr. Dre's The Chronic, 1992)
The lyric: "Falling back on that ass, with a hellafied gangsta lean / Getting funky on the mike, similar a old 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 Black, "Compton" (Guerilla City, 2004)
The lyric: "Keep my enemies on IV, once I toast them / Just like my bagels / Accept 'em like Christians over they head, smoking halo."
We could never figure out if this was some sort of subversive commentary on Jewish-Christian relations. Unfortunately, Guerilla Blackness'south 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 Decease, 2004)
The lyric: "You lot're lost in the sauce as information technology 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 make no moves similar a vegetable, you're fake like tofu."
Horrorcore legend Necro reimagines the local Chinese joint as a hellish torture sleeping room, where fortune cookies read: "Very soon in the future y'all'll vomit light-green."
17. Jay-Z, "Maybach Music two (Lost Verse)"
The lyric: "Half-dozen-deuce every fourth dimension, I never had the Heinz / L-seven tin can't ketchup [catch up] to mines."
This clever double entendre requires some unpacking: The Maybach 57 and 62 are models of Mercedes-Benz's 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 hither as the "vi-deuce."
xvi. Dead Prez, "Be Salubrious" (Let's Get Gratis, 2000)
The lyric: "I'm from the erstwhile school, my household odour like soul nutrient, bruh / Curried falafel, barbecued tofu."
Ignore the part nearly smoking ganja, and this ode to healthy eating provides a great rebuttal to critics who say rap music is a bad influence.
xv. The Sugarhill Gang, "Rappers Delight" (Sugarhill Gang, 1980)
The lyric: "Have yous e'er went over a friend'southward firm to eat and the food simply ain't no good? / I mean the macaroni's soggy, the peas are mushed, and the chicken tastes like wood."
In his verse from hip-hop'south foundational posse cut, Wonder Mike describes that awkward experience of going to someone's business firm and trying to weasel out of eating a crappy meal.
14. Drake, "The Ride" (Accept Care, 2011)
The lyric: "And you do dinners at French Laundry in Napa Valley / Scallops and spectacles of Dolce, that shit'south right upwardly your alley."
While most new-money rappers are nonetheless talking nigh surf and turf and canteen service, Drizzy separates himself from the pack with this knowing nod to Thomas Keller'due south haute-cuisine temple. We'd love to know if the French Laundry sommelier really recommended that Dolce for the scallops.
13. Fat Tony, "U Ain't Fatty" (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 nutrient issues, here's your theme song. Houston-based rapper Fat Tony raps bluntly about his body-image struggles, and in the video finds himself hallucinating well-nigh a waiter with a face made of pizza and a shop clerk with Kit Kats for hands.
12. Kanye West, "Concluding Call" (The College Dropout, 2004)
The lyric: "Mayonnaise-colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips."
While plenty of hip-hop heads accept questioned Kanye's lyrical dexterity, this witty flake of wordplay had everyone pressing rewind on his debut album. Whips refers to cars, while phenomenon may be a reference to the near-fatal crash that 'Ye survived in 2002.
11. Inspectah Deck, "Firm of Flying Daggers" (Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Part II, 2009)
The lyric: "I pop off similar a mobster boss / Angel hair with the lobster sauce."
Nosotros might go with linguine when enjoying a nice lobster sauce, but we know ameliorate than to mess with the Wu-Tang Clan.
10. Run-D.M.C., "Christmas in Hollis" (A Very Special Christmas, 1987)
The lyric: "Information technology'south Christmas fourth dimension in Hollis, Queens / Mom's cooking chicken and collard greens."
Hip-hop'south finest contribution to the Christmas song canon includes a rundown of Run-D.M.C.'s preferred vacation spread.
9. De La Soul, "Bitties in the BK Lounge" (De La Soul Is Dead, 1991)
The lyric: "Well, it was a Wednesday, me and Dominate Hog was kinda hungry / Like two eggs, and a slop beefiness slice of lettuce / And a 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 can I get to Mr. Chow's, Tao's, Nobu? / Hold up, let me motility my bowels."
In chronicling the nihilism of fame and wealth, Mr. Carter wonders how much fine dining one human being tin can stomach. #rapperproblems
7. Cam'ron, "Moisture Wipes" (Killa Season, 2006)
The lyric: "Had a drunken mind, guild wobbled out / Next finish: Start trouble inside the Waffle House."
Information technology'due south tough to choose just i foodie reference from the man who once referred to himself as "the sushi king," only this example remains an all-time favorite. Taken in the context of "Killa Cam," on which he calls himself "the hooligan at Houlihan's," information technology's clear that Cam'ron is a restaurant manager'due south worst nightmare.
vi. Juelz Santana, "South.AN.T.A.N.A" (The Diplomats'southward Diplomatic Immunity two, 2004)
The lyric: "I ain't here to vino ya / I ain't hither to dine ya / I came here to pop ya / And I came here for lobster / The whole damn shebang, and they own't bring the pasta."
This video always makes us feel a little distressing for Juelz: Fifty-fifty in the trattoria of his wildest dreams, he tin't get practiced service. Get this guy to a Danny Meyer eating place, stat.
5. Nas, "Fried Chicken" (Untitled, 2008)
The lyric: "Mmm, fried craven, fly vixen / Give me heart affliction but demand you in my kitchen."
This beloved letter to deep-fried fowl is perchance the best high-concept food rap of all fourth dimension. Nas and Busta Rhymes both deliver well-crafted verses about how the nutrient they love the most is killing them.
4. Slick Rick, "Mona Lisa" (The Bully Adventures of Slick Rick, 1988)
The lyric: "I went into a shop, to buy a slice of pizza / And bumped into a girl, her name was Mona (what?) Mona Lisa."
Eminem gives Slick Rick'south one-time-fashioned courting a more sinister spin on "Equally the World Turns," when he raps, "I met a slut and said, 'What upwardly, information technology's squeamish to meet ya / I'd similar to treat ya to a Faygo and a slice of pizza.'"
3. Beastie Boys, "3 the Difficult Way" (To the 5 Boroughs, 2004)
The lyric: "Oops, gotcha, clutch like Piazza / Sneak betwixt the sheets and so hide the matzo / Holler back challah bread...next."
Thanks to the Beastie Boys, Jewish foodstuffs like matzo and challah establish their style into the rap vocabulary.
2. A Tribe Called Quest, "Ham 'N' Eggs" (People'southward Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, 1990)
The lyric: "I don't eat no ham and eggs, 'cause they're high in cholesterol / Ayo, Phife practise you eat 'em? No, Tip exercise you eat 'em? / Uh-uh, non at all."
If you lot yearn for the days when a rapper could say, "asparagus tips expect yummy, yummy, yummy" and even so sound dope, this is the track for you.
i. Rakim, "Eric B. Is President" (Eric B. and Rakim's Paid in Full, 1987)
The lyric: "You scream I'thousand lazy, yous must be crazy / Thought I was a donut, you tried to glaze me."
Rakim is likely the most oft-quoted MC in hip-hop history, and this line ranks amongst his near memorable.
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Source: https://www.timeout.com/music/the-50-top-rap-lyrics-about-food-hip-hop
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