Chef 2 Chainz? Rapper embarking on culinary residency in Las Vegas
Hip-hop artist 2 Chainz is known for chart-topping tracks and club-banging hits, but he's not all music. The Grammy-winning rapper also owns a restaurant chain and is set to join a residency in Las Vegas in partnership with a program highlighting Black restaurant owners and chefs across the country. 2 Chainz joins Yahoo Entertainment's Garin Flowers to chat about his path from the recording studio to the kitchen.
Video Transcript
GARIN FLOWERS: How did you get involved in the restaurant industry? And what have you learned about succeeding in this business?
TAUHEED EPPS (2 CHAINZ): I have been in the hospitality restaurant business going on seven years in December. I have a great partner by the name of Snoop Dillard. We met maybe close to nine years ago. She had been in the business for a while. I was looking to get in the business. So I can honestly tell people that it's really-- I think it's a fortunate for me and a blessing for me to get with somebody that already had years of experience. And then it was tied into me traveling around the world, seeing ideas and concepts, being a foodie myself that ultimately got me into the game.
You're constantly learning when you're in this position. Being a Black restaurant owner and being open for more than three or four years is already a unicorn in itself, you know? I can't say it fell in my lap because it was something that I was looking forward to doing with some of the properties that I bought. But you know, I think the right situation came. I found someone that was passionate in the field to match my passion and marketing. And it became a pretty good partnership.
GARIN FLOWERS: So why did you want to get involved with supporting Black-owned restaurants and Black chefs with this project?
TAUHEED EPPS (2 CHAINZ): I just feel like it's organic, it's organic to me. I have a restaurant. I'm Black. I'm an artist. This is my lane. I like doing things that are very organic to me and have a strong correlation to what I stand for and what I do. And it just gets rid of the whole glass ceiling concept of people thinking they only can get so far, you know what I'm saying?
GARIN FLOWERS: I love that, man. I love that answer. What's next for you following this residency? New music? What's going on?
TAUHEED EPPS (2 CHAINZ): Yeah. So I'm about to drop a project called "Welcome to Collard Grove" with Lil Wayne. I'm trying to get it out before the year is over with, the year is already over. We have the photo shoot shot, the video shot. Just trying to get some alignment with both of our schedules. We're going to get out here and basically try to put a little life back on the rap scene, you know what I'm saying?
It's a bunch of great beats with dope metaphors. We're doing every song together. So it feels good to sharpen my steel with my brother. And I'm looking forward to getting great feedback from the fans once we put this project out.