Food for the Soul • Article 02
The Iron Chef of HipHop
Three Emcees. Three Grills. One Title Worth Bringing the Heat For.
At Beats & Bars Barbecue, rocking the crowd doesn’t always require a microphone. Sometimes, it takes a spatula—and something on the grill that makes people come back for seconds.
Beats & Bars BBQ 2026 marked the second installment of The Iron Chef of HipHop at 4BQ, but the idea goes back further. Kool Kim first threw the event in 2011 to bring another dimension to Hip Hop: a chance for artists and personalities to show what they could do in the kitchen, share a little of themselves, and compete for some delicious bragging rights.
In 2025, we brought that spirit to Beats & Bars in a casual setting. Akil the MC and Loxam laid their spatulas down to see who could win over the crowd. People had a great time sampling their dishes, and we knew then and there: this needed to become a staple of the Beats & Bars experience.
So, in 2026, we stepped the game all the way up.
Three additional grills. A dedicated space to cook. A hungry crowd to feed. And three contestants who arrived with fire in their gut and dreams of being crowned the Iron Chef of HipHop: Loxam, Akil the MC of Jurassic 5, and Lee Majors of Bush Babees.
Lee Majors: Straight Out of Flatbush, by Way of Florida
“I made pineapple Honey Glazed Spicy Jerk Chicken,” said Lee Majors.
By Lee’s telling, his ingredients traveled from Florida under armed security to ensure that everything remained safe, secret, and secure. When you’re coming for the title, apparently even the seasoning needs protection.
But the inspiration behind his dish came from somewhere personal.
“The inspiration was growing up in Flatbush. Jerk Chicken is and was a highlight of the culture for me!”
That’s part of what makes this competition special. The artists bring their appetites for winning, but they also bring the places, memories, and flavors that helped shape them.
Loxam: From Smash Burgers to Quesadillas
Loxam, aka Adam Loxam, returned with something new up his sleeve.
His smash burgers had won hearts during the first 4BQ installment in 2025. This time, he switched things up with quesadillas that won over a good portion of the crowd.
“I chose quesadillas this year because everyone loves Mexican food, and it’s much like HipHop—it’s versatile enough that you can put your own creative spin on it without biting the style of what everyone else is doing.”
For Loxam, the experience went well beyond what he put on the grill.
“Oh man, it was an experience like no other! Not only did I get to experience chefing at Beats and Bars as a non-melanated person and having fun with that, but to be among true HipHop legends—no bad vibes, just good vibes all around. It’s all friendly competitions. It’s HipHop legends chefing it up together, and I got to be a part of that!”
Akil the MC: Meet the “J5”
For Akil, the decision was simple: bring back a specialty that people already loved.
“I made my Cheese Steak Specialty. I was inspired by last year’s competition where I got a chance to debut it and got good reviews, so I said for sure it’s a must to do it again,” Akil explained.
His connection to cooking stretches back to the same years he was developing his connection to Hip Hop.
“When I started out working in high-school making steaks it went hand in hand with hip hop so I been entertaining the idea of getting back into it and offering it along with what I do in hip hop.”
The competition gave him room to put those two parts of himself together—and a reason to add some equipment to his setup.
“The experience was incredible. I had to purchase a plate iron so it worked out perfect.”
And that cheesesteak has a name.
“It was a beautiful experience I look forward to next year….my Cheese Steak is called the ‘J5’ thanks Beats, Bars and Bar BQ.”
The Crowd Gets the Last Word
Three artists brought their own flavor to the grills, and the result was an afternoon full of laughter, good food, and the kind of friendly competition that feels right at home at Beats & Bars.
The title mattered. So did feeding people, swapping stories, and getting to know the artists through something beyond their music.
Were you there in 2026? Who deserved the crown: Lee Majors with the jerk chicken, Loxam with the quesadillas, or Akil with the J5 cheesesteak?
Tell us who earned your vote for The Iron Chef of HipHop.
2027 competition details to come.