The Rapping Chef
Is Cooking Up More Than Just Beets In The Stew
By Bailey Meyers
The Rapping Chef of TikTok, @_mrpyrex, is standing out for his unique blend of talents and viral recipe TikToks that make even the notorious Gordon Ramsey sing along and offer praise. Less than a year into making TikToks, the chef-turned-rapper has already caused waves online and even worked to collaborate with big names like Dennys and Betty Crocker. We recently spoke to The Rapping Chef about rapping, cooking, his climb in FoodTok, and plans for the future.
Josh Williford started on TikTok just this past year while working as a private chef for NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady, “who's also my older brother.” And The Rapping Chef told us that his start began in T-Mac’s kitchen; “I was cooking in his really big, nice kitchen and I was like, let me get some content.” Having worked at a few restaurants prior to becoming a career chef, The Rapping Chef had the technical know-how to make killer food content but needed something to set him apart. “I started rapping the recipe because I wanted to be different. All the food creators, they’re trying to find something different to do, so hey, that’s exactly what I did.”
The Rapping Chef wasn’t always just a chef, though. “I’m 32 right now, but when I was 21 or 22 I did pursue a rap career, made a few videos, dropped a few mixtapes, and as I got older I was like, ok, this really ain't for me, so I started cooking... and the flow has always been there, so I never lost the flow.” That flow has helped The Rapping Chef’s TikTok account amass a devoted following of over 800k food and music lovers.
In the beginning, “The first video that really went— I don’t want to say viral, but got a lot of views—was the bread pudding one that I did to the Doja Cat instrumental. That one started to go crazy and that gave me a boost of confidence to keep going, and now I’m still going.” Since then, the chef/rapper’s recipes have gone viral several times, with millions viewing his rap/recipes for gumbo, crawfish etouffee, eggs benedict, omelets, lobster mac n cheese, and creme brulee. We asked the chef his favorite food, and he told us, “I love like, creole, cajun cuisine like gumbo, etouffee, boiled seafood, boils, I love stuff like Louisiana style.” Adds just about up for the only rapper sponsored by Dan-O’s seasoning.
On taking off on TikTok, The Rapping Chef expressed, “I didn't know that I'd be getting brand deals and TV interviews, but I knew it was gonna go viral cause it's so new and so different.” The viral videos have led The Rapping Chef to be blessed with raving duets from a culinary god: “Gordon Ramsey actually being impressed, that was crazy, like I'm still in shock. And he did it twice!”
The creative process of meshing music and cuisine is natural for The Rapping Chef, and he tries to make his recipes accessible for his viewers. “First I try to find something to cook that is easy to follow along with. I make the dish, and then I write a few bars for the recipe, usually takes me maybe an hour, then I record it at my house with my iPad and then I edit the video.” The followers are important to the TikToker, who also mentioned something about asking some loyal followers which beats he should hop on. About his beats, which span everything from trap to pop to old school, The Rapping Chef said, “I just try to do what's popular, and most of all what I like. I’m a huge Drake fan, I like his beats where you can get kinda lyrical on.” Lyricality certainly is important if you have to fit an entire recipe in a TikTok!
As a creative, The Rapping Chef is carving his own lane, leading toward more experimentation in and out of the booth and the kitchen. We couldn’t get too much info, but stay tuned for a Rapping Chef x Denny's menu item. As he moves into the future, The Rapping Chef has big plans. More videos are coming, along with more collaborations. “When I was in Dallas for the Denny's collab, I met a lot of these huge creators like @enkyboys, @kelz, @grace_africa, @thegoldenbalance, so I see a lot of collaborations and getting better and better.”
That’s not all that’s coming, though. In 2022, The Rapping Chef plans to write more music, potentially dipping into the ghostwriter lane, and explained another future venture to us. “I want to do a hip-hop-based podcast where I cook for my guests, maybe at the end of the podcast I sum it up with a little rap.” We can’t wait to see it, and he explained it as Joe Budden or Adam22 with a twist.
The Rapping Chef has shot up to nearly a million followers in a year, and more and more people are recognizing the innate fun and skill of the recipe rap videos from music and cooking communities. As the Rapping Chef continues to build his presence, he’s one to watch who may teach you how to make dinner while you do. In his words: “So, full-time private chef. Until I can be a full-time content creator, you know, cause I love this. I love this more than just cooking, the cooking and rapping thing.”