A quick search for chefs on TikTok will deliver everything from Kool-Aid milk to chocolate mousse. But when it comes to cooking with creativity, very few people in the game are doing it like Josh Williford. As The Rapping Chef (@_mrpyrex), he entertains his over 1.2 million TikTok followers by remixing hot hip hop tracks and spitting original bars while cooking up delicious recipes.
His videos have received over 8 million likes and caught the attention of the folks at The Kelly Clarkson Show who featured him in her “What I’m Liking” segment. He even got some praise from the usually crotchety celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey for his cover of Drake and Jay-Z’s “Pound Cake” as he whipped up a golden creme brulee. And if all of that wasn’t enough, The Rapping Chef’s viral success helped him land a partnership with Denny’s, who featured his original Brisket All-Melt sandwich on their menu at select restaurants. We got a chance to catch up with The Rapping Chef about what goes into creating his enjoyable videos and how he’s able to make cooking catfish and grits a whole lot of fun.
The Texas-based rapper/chef says he counts Jay-Z, Drake, Lil Wayne, Gunna, and Pusha T among his favorite rappers. But he adds that the inspiration for the bars he spits in his videos comes from his food. “My rhymes are 100 percent inspired by the meal I’m making. From the taste to the smell to the ingredients I’m using,” he said.
In case you were wondering how long it takes him to put together the creative soundtrack to his cooking videos, Williford says it all depends on what’s on the menu. “My videos depend on what I’m cooking. I can edit and write a rap in about 30 minutes for a simple meal,” he said. “[But] if I’m cooking something that takes hours to make, then it’s a two-day process.” Going forward, The Rapping Chef plans to keep cranking out videos that keep his fans coming back. “I just try to do what’s popular, and most of all, what I like,” he said.