Ever hear that saying, “rappers want to be ball players and ball players want to be rappers?” Well, that statement holds so true that you often see these figures dabbling in their counterpart’s field. Professional athletes like Iman Shumpert and Damian Lillard are always in the conversation for the best athlete-rappers. And vice versa, legends of Cam’ron’s game and stories of Dave East teaming up with Kevin Durant in Highschool AAU are more than folklore. And now, J Cole playing professional basketball in Africa. But what they failed to mention was these celebrities share another common interest, food.
Check out our favorite celebrities in the food industry.
1. JAY Z 40/40 CLUB (NYC)
Jay Z is often touted as the greatest rapper of all time but his business savvy doesn’t go unnoticed either. According to Forbes Jay Z is now Hip-Hop’s first billionaire. First opened in 2003, The 40/40 Club is an All-American sports bar and lounge in homage to the MLB’s elite “40-40” club, including Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano for being the only players to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season.
2. 2 CHAINZ
To say 2 Chainz has expensive taste would be an understatement, the southern rapper pushes his taste level to the extreme with his web series “Most Expensivest.” The extravagant foodie can be seen eating $500 23 karat gold dusted popcorn, $300 cheeseburgers, or sipping $600 coffee made from cat poop, on his quest for the world’s richest tastes.
3. NAS SWEET CHICK
The beloved Chicken and waffles combination is often credited to originating in Harlem, NYC. The late nights and early mornings of the nightlife conjured up a strange appetite for the sweet and savory. Arguably the greatest storyteller in Hip-Hop, Nas is a Co-Owner of Sweet Chick determined to have a different conversation at the table, pairing Hip-Hop classics and cultural pop-ups with soul food.
4. RICK ROSS WINGSTOP
Nobody raps about their food business more than Rick Ross. There is literally an article counting how many times the rapper mentioned his favorite lemon pepper wings from the restaurant chain, Wing Stop in which he owns several.
5. STYLES P JUICES FOR LIFE
The Lox is one of Hip-Hop’s most notorious rap groups with a pension for sex, drugs, and violence. But in 2003 after being incarcerated Styles P made the conscious decision to change his life and those around him. Juices for Life is Styles P dietary solution for a more healthy plant based lifestyle, in which his group member Jadakiss invested.
6. MICHAEL JORDAN MICHAEL JORDAN’S STEAKHOUSE
Michael Jordan is the consensus greatest basketball player of all time. He also has the best signature sneaker line for any athlete. Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse is the g.o.a.t.’s attempt at fine dining, commenting “I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets. A guy who loved challenges.”
7. JOHN ELWAY ELWAY’S
The Hall of Fame Quarterback opened his own steakhouse in Denver, and it is largely touted as the champion steak in Denver. The recognition is only fitting for one of the best Quarterbacks to ever play the game.