From Snoop Dogg to Sexyy Red, hip-hop meets snacking under the Rap Snacks brand 

Combining hip-hop music culture with a love for snacking, Rap Snacks is a dynamic brand known for its bold, unique flavors and collaborations with artists like Snoop Dogg, Migos, and most recently, Sexyy Red. From spicy to sweet, every flavor is crafted to represent the style and personality of the artist it represents, making a perfect snack for music lovers and food enthusiasts.   

The brain behind it all is James Lindsay, a successful entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Rap Snacks. Having worked for Johnson Products, an ethnic haircare company, early in his career, James applied his skills to the food industry and established a first-of-its-kind snacking company inspired by hip-hop, with chips as the main product. Since then, Rap Snacks has evolved into a five-million-dollar business and continues to be a large influence in the music marketing industry.   

We’re joined by James to learn more about the business and how it has grown to its current position. “I simply combined two of Americans’ greatest loves – snacks and music,” he opens. “30 years ago, when the hip-hop scene was emerging as a popular music category, I had an idea to connect a food product with the industry. I spent a lot of time talking to people who listened to this genre to research what kind of snack would be best received by the audience, and I later decided on potato chips.     

“I developed the brand and initially launched just two flavors, honey barbeque, which we call ‘Bar-B-Que with my Honey’, and a ranch flavored chip called ‘Back at the Ranch’. I launched them in Philadelphia, and when we sold 800 cases in the first two hours, I knew I had created something special.”  

Reflecting on the company’s growth, James continues: “We’ve been on a tremendous journey since those two flavors, and while our main product is still potato chips, we now offer an extensive range and have recently added honey buns and candies to our portfolio. In terms of artists, we’ve just signed Sexyy Red to have her own potato chip flavor with us, as well as a candy line called Sweet Lips.   

“We’re also in the process of launching a new brand, Yikes, which will be more food based like noodles, in lots of flavor bases like honey barbeque and a spicy ‘Sound the Alarm’ flavor. Our new honey buns, which we call Big Back Honey Buns, are already proving very popular. With flavors like birthday cake, lemon, and strawberry, we’ve gone beyond traditional honey bun flavors to offer some fun and creative solutions.”  

To enable greater control over transportation and logistics, Rap Snacks has established an in-house trucking company. “We wanted to become a self-sufficient organization, and we also recognized the high costs and delays associated with distribution,” James explains. “By bringing trucking in-house, we’re able to secure better rates and understand where efficiency improvements can be made. We invested heavily in the necessary infrastructure to allow us to ship efficiently, but we know we’ll see a quick return on investment by adding this capability.”  

Empowering people 

Having grown from a small start-up with two flavors into a successful business working with major music artists, Rap Snacks is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025. “Over the 30 years we’ve been in business, I’ve worked with some of the best hip-hop artists like Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Baby, and Meek Mill,” James reflects. “I stay connected with the industry to keep up to date with the most relevant flavors, styles, and trends.   

“We think outside the box when it comes to product development, and we strive to be the originators, not followers, of new products. We’re celebrating our 30th year in business with a very special collaboration to honor George Crum, the original inventor of potato chips. Without chips we wouldn’t be here, so it’s only right we celebrate the man who created the snack food market.” 

Considering this milestone, we ask James to share his thoughts on leadership and business, as well as his advice for budding entrepreneurs. “You have to love what you do,” he states. “I truly believe that if you love what you do, it’s never difficult to get up in the morning and navigate the peaks and troughs of work.  

“I never realized the importance of mentorship until much later in my career, but the advice and lessons I learned from my manager at Johnson Products were so valuable, providing me with the skills and confidence to start my own business. I started the Boss Up initiative to provide mentorship and empower youth from under-resourced communities. Growing up in inner city North Philadelphia in a single family, I know first-hand that many young people don’t have opportunities to engage in conversations about business, but Boss Up exposes young people to new interests, ideas, and industries.”  

With a humble approach to leadership, creative thinking, and innovative products, James is sure to lead Rap Snacks through another successful year. “We’re looking to get into some great accounts this year, and our distribution is set to double,” he says. “Alongside honey buns, we’re hoping to add some more products to the baked goods market and we’re always looking to add more ambassadors and artists to our collections.  

“Our long-term plan is to acquire other companies that have parallels with the Rap Snacks brand, and we’re currently engaged in some ongoing conversations about acquisitions,” he concludes. “We’re currently well established in the US and we’re in all major European cities with manufacturing in Spain and distribution in Turkey, but I hope to see us become even more of a worldwide brand as we continue to grow.”   

www.rapsnacks.net