MOTHERLODE 142 GOES:
Diggin' thru the crates
THE BACKSTORY
CHEF MIKE: “So I had another dumb idea…”
*Chet, behind the desk. Realising I’m probably bored or something*
CHEF MIKE: “Special event. Motherlode goes digging in the crates. We just take the foods featured in hip-hop tracks and turn them into menu items.”
CHET: “Fucking love it. Let’s do it. When?”
CHEF MIKE: “I wanna do Record Store Day, get a vinyl stall in Room Two.”
CHET: “Run it.”
That was about six months ago.
About five months ago, we realised this was… not a great idea.
Turns out, while hip-hop is technically diverse, it mainly talks about fried chicken.
Which… we already do. Not helpful.
CHET: “What about hip-hop food puns?”
CHEF MIKE: “Not ideal. But sure, hit me..”
CHET: “Nachos with Attitude”
CHEF MIKE: “Mate. No..”
Two months later..
CHEF MIKE: “I'm not feeling it. Can we reverse-engineer a menu then find the lyrics later?”
CHET: “Fine”
So here it is.
Diggin' Thru the Crates.
An amalgamation of twisted ideas smashed into something resembling a menu.
A mixture of puns, lyric references, and foods that barely got over the line.
With huge thanks to:
BIZ MARKIE "CEREAL"
Featured on DJ Yoda’s breakout album Adventures of DJ Yoda, Biz does an entire track about cereal.
So we took our Hot Chicken & Waffles, and dialled it up to 11.
Finished with Trix cereal milk whipped cream and a vanilla glaze.
It shouldn’t work. It does.
YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH BIZ LIKED HIS CEREAL FROM
THIS COMMERCIAL FOR MARSHMALLOW ONLY LUCKY CHARMS
ROOTS MANUVA "WITNESS (1 HOPE)"
One throwaway line. That’s all we needed.
Jerk Chicken Thigh, sticky glaze, bold heat.
Bonus shoutout to the Fugees for shouting out plantain in Fu Gee La – yes, it’s on the plate.
BLACK STAR "DEFINITION" x ICE CUBE ON SESAME STREET
If you know, you know.
Our Hot Honey Tenders get a remix: dipped, spiced, and served with attitude.
Play the clip at the table. It slaps.
(YO PUT THE YOUTUBE LINK HERE) - Chef
J DILLA "DONUTS"
Look. I’ve been trying to get away with this one for years.
It’s a fried chicken donut burger. Straight outta the Iowa State Fair, now right here at Hindley Street.
Thanks to Brighton Jetty Bakery for the support.
Only on the menu for one night. Don’t be shy.
SALT-N-PEPA
Yeah, it’s a pun. But also — it’s a banger.
Crispy salt & pepper tofu, popcorn furikake and some Shoop Shoop sauce on the side.
Inspired by (Obviously Salt-N-Pepa) and Dave Chappelle’s Block Party and the idea of a vegan BBQ that slaps.
KRS ONE
Becomes KRS WON-TONS.
Is it a stretch? Absolutely. Do we care? Not at all.
Crispy fried wontons filled with cheesy mac + a size of cheesy sauce.
A love letter to East Coast rap and Easy Mac.
LIL KIM
Becomes Lil Kim-Chi fries.
Spicy, salty, loud. Just like the name.
Crispy fries loaded with gochujang aioli, house kimchi, and green onion.
LUDACRIS
Becomes Ludacrisps.
Surprisingly not a joke. Turns out Ludacrisp is a real apple variety.
We took that and turned our regular dill chips into something fancy.
Call it our Put It In Yo Mouf moment.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
None of this was supposed to happen. But here we are.
A menu inspired by lyrics, chaos, and a desperate need to do something different.
Somehow it’s beautiful. Definitely unhinged. Possibly illegal.
Play it loud. Eat with your hands. And don’t overthink it.
Cop the Spotify playlist below with all the songs we could think of that inspired us.