Since it’s Friday afternoon, we thought we’d have a little fun and share a few craft beer-themed rap videos.
Earlier this month, Golden Road Brewing and its founder, Meg Gill, took center stage in a parody rap video posted to the YouTube page of Los Angeles comedian, writer and aspiring actress Nikki Muller.
A spoof of the 2001 Ludacris classic, ‘Area Codes,’ Golden Road’s version playfully mocks many ‘area code’ craft beer labels like Firestone Walker’s 805 Blonde Ale and Goose Island’s 312 Urban Wheat Ale.
But it’s not the first time a craft brewer has tried their hand as a lyricist. Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione has a long history with rhyming. In 2003, he teamed up with Bryan Selders — then the company’s lead brewer — to form the “Pain Relievaz,” a beer geek hip-hop ensemble.
The pair actually released a full-length album but their biggest hit, “Pinchin Pennies,” can be seen on YouTube.
Not surprisingly, Calagione also has a habit of rhyming after a few pints. In 2008, he rapped about hoppy beers for a few beer drinkers at the Brick Store Pub in Decatur, Ga.
More recently, however, craft brewers in Vancouver, B.C., created a rap video to promote Vancouver Craft Beer Week.
Even retail expert Tom Fox rapped at the 2014 Craft Brewers Conference.
We felt so inspired that we wrote a few bars of our own. And, if enough of our industry friends want to see us actually perform this, we’ll produce a video next month during our Brew Talks West Coast tour.
In the meantime, grab a beer, toss on the instrumental version of Cypress Hill’s “Rock Superstar” and sing along.
Brew Superstar
There are a lot of entrepreneurs out there, trying to start a beer company. What’s hot?A lot of brewers out there, trying to change up, anytime a new style comes along. Everybody wants a bite. It doesn’t happen overnight. So you want to be a craft beer superstar and live large? A big brewhouse, a full bar, you’re in charge. Coming up in the biz you don’t trust everybody but you’re collaborating constantly. Sam Calagione remembers the days when he was a young homebrewer growing up, looking in the mirror dreaming about blowing up. The beer fests, the community, capitalizing on opportunitySigning books, going on TV, combatting big beer’s infamy. It’s funny how dreams manifest and the politics that come with it, nevertheless, you got to go for the gusto but you don’t know about the blood, sweat and tears and having to dump batches of beer. Hopefully you don’t hire the wrong guy. Brewing with aphrodisiacs a beer-maniac, don’t know how to act, TTB reads the label, checks your facts. Homebrewer got his permit, thinks he’s gunna make a mil’ but never will, going international, still thinks he can take on capitol hill. Let Jim Koch show you the sacrifice it takes to make the cheese. You wanna be a brew superstar, in the biz? And take shit from beer geeks who don’t know what it is? You wish it was all fun and games but the price of craft beer fame is high. And some can’t pay the way. Still brewing ambers and stouts. That won’t help you earn any cloutThe approach you took isn’t workingNo space, no caps, no fans, no taps. And nobody remembers your beer’s name. So you want to be a craft beer superstar and live large? A big brewhouse, a full bar, you’re in charge. Coming up in the biz you don’t trust everybody but you’re collaborating constantly. People see craft brewers, you know what I’m saying? But some startups are still trying to be like everybody elseIt’s a fun job, but it’s still a job. Save your money man, save your money too. A hit beer don’t last very long, you know what I’m saying? I mean…you’re lucky in this business too. There’s going to be another brewery coming out. Lookin’ like you, brewing like you, next year I know this. They’ll be a bubble burst too, so do what you do, to survive.
Bonus Clip: There’s also a gentleman going by the name of “Infinite Skillz” who was so inspired by Drake’s “Started From the Bottom” that he created his own version: “Started Sipping Cider.”