In 1992, McDonald’s set the standard for celebrity and fast food collaborations by getting Michael Jordan behind the grill. Creating a partnership that was the first-of-its-kind, the McJordan Burger (cheeseburger with raw onion, pickles, circular bacon, and BBQ sauce) created a craze, only being available at 350 McDonalds in the Chicago area.
The exclusivity of Jordan’s collab even led one Chicago Bulls fan to purchase a gallon of the McJordan BBQ Sauce on eBay 20 years later for $10,000 dollars. Meanwhile, Mcdonald’s went quiet on the collab front until 2020, and the next person they chose to honor with a namesake meal wasn’t a star athlete like Kobe or LeBron but a different type of rager.
The Travis Scott Meal at McDonalds was the first domino to fall in a series of rapper fast food collabs all trying to replicate its success. The hype Travis’ meal created was a testament to his popularity and the accessibility of fast food.
Instead of spending hundreds and fighting bots to get spots in the pit for a concert or to secure Scott’s Air Jordan I Highs, you can get a meal under $10 to eat like your favorite rapper.
This makes it hard to discern if collabs like Ice Spice’s Munchkin drink or Offset and Cardi’s Mcdonald’s Meal are actually good or if people will say anything to defend their fave. Need it or keep it? We did the research to find which rapper fast food meals packed a punch and which left a nasty taste in people’s mouths.
10. Nelly and Burger King
After seeing the success of Travis Scott’s collaboration with McDonald’s, Burger King decided to step into the ring as well. However…no one remembers this 2021 campaign being a thing.
The “Keep It Real Meals” collaborated with Nelly, Lil Huddy, and Anitta (but their real names were used to play into the theme of the campaign). This was all put together to promote Burger King permanently banning 120 artificial ingredients like bleached flour and high-fructose corn syrup from their menus.
The items on the menu were what you could always find at your local Burger King, but now with cleaner ingredients. For example, Nelly’s Cornell Haynes Jr. Meal was a “classic Whopper topped with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo and ketchup, small fries and a small Sprite.”
They even launched an NFT program with each of the six million meals having a QR code for more NFT offers and a digital collectible. Nevertheless, the campaign was a flop. Gen Z has a major impact on the culture, and while Anitta was notable, other than “Hot in Herre,” younger hip-hop heads don’t really know Nelly’s music. As for Lil Huddy, his TikTok star power wasn’t enough to turn heads.
9. Ice Spice and Dunkin’ Donuts
Ice Spice found a new “gangsta boo” in Dunkin Donuts, joining forces in 2023 to release their collab. The first commercial announcing the partnership aired during that year’s MTV VMAs, with over 900,000 people watching live that night.
Capitalizing off the major reach, the brand sent the rapper an Eliante chain with a diamond-encrusted “Munchkins” at the center, which is not only the name of her fanbase but her new pumpkin donut holes item as well.
As people “munched” on the treat, they could top it off with an Ice Spice Munchkins Drink (Dunkin Donuts famous frozen coffee + the donuts blended in + caramel drizzle + whipped cream).
While Ice Spice was trending in the rap world, the drink was a texture nightmare which led to the campaign ultimately taking the L.
“I drank half of the beverage before the texture became extremely close to that of vomit. My roommate likened it to ‘bird food,’ like when the mama bird predigests and throws up in a baby bird’s mouth. It was both loose and chock-full of pieces that, at a certain point, barely registered as Munchkins,” a 2023 review from Vulture about the drink stated.
8. Cardi B, Offset and McDonald’s
When you think of love and romance, you might not think of Cardi B and Offset – but McDonald’s did. They collaborated with the couple around Valentine’s Day 2023 to release their signature meals for couples who want nothing more than the McDonald’s ice cream machine to work.
Cardi B’s meal is a “classic McDonald’s cheeseburger, paired with tangy BBQ sauce and a large Coca-Cola” while Offset’s meal consists of a “quarter pounder with cheese and a large Hi-C Orange Lavaburst” to share (or recreate a Lady and the Tramp moment, your call), a large fry and their signature apple pie.
The collaboration caused outrage not just because it was nothing new other than their names on the item combos, but because of the couple’s reputation.
Certain McDonald’s franchises refused to sell the meals, stating that it violated the “Golden Arches Code.”It states in the code that “partnerships with celebrities and influencers that have potential risk to damage our brand based on statements they have made or their positions on certain issues,” but the brand nevertheless stuck by the partnership.
While many people love seeing love, especially around Valentine’s Day, the couple offered nothing new or exciting with their meals, making it an unsuccessful collab.
7. Saweetie and McDonald’s
One thing about Saweetie…She has the palette of a warrior. Known for eating everything from oysters with Ramen seasoning to spaghetti with a nauseating amount of ranch dressing, her food choices have always sparked conversation.
It’s no surprise that McDonald’s would want to team up with the rapper. The Saweetie Meal was released in 2021 and was made up of a “Big Mac, 4-piece chicken McNuggets, medium fries, medium Sprite, Tangy BBQ Sauce, and “Saweetie ‘N Sour” sauce,” which is the typical Sweet n’ Sour sauce with an icy twist.
While it was made up of typical McDonald’s items like Cardi B and Offset’s meal (just with a renamed sauce), on social media, it proved to be a great collab. The Saweetie Meal was a trending topic on X, and Saweetie earned three million new followers across her social media platforms (with one million followers on Instagram alone).
She also released her list of hacks along with the meal, which still provided the weird POV that social media craved.
6. Flavor Flav and Red Lobster
Who doesn’t love an underdog story? The popular seafood chain Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in May, and numerous restaurants across the country shut their doors for good—not on Flavor Flav’s watch.
The same month on X, he posted that he would do anything to help save “one of America’s greatest dining dynasties.” He then took it a step further by pulling up to a location in June and ordering everything off the menu (and then later doing it all again).
Seeing the rapper’s love for the restaurant and inspiring others to join him, Red Lobster decided to collaborate with Flavor Flav to create his meal.
The Flavor Flav’s Faves Meal contains “Maine Lobster Tail, Snow Crab Legs, Garlic Shrimp Scampi, and Bacon Mac & Cheese, plus a choice of one side.” However, it’s an off-the-menu offering, so only those truly locked in can enjoy a plate.
While the meal has the same recurring issue of no new menu items, it got people back outside to Red Lobster and more people on team Flavor Flav.
5. Snoop Dogg and Jack in the Box
Coming together with Jack in the Box in 2023, Snoop Dogg went all in. Unlike some of the previous collabs on this list, he had exclusive menu items like the Snoopadelic Shake (your typical vanilla shake mixed with orange juice) and also exclusive merch.
His Munchies Meal (inspired by his extracurricular activities) comes with a “Spicy Sauced and Loaded Chicken Sando, a crunchy taco, medium curly fries, Jack’s Baked Brownie, and a medium drink” that had pretty solid reviews online—especially from fellow stoners.
However, the most impressive feat of the collaboration is the Dogg in the Box pop-up that made its way to Inglewood.
From the purple lighting, a throne for the perfect photo opp, and Snoop Dogg-inspired menu (like the Jalepenizzle Poppers,) it provided the perfect vibes to try the new treats. At the end of the day, regardless of age, the culture loves Snoop Dogg.
4. Lil Nas X and Taco Bell
Before taking a stroll down the famous “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X worked at your local Atlanta Taco Bell. Taco Bell decided to honor his journey from team member to superstar by naming him “Chief Impact Officer” of the food chain in 2021. One of the first tasks in his new position was to promote the brand-new breakfast menu, which had pretty solid reviews online.
However, the campaign also had a philanthropic angle. Lil Nas X and Taco Bell together gave away 8 million dollars in scholarships to students who are changemakers across the country.
“I know firsthand what it’s like to be a young person with a dream to break convention and change an industry…It’s an honor to support these Live Más Scholars and I am eager to see their next chapters unfold,” Lil Nas X said in a 2022 press release about the scholarships.
The rapper as “Chief Impact Officer ” helped bring back breakfast to the fast food chain with new items, gave back to the community, and used a Taco Bell as the main location for his music video “Sun Goes Down.” Their partnership helped create genuine buzz for both of them.
3. Doja Cat and Taco Bell
While Lil Nas X introduced new breakfast items from Taco Bell, Doja Cat was the leader in bringing back a long-lost fan favorite. It started with tweets back and forth between the rapper and the brand about bringing back the Mexican Pizza for years. She even made a TikTok freestyle about her love for Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza that went viral.
However, it grew into a monstrous campaign, featuring a commercial during the 2022 Super Bowl and even a musical dedicated to the dish featuring big names like Dolly Parton.
In April 2022, she finally announced the news that fans had been waiting for at Coachella. Mexican Pizza was officially coming back, and it made its grand return the next month. The demand was seven times higher than the last time it was on Taco Bell’s menu in 2020, and locations started running out of the ingredients less than 2 weeks into its return.
Doja’s Mexican Pizza crusade is seen as one of the biggest viral food moments of 2022, with a 1220% increase in sales of the item. Plus, it brought the rapper many new fans thankful for bringing their favorite Taco Bell meal back.
2. Megan Thee Stallion and Popeyes
It makes sense for “The Hot Girl Coach” to bring the spice to a beloved fast food chain like Popeyes. Capitalizing off of the sandwich craze that took over the country in 2022 (for better or for worse), Megan Thee Stallion released a spicy version of the sandwich, spicy nuggets, and her signature “Hottie Sauce.” The new menu additions got great reviews online, but she took the collaboration even further.
She released official merchandise with Popeyes, doing multiple drops for anime fans and those looking for “Hot Girl Summer” gear. The collection didn’t have heavy Popeyes branding, making it realistically wearable.
Through the collaboration, she became an official Popeyes franchise owner. Finally, the duo made a six-figure donation to a charity in her hometown, Houston Random Acts of Kindness.
The collaboration not only helped the rapper show love to her hometown and promote her music but also kept the Popeyes chicken sandwich on everyone’s tongues for even longer.
1. Travis Scott and McDonald’s
Yes, the 2020 Travis Scott Meal, according to Mcdonalds, is just a “quarter pounder with Cheese, sizzling bacon, and crisp lettuce; medium fries with BBQ Sauce to dip, and a Sprite.” Nevertheless, this is the first celebrity meal that McDonald’s had done since their meal with Micheal Jordan in 1992, so Scott earned a pretty big honor.
The Cactus Jack and Mcdonald’s collab provided a major boost to the restaurant’s quarterly sales, saving them from the previous negative numbers they were bringing in. Certain restaurants began running out of ingredients for the Quarter Pounder.
The meal was met with positive reviews. However, his biggest success allegedly came with the merchandise.
According to Forbes, they estimated that Scott “earned at least $5 million from the traditional endorsement part of the deal and another $15 million from merchandise sales, collecting on the deal for the merch rights that he worked out for himself.”
The merch was so wildly popular that it is still on resale sites today, with people charging anywhere from $50 to $250 for clothing from Scott’s McDonalds era. His collab with the Golden Arches was not only insanely successful but also encouraged other restaurants on this list to try their collaborations with the rap community, making it deserving of the No. 1 spot.
