The 25 Greatest Food Lyrics in Rap

From Sugarhill Gang to Action Bronson, we scoured hip-hop history for the greatest grub references of all time.

Chris Schonberger

We just tryin’ to eat.

This simple hustler’s credo has always been fundamental to the urban rags-to-riches story, which at its core is a fight to put a meal on the table, and to evolve from canned sardines to seafood towers. With this in mind, it’s not surprising that food has always had a place in rap lyricism. Yet reaching all the way back to Wonder Mike’s fumbling lines about dinner at a friend’s house on the seminal “Rapper’s Delight” (“I mean the macaroni’s soggy, the peas are mushed, and the chicken tastes like wood”), it’s remarkable how many ways MCs have found to slice and dice food references into their verses. Who would have thought that hip-hop would take it this far?

These days, Action Bronson reigns as the undisputed king of the culinary rap style, turning mixtape drops into food-blog fodder for the first time ever. But fans of food and hip-hop would be foolish to stop there: From Rakim’s oft-quotes bars about glazed donuts and fish, to the gonzo gastronomic obsessions of avante-garde MCs like Ghostface and MF DOOM, the grub references committed to wax go well beyond a zeitgeist-y shout out to Eataly. There are poetic odes to the humble foods of the have-nots, boasts about crustacean- and champagne-fueled benders, coke-rap allegories that conflate cooking drugs with cooking meals, and even a whole subgenre of lyrical homages to Benihana. It’s a smorgasbord that no rap historian could possibly ignore.

We’ve tackled the greatest food-rap MCs of all time, whose entire body of work demonstrates a commitment to the subgenre. But here, we’re celebrating the hottest food-related lyrics, period. The clips are cued up so you can press play and listen the lines—this is rap after all, so delivery is crucial. We’ve also argued the case for each reference’s place in the pantheon, and trust us—we have heard Biggie’s “T-bone steak, cheese eggs, and Welch’s grape” line. It’s not that hot.

Crank the speakers and gorge on the 25 best food references in rap. Got a favorite that’s missing? Tweet it @firstwefeast with the hash tag #foodrap.

Written by Chris Schonberger (@cschonberger) and Nick Schonberger (@nschon)

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

The lyric: "Come in the hood flippin' the chicken-and-broccoli Timbs." From 2Chainz to Jeezy to Lil' Wayne, using food references to describe the color of cars and their leather-clad interiors ("Gravy Mercedes, add the cranberry sauce"—Cam'ron) has become a pervasive trope of the rap music. But before it took hold, Big Daddy Kane set the stage by flipping the same poetic concept on a street staple that's always been closer to whip-less New Yorkers' hearts: the Timberland 10028 Field Boot. Given all the ways he could describe this coveted tan-and-green colorway of the shoe, the specificity of his reference is what's striking. You might think chicken and broccoli and immediately imagine a white and green palate, but that's your weak-ass, grilled-poultry lifestyle speaking. If Big Daddy Kane was coming through the 'hood to show out in his new kicks, he was probably also eating 'hood Chinese food, including stir-fried chicken and broccoli drenched in oyster sauce.
Kanye West, “Last Call" (The College Dropout, 2004)

The lyric: "Killin y'all niggas on that lyrical shit / Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips." Much of the rap-listening world had its introduction to Kanye on College Dropout, and it was lines like this that made folks perk up and start to take Yeezy seriously as an MC, not just a producer trying to steal a little spotlight. The setup to the punchline reveals his self-consciousness about being respected for his skills, but in this case, the ingenious pun absolutely delivers. (A whip, of course, is a car, and Yeezy is saying his white Benz is miraculous.)
Young Jeezy, “Put On" (The Recession, 2008)

The lyric: "Big wheels, big straps, you know I like it supersized / Passenger's a redbone, her weave look like some curly fries / Inside fish sticks, outside tartar sauce / Pocket full of celery, imagine what she telling me / Blowing on asparagus, the realest shit I ever smoked." As we've noted previously on FWF, Jeezy excels in two areas of food rap: Comparing cooking crack with cooking actual food, and matching the color of things he's eaten to various material possessions, women, and drugs in his life. While the trap-rap legend has plenty of offhanded references to grub throughout his canon (another favorite: "Supercharger, the same color as PJ / I got a champagne Range"), these bars offer the most bountiful grab-bag of allusions, reflecting the manifold ways in which he can see cars, drugs, and women as foodstuffs. Ultimately, he appears to be the hip-hop version of those famished cartoon characters that hallucinate the next meal everywhere they look.
B-Legit on E-40's “Gouda" (My Ghetto Report Card, 2006)

The lyric: "Aye, I buy the weed man / Hella turkey bags just to put my weed in / Oh, we gettin' chalupa / Wrapped cheese in a rubber band and call it gouda." Flamboyant lyrics typify E-40's unique East Bay rap stylings. Within his oddball descriptions, a vast knowledge of world cheeses comes in handy. "Gouda" is both the most famous and best example of his knack for flipping curds into slanguage. But what's amazing is that his partner, B-Legit, bests him by aping his style and kicking it to new levels on this classic cut. Just take another listen: He rhymes the Dutch cheese with chalupa, for goodness' sake! We defy you to find another MC who exploits food to describe stacking paper with such aplomb.
Joell Ortiz feat. Jim Jones, “Nissan, Honda, Chevy (Remix)”

The lyric: "So I meet him when it's busy at that Meeker / Morgan exit / Off that BQE near Mickey D's / And occasionally treat myself to a nice little fish and cheese / I'm really, really in the street." Over "Beamers, Benz, and Bentley" beat that spawned a thousand remixes, Joell flips the song's predictable flossed-out drug-dealer motif, instead shedding light on what the life of a hustler is really like (those luxury cars are actually hoopties, for one thing). It's within context that the line works so perfectly: Calling out the exact McDonald's and the exact exit lends credibility to the cinéma-vérité tale, as does the Filet-O-Fish order—a meal that serves as a marker of what it means to be "really, really in these streets," as well as a clear retort to the usual rapper boasts of lobster feasts.
Young Dro, “Grand Hustle Mafia" (Grand Hustle Presents: In da Streetz Volume 4; 2006)

The lyric: "What you know 'bout shark meat, perch, and tilapia?" Having a sub-speciality in food rap is a rare and wonderful thing, and that can certainly be said of this T.I.P. affiliate, who even in his short-lived career managed to develop a peculiar seafood obsession. This absurdist boast is already perfect on its own, but then Dro follows it up with this: "Alligator, dog meat, caviar—we mafia." Here are your keys to to the food-rap hall of fame, player—enjoy yourself. You are the biggest scrub in the building.
Action Bronson, “Tapas" (Peter Rosenberg's What's Poppin Volume 1 Mixtape, 2011)

The lyric: "I'm on the art and the food scene / Fuck rap, laying back eatin' poutine." Bronsolino fans will tell you that this whole list should be devoted to his deep stash of culinary references. There's no denying that Bronson has ushered in a new era of food in rap, bringing a true gourmand's vocabulary and sensibility to the art of rhyming. Still, while reference to tweezered parsley, lamb brains, and ribiola get food nerds going, going too niche has been the downfall of many lyrically gifted MCs, and Bronson's shining moments comes when he bridges the "wow, he's a foodie rapper!" and "wow, he's a dope rapper!" divide. The Bam Bam brand of braggadocio is on full throttle here, offering a knowing nod to his appeal outside the rap game and referencing poutine (poutine!) while still delivering a simple, effective couplet. Those layers are what great hip-hop is made of. (The same track also includes what is perhaps the first ever locavore lyric: "I'm known to eat expensive lunches / from the farm right to the table / air straight to the plate / I doubt you can relate.")
Fat Boys, "All You Can Eat" (Krush Groove Original Soundtrack, 1985)

The lyric: "Give me some hot macaroni and cheese / Give me some more food please!" Specialists in gluttony, the Fat Boys don't skimp on food lyrics, and "All You Can Eat" is a bonafide classic of the genre—with a Sbarro-hosted video to match. The lyrics speak to the specific culinary interests of Buff Love, Kool Rock-Ski, and Prince Markie Dee—these include whole pizzas for one and lots of beef franks, but definitely no damn lettuce. It's almost impossible to choose one line, but the way the Human Beat Box yells, "Give me, some more food PLEASE" really captures the omnivorous spirit of the whole track.
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 / 40-cal fettuccine, trey-pound pasta / You reach for this medallion, you must like Italian." Bring this one to your English professor and devote an entire class to it. The conflation of violence with pasta is a brilliant device, adding layers of poetic nuance to the pretty basic idea of blowing someone's brains out at an Italian restaurant. As Fab explains on Rap Genius, the line hinges on the slang term noodle, meaning brain. Using different guns he can put different types of holes in your head, almost like the various settings on a pasta-maker. In this context, "Italian [food]" becomes short hand for mafioso-inspired conflict settlement. If you step to Fab, it's not long before your head will be face down in a bowl of marinara—or is it your own blood!?
Puff Daddy, “It's All About the Benjamins" (No Way Out, 1997)

The lyric: "Yeah, living the raw deal, three-course meal / Spaghetti, fettuccine, and veal." Two pastas and a meat dish: Puffy's celebration of a classic Italian-American meal speaks to his status as a boss while simultaneously letting us know that he knows how to order like a pro. A purist probably wouldn't call these dishes separate "courses," but in a rap landscape littered with throwaway references to mobster eats, this one stuck in the popular consciousness.
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." Big Pun clearly liked his food, though his rhymes are less bloated with references to it than you might expect. But when he came roaring out the gates with this line on his verse from this legendary posse cut with the Lox, NO.R.E., and Cam'ron, he made a definitive statement: He eats everything and doesn't give a fuck what you think.
Jay-Z, “Maybach Music 2 (Lost Verse)"

The lyric: "Six-deuce every time, I never had the Heinz / Fifty-seven can't ketchup [catch up] to mines." It's a commonly held belief among rap fans that the best lyrics are the ones that make you wear out the rewind button on your cassette deck (or these days, the touchpad on your MacBook), figuring out the double entendre in your favorite lines. Here, Jigga achieves that with a deliciously clever conceit that only he could pull off: In discussing two versions of the Maybach, he nicknames the "57" model the "Heinz," referencing the number that appears on bottles of the brand's ketchup (it derives from the historic slogan, "57 Varieties"). That would be witty enough, but then he adds a ketchup/catch up pun to explain that he prefers the 62 for its speed. Masterclass.
The Sugarhill Gang, “Rappers Delight" (Sugarhill Gang, 1980)

The lyric: "I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast / But we like hot butter on your breakfast toast" "I played her close like butter play toast," rapped Biggie, and Jay-Z rhymed, "My shit is butter for the bread, they wanna toast me." But it was on the first hit of the rap era that this prosaic breakfast reference was born as a hip-hop staple. Master Gee sense of humility certainly didn't catch on, but this line stuck in people's minds and influenced many who would follow in his wake.
Juelz Santana, “You Ain't Got Nothin" (Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, 2008)

The lyric: "Haven't you all heard / Y'all all herbs / I stick toothpicks in y'all hors d'oeuvres." Juelz references everything from Jamaican rum cake to spaghetti and lobster in his lyrics, but this food-themed battle lyric trumps those more prosaic references. Eating the food off someone else's plate is always the goal in the Darwinistic rap game. Here, Santana gives that boast a hilarious twist by bringing it from the streets into the hoity-toity world of a cocktail party, painting himself as a loose cannon running amok and plucking canapés off people's plates. It's worth noting that the follow-up line is also tremendous: "I'm a shark, y'all just koi fish / (What else?) Octopus / (What else?) Oysters."
Rakim, “Paid in Full" (Eric B. and Rakim's Paid in Full, 1987)

The lyric: "A pen and a paper, a stereo, a tape of / Me and Eric B., and a nice big plate of fish / Which is my favorite dish / But without no money, it’s still a wish." Rakim Allah launched a thousand copycats with his groundbreaking lyricism—his style is the most emulated, his bars the most quoted. And so, while Ra wasn't a huge food rapper besides that other classic line ("Thought I was a donut, you tried to glaze me"), it's not surprising that his influence runs deep. Seafood would become the enduring obsession of the rap game, the ultimate gastronomic mark of success, and the guy who started it all was just trying his best to get a little paper so he could enjoy his favorite dish. It's crazy and beautiful to think about.
Notorious B.I.G., “Juicy" (Ready to Die, 1994)

The lyric: "Born sinner, the opposite of a winner / Remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner." Few rap lyrics articulate the hunger pains of poverty as succinctly as this Biggie classic. In fact, only Ghostface's bars from "All That I Got Is You" and and KRS-One's hustling-to-put-food-on-the-table narrative on "Love is Gonna Get You" ("I do it once, I do it twice / Now there's steak with the beans and rice") even come close. B.I.G. bests both with his simple and memorable message, anchoring his struggle in something tangible that everyone can relate to: a sad meal of canned sardines. Of course, he counters the meager repast with "brunches and lunches" by a pool in the next verse, making it even more awesome.
MF DOOM, “Gas Drawls" (Operation: Doomsday, 1999)

The lyric: "Cooler than a million, I be chillin' / Still quick to slice squares like Sicilians." MF DOOM's Mm… Food album is packed with gastronomic references and is, in many people's minds, the best food-related album of all time. And while it is indeed great, most of the eating lingo is deployed in the form of oddball slang and non sequiturs. So while it's not on his overt "food" record, this line stands out in DOOM's oeuvre for the masterful word play—Sicilian-style pizza slices are square-shaped, but DOOM cleverly flips the script and imagines himself as a violent pizzaiolo, wielding his knife on corny foes ("squares") instead of pies. (The image that this rhyme evokes, of a masked man visiting L&B Spumoni Gardens, is also worth celebrating.)
People Under the Stairs, “Eat Street" (Stepfather, 2006)

The lyric: "I head down west to the A-1 Burger / Where the french fries are fresh and you might get murdered." "We should rap about things we like...like food!" begins this wonderful ode to L.A. grub from Thes One and Double K, who shout out off-the-radar L.A. favorites in what should be the official Chowhound anthem. The joint is all about tracking down mom-and-pop eats without falling for the easy allure of chain offerings. The whole song is essential food road trip playlist material, but this lyric says it all—ain't nothing wrong with risking safety in pursuit of the ultimate burger.
Ghostface, “Buck 50" (Supreme Clientele, 2000)

The lyric: "Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious Dociousaliexpifragalisticcalisuper / Cancun, catch me in the room, eating grouper." Ghost has brought a dose of impressionistic weirdness to the food-rap game ("A-yo, this rap is like Ziti, facing me real TV / Crash at high speeds, strawberry kiwi"), but seafood is his enduring obsession. In this one bizarro couplet, we get the perfect intersection of both his specialities—multisyllabic gobbledygook, followed by a shout-out to a fish that no other rapper would ever talk about. The fact that Ghost ordered it for room service in Cancun is just icing on the cake.
Rick Ross, “MC Hammer" (Teflon Don, 2010)

The lyric: "She thinking Philippe, I’m thinking Wingstop / Fiending lemon pepper, I got my thing cocked." The unofficial restaurant and unofficial strip-club wing flavor of the hip-hop world both get a shoutout here, which is notable. But it's Rozay's extreme narcissism and self-serving approach to courtship that makes this line so quotable: He's not only taking his lady for some cheap eats, but he's taking her to a fast-food joint that he has a stake in. Cash back!
Rick Ross, “I Love My Bitches" (God Forgives, I Don't; 2012)

The lyric: "Am I really just a narcissist? / 'Cause I wake up to a bowl of lobster bisque." Maybe not a narcissist, Ross, but definitely a glutton. While we have a special affinity for the Ross line, "A nigga cheese drippin' / I like my nachos hot," there can be little doubt that this couplet represents the apotheosis of rich-guy rap. Lobsters are perhaps the most name-checked luxury foodstuff in all of hip-hop, but Ricky's early-morning bisque let's us know just how prosaic the highlife has become for him.
Action Bronson, “Nordic Wind" (Blue Chips, 2012)

The lyric: "Got the lamb rack, pan-roasted, laced it with fennel / Little yogurt that been drizzled over—might be a winner." What's game-changing about Bronson as a food lyricist is his culinary fluency, developed while working as a cook in his pre-rap days. Rather than name-checking the obvious luxuries, he's able to separate himself from the pack with references to foodie manna like dinners at Marea, plates of abalone, and roasted bone marrow. While this rhyming master chef act could easily devolve into parody, Bronson's talent is in weaving these sensibilities seamlessly into more traditional boasts. This line is perhaps the most indicative of his unique ability to turn cooking instructions into a hot rhyme. Who else could pull this off? None but Bronsolino.
Drake, “The Ride" (Take Care, 2011)

The lyric: "And you do dinners at French Laundry in Napa Valley / Scallops and glasses of Dolce, that shit's right up your alley." Make know mistake: Food references in rap are no less important to establishing "I'm up on this" status than nods to luxury fashion houses. Often, we associate this progression with Sean Carter, who on Kingdom Come awkwardly tried to establish his evolved tastes by working in a Ferragamo drop where others might have stuck with Gucci. Jay has also spit big-timer stuff about Nobu and Mr. Chow's (and there are no shortages of Phillipe references in rap). However, '90s-era high-end eateries are losing relevance, and a new set of keen observers—Bronson, Drizzy, etc.—isn't half-stepping with restaurant picks. Drake raises hip-hop's taste level by equating a trip to Thomas Keller's French Laundry—one of America's great fining-dining temples—with "excessive needs" on the Weeknd-assisted "The Ride." While most high-flying food references connote financial stature, Drake's sense of place also suggests he understands that where you eat is just as important as what you eat.
Digital Underground feat. Del the Funky Homosapien, “Food Fight" (Future Rhythm, 1996)

The lyric: "I'd be some mushrooms and cognac / I'd be a pinto bean gravy-smothered neck bone / Scrilla taker, vanilla wafer, baker, filler / So come on with your food slingin cause I'm ready." If you don't know, now you know: Shock G of Digital Underground and Del the Funky Homosapien laced one of the best food tracks, period, back in 1996, with a litany of hilarious grub references and the excellent chorus, "(Gotta bring food to the food fight!) / Yeah, bruh, we hit you in the neck with a cheeseburger!" The last verse from Mr. Humpty Hump is the standout, serving as an extended rumination on the old adage, "You are what you eat." After saying that "My man Nate would be a plate of bacon" and "My rich nigga Pac would be a lobster with hot wings," he turns the analysis on himself. A man made of mushrooms and cognac? Now that's gangster.
Nas, “Fried Chicken" (Untitled, 2008)

The lyric: "Mmm... Fried chicken, fly vixen / Give me heart disease but need you in my kitchen" This is how Nas kicks off what might be the most high-concept track in food-rap history, in which he and Busta Rhymes indict the unhealthy eating habits of black America. Nas' opening verse compares fried chicken to an alluring but ultimately dangerous seductress, even comparing the vixen's beauty routine to a piece of poultry being cooked in oil (a hot bath), rubbed in hot oil, and toweled off. Granted, the whole thing might be slightly offensive to women, but Nas' commitment to the extended metaphor is impressive nonetheless.

The 25 Greatest Food Lyrics in Rap

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

Kanye West, “Last Call" (The College Dropout, 2004)

Young Jeezy, “Put On" (The Recession, 2008)

B-Legit on E-40's “Gouda" (My Ghetto Report Card, 2006)

Joell Ortiz feat. Jim Jones, “Nissan, Honda, Chevy (Remix)”

Young Dro, “Grand Hustle Mafia" (Grand Hustle Presents: In da Streetz Volume 4; 2006)

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

Fat Boys, "All You Can Eat" (Krush Groove Original Soundtrack, 1985)

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

Puff Daddy, “It's All About the Benjamins" (No Way Out, 1997)

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

Jay-Z, “Maybach Music 2 (Lost Verse)"

The Sugarhill Gang, “Rappers Delight" (Sugarhill Gang, 1980)

Juelz Santana, “You Ain't Got Nothin" (Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, 2008)

Rakim, “Paid in Full" (Eric B. and Rakim's Paid in Full, 1987)

Notorious B.I.G., “Juicy" (Ready to Die, 1994)

MF DOOM, “Gas Drawls" (Operation: Doomsday, 1999)

People Under the Stairs, “Eat Street" (Stepfather, 2006)

Ghostface, “Buck 50" (Supreme Clientele, 2000)

Rick Ross, “MC Hammer" (Teflon Don, 2010)

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

Action Bronson, “Nordic Wind" (Blue Chips, 2012)

Drake, “The Ride" (Take Care, 2011)

Digital Underground feat. Del the Funky Homosapien, “Food Fight" (Future Rhythm, 1996)

Nas, “Fried Chicken" (Untitled, 2008)

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