The rappers behind the group Year of the OX have a new track that celebrates Asian cuisine while criticizing cultural appropriation in the food world. At the beginning of the song, rhyme-spitters LYRICKS & JL lay it all out on the table: “I get mad as fuck when I see our foods getting gentrified for the mass to love. Why they selling kimchi for 30 bucks at the gastropub? If it don’t stink it ain’t real — don’t mask it up.”
The two MCs then launch into an alphabetical ode to 26 Asian dishes, starting with abalone, banh mi, and congee. In between rhyming about their favorite foods, JL and LYRICKS take bites form a frequently replenished spread that includes, at various points in the video, hot pot, sushi, rice dishes, banchan, and a bevy of grilled meats.
There’s still 51 weeks left in 2018, but this may very well prove to be the greatest food-themed rap video of the year.
• Year of the Ox [Facebook]
• This Rap About Authentic Ethnic Food Is The Asian-American Anthem We Need [HP]
