The 10 Greatest Food-Rap MCs of All Time

Ranking: #7 Specialist subject(s): Restaurants, champagne, cooking techniques One of the keys to Jigga's transcendent career is his ability to act as a sponge for culture—he may not invent slang like Wu-Tang or flip brand-new styles like Eminem, but he has a remarkable talent for soaking up his surroundings and weaving every influence into a cohesive narrative. This skill has served him well as a gourmand, both on wax and in real life. He clearly has good taste in restaurants, taking the right cues from people whose sensibilities match his own. And while food is not an overwhelming obsession in his rhymes (at least not as much as champagne), he's shown consistency and savvy in his references, embracing the drug-dealer-as-chef motif and shouting out everything from arroz con pollo to Southern-style fricassee.

Memorable lines

"How many times can I got to Mr. Chow's, Tao, Nobu / Hold up, let me move my bowels." – "Success," American Gangster "Six-deuce every time, I never had the Heinz / Fifty-seven can't ketchup [catch up] to mines." – "Maybach Music 2 (Lost Verse)" "More than a hustla, I'm the definition of it / Master chef, lord of the kitchen cupboard." – "Go Crazy (Remix)," Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101

Ranking: #8 Specialist subject(s): Cooking metaphors, the colors of foods The name of Young Jeezy’s Atlanta rap crew, U.S.D.A., would seem to suggest some familiarity with American agriculture and cattle, but there’s no need to read too deeply into his connection to food. Basically, the trap-rap legend excels in two areas: Comparing cooking crack to cooking actual food, and matching the color of things he's eaten to various material possessions, women, and drugs in his life. Clearly, the man eats with his eyes.

Memorable lines

"Big wheels, big straps / You know I like it super-sized / Passenger's a redbone, her weave look like some curly fries / Inside fish sticks, outside tartar sauce / Pocket full of celery, imagine what she tellin' me / Blowin' on asparagus, the realest shit I ever smoked." – "Put On," The Recession "Supercharger, the same color as PJ / I got a champagne Range." – "The Realest," The Inspiration "Violation, that'll get ya ass knocked off / Texas Pete, nigga get ya ass hot sauce." – "Fuck Da City Up"

Ranking: #5 Specialist subject(s): Seafood, bodega fare, post-modernist allusions Perhaps the wackiest member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Tony Starks represents food-rap's avant-garde, using seemingly random references for impressionistic effect ("Grey Poupon is Revlon rap") rather than crafting straightforward puns. He also displays a deep knowledge of fish, going beyond the usual rapper staples—lobster, swordfish—to shout out more obscure species like grouper and halibut. And he also keeps it real when the time calls for it, discussing hood snack staples from back in the day—who can forget the opening to "Biscuits" where he yells, "Yo, who the fuck brought me this chocolate shit, man? I said a Banana Nutriment, man"?

Memorable lines

"A-yo, this rap is like Ziti, facing me real TV / Crash at high speeds, strawberry kiwi." – "Apollo Kids," Supreme Clientele "Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious Dociousaliexpifragalisticcalisuper / Cancun, catch me in the room, eating grouper." – "Buck 50," Supreme Clientele "Starks-ologist, fried fish halibut." – "Black Jesus," Ironman

Ranking: #3 Specialist subject(s): Cheeses, seafood, fruits, Red Lobster, cereal, WingStop... One look at the man and you know he doesn't discriminate too much when choosing what to eat (his interview with Bon Appetit demonstrated as much, detailing his preference for American cheese–cloaked tilapia and Honey Buns). Being a fatso with a lot of money means grubbing anything in sight, and Rozay's lyrics reflect the mind of an omnivore who sees food everywhere he looks—his watch is "fruity colors like Trix in a box," drugs look like "yogurt" when he whips 'em, and a "bitch [is] sweet like cantaloupe." His catalog of rhymes is an endless flurry of food and drink—never that interesting or clever, perhaps, but highly notable for its consistency. The Liptor Don is a certified food-rap legend. Memorable lines "A nigga cheese dripping, I like my nachos hot." – “MMG Untouchable,” Rich Forever "She thinking Phillipe’s, I’m thinking Wingstop / Fiending lemon pepper, I got my thing cocked." – "MC Hammer," Teflon Don "Am I really just a narcissist / Cause I wake up to a bowl of lobster bisque?" – "I Love My Bitches," God Forgives, I Don't  

Ranking: #9 Specialist subject(s): Cali comfort food Thes One and Double K hold it down for Los Angeles. The underground duo drops memorable bars relaying locals-only knowledge about the best spots to get a bite and hang out with your boys. Listen closely, and your inner chowhound will be more than well-fed. While they aren't prolific in their food lyricism, PUTS makes the list for faithfully repping authentic Cali eating experiences—including plenty of neighborhood BBQs—rather than aspirational surf-and-turf feasts.

Memorable lines

"I blow up, rock free shows at the Palladium / Afterwards, the crew I’m taking ‘em to Tommy’s Burgers"  – "Los Angeles Daze," Next Step "It's a lovely day and I feel like Bill Withers / Food stack on the plate, mad lunch and dinner." – "Anotha BBQ," Fun DMC "I head down west to the A-1 Burger / Where the french fries are fresh and you might get murdered." - "Eat Street," Stepfather

Ranking: #2 Specialist subject(s): Gluttony This hefty Brooklyn trio—Buff Love, Kool Rock-Ski, and Prince Markie Dee—released a single called "Chillin With The Refrigerator" in 1985. Turns out that joint was actually about Chicago Bear's defensive lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry, but later songs went straight to the belly. "All You Can Eat," from the seminal Krush Grove, finds the fellas licking their lips and going hard at the buffet as they "stuff [their] face to a funky beat." Binge eating doesn't stop there—the Fat Boys ate well in their feature film, Disorderlies, and a craving for pizza set the tone for the narrative to "Jailhouse Rap." The bars were never nuanced, but they were direct. Even in songs about picking up chicks, these dudes made a point to stop for refreshments.

Memorable lines

"Give me some chicken, franks, and fries / And if you pass me a lettuce, I'm a pass it by." – "All You Can Eat," Krush Groove "We took the top off and then we stopped / At the pizza shop to get something to eat." – "Just Loungin'," On and On "Ran back to the shop, busted down the door / And all I saw was pizza galore" – "Jail House Rock," Fat Boys

Ranking: #6 Specialist subject(s): Dadaist food rap Given that eating while wearing a metal mask is impractical, Doom's penchant for toying with the syllabic structure of various dishes and ingredients—rather than the actual act of consumption—makes total sense. This technique also allows him to privilege relatively obscure reference points—couscous and knish, for example—that give him a broader palate than most of his rap contemporaries. Naming an album MM…FOOD didn't hurt our esteem for the New York-bred MC either.

Memorable lines

"Oh, shoot the goose, she's loose / So wild you couldn't chase it down with straight fruit juice / Frown like the first time you taste couscous / Stash the deuce deuce, troops asking truce, truce." – "Kon Queso," MM...Food "Cooler than a million, I be chillin' / Still quick to slice squares like Sicilians / Don't make me have to hurt them felines." – "Gas Drawls," Operation:Doomsday "They left him trembling, he was not remembering: Never tuck your denim in just to floss an emblem / Some would debate you, 'Wait, the fella ate gelatin / Or he been listening in to what his Weathermens was telling him.'" – "Red and Gold," Operation:Doomsday

Ranking: #4 Specialist subject(s): Cam'ron: Chain restaurants, candy, humble comfort food. Juelz Santana: Red-sauce Italian, seafood, Caribbean fare The two lyrical frontrunners of the Diplomat movement have both solidified their food-rap cred over time, but they've each done so with their own unique flair. While Cam likes to flaunt his whips and jewels (which often resemble Lemonheads and other candies in his mind), he keeps it real with his dining habits, sticking primarily to fast-food joints and chain restaurants. He also appears to be the world's worst customer, bringing trouble with him wherever he dines. If his lyrics are to be believed, he incites brawls at the Waffle House, acts like a "hooligan at Houlihan's," and brings drama to Benihana. Meanwhile, Juelz stands out for pretty much mastering the motifs of aspirational rapper food, obsessing over mobster-style red sauce feasts and keeping his eye peeled for overpriced crustaceans wherever he goes. However, he'll also surprise you from time to time with oddball references to nachos and Jamaican food.

Memorable lines

Cam'ron "Them niggas pumpin' dimes, trunk pumpin' mine / I really make cake, you could call me Duncan Hines / Had a drunken mind, club wobbled out / Next stop, start trouble inside the Waffle House." – "Wet Wipes," Killa Season "Bad rap, cuties claim / Ass cap, put 'em in the river / I'm the sushi king / And I'mma keep ya fresh / Let the fish eat ya flesh." – "Killa Cam," Purple Haze "That's my man—anytime I holla, holla with me / We shared chicken sandwiches, they was a dollar fifty." – "Get Down," Purple Haze Juelz Santana "Haven't you all heard / Y'all all herbs / I stick toothpicks in y'all hors d'oeuvres / I'm a shark, y'all just koi fish / (What else? Octopus (what else?) oysters." — "You Ain't Got Nuthin'," Tha Carter "Bitch, I ain't her to wine ya, I ain't her to dine ya—I came her to pop ya / And I came here for lobster, the whole damn shabang and they ain't brang the pasta." — "S.A.N.T.A.N.A," Diplomatic Immunity 2 "She was Jamaican /  So I fed her bread and dumplings / Veggie pads and rum cake." – "Let's Go," From Me to U

Ranking: #1 Specialty subject(s): Everything Could there be anyone else at the top of this list? Though he's a relative newcomer to the rap game, Bronsolino is already the Wolfgang Puck of hip-hop, with more gastronomic references lacing one verse than most rappers have in an entire career. Who else could rhyme about dandelion greens and fennel without sounding like an idiot? It helps that the Queens MC used to work in kitchens before he decided to swap the chef's knife for a microphone. His comfort with the foodie lexicon allows him to maneuver through clever culinary double-entendre ("Checkmate / You’re like a Spanish roasted chicken / Break your chest plate") and rap about real luxury—rare wines, white truffles, abalone—rather than the usual filets and champagne. And by shouting out the likes of Eataly and Marea, not mention hole-in-the-wall spots in Flushing, he demonstrates his vast knowledge of the local NYC food scene. In short, he has single-handedly redefined the food-rap game, and let's face it—no one else is even close to catching up.

Memorable lines

“Bone marrow roasted / Spread it on the rosemary bread, lightly toasted / Drizzle with the vinaigrette.” – “Steve Wynn,” Blue Chips "On the art and the food scene / Fuck rap, laying back eating poutine." – "Tapas," Blue Chips "Aim at your apple with the archery / Chef with the tweezers place the parsley for me." – "Rare Chandeliers," Rare Chandeliers

In an age where Rick Ross appears in Bon Appétit and Action Bronson pens tales about blowfish binges at Morimoto for Grubstreet, it's safe to say that food-rap has gone mainstream. Just like the sneaker fanatics who played out their rewind buttons hunting for shoutouts to their favorite kicks, there's now a new wave of hip-hop fans who go just as crazy for a reference to abalone or lamb breast. Of course, talking about grubbing on wax is nothing new—in fact, it's as old as the genre itself. Even the foundational hip-hop record "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang devotes a verse to dining ("Have you ever went over a friends house to eat / And the food just ain't no good?"), and few lines are as heavily quoted as Rakim's "thought I was a donut, you tried to glaze me." But while it's easy to drop a clever couplet about food from time to time (we're looking at you, Fabolous), it takes dedication to return to the subject frequently, exploring its nuances and crafting a body of work that says something about the American culinary experience. Here, we celebrate the MCs who have made food their muse, and who have shown consistency, obsessiveness, or unusual flair in their gastronomic rhymes. This is the Food-Rap Hall of Fame. Grab a snack, crank the speakers, and let's begin. Written by Chris Schonberger (@cschonberger) and Nick Schonberger (@nschon)

Ranking: #10 Specialist subject(s): Red-sauce Italian, humble childhood eats, luxury staples Biggie's two best-known food references—one to T-bone steaks and Welch's grape soda, the other to escargot—speak to the duality of his relationship with food on wax. The man could go high or low. Perfectly placed childhood dinner references grounded his struggle and provided a foil to his rap-life persona. But he wasn't afraid to floss, and he proved equally adept at spitting about splurgy mobster-favored dishes when embodying his gangster alter-ego, Frank White. Biggie also had a very underrated talent: Knowing where to take girls to eat on dates. Finally, he gets posthumous props for influencing the decorated food writer Francis Lam.

Memorable lines

"I can fill ya with real millionaire shit / Escargot." – "Hypnotize," Life After Death "Frequently floss hoes at Roscoe's / If I wanna squirt her, take her to Fatburger." – "Going Back to Cali," Life After Death "Born sinner, the opposite of a winner / Remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner." – "Juicy," Ready to Die