Rap Snacks is a line of products that feature prominent hip-hop/rap artists putting their name, likeness, and endorsements on various things like chips, snacks, and these instant noodles. These dollar store staples have sparked some divisive opinions online, but they have a few unusual ingredients and flavor concepts that made me curious enough to grab the whole set. For this episode, I’m reviewing all three of the Rap Snacks Icon Ramen Noodle cups that are available at the time of review: Creamy Chicken Gumbo by Master P, Beef Prime Rib by E-40, and Louisiana Hot & Spicy Chicken by Boosie. Each cup is branded with the artist’s face, and while the presentation leans into novelty, the ingredient lists makes me hope they might be more interesting than expected.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 105: Rap Snacks Icon Ramen NoodlesThese are widely available at US dollar stores, gas station mini-marts, and convenience stores for about $1.25 per cup, and they’re also sold online, though shipping can inflate the cost significantly. Each cup contains 1,410–1,500 mg sodium, putting them solidly in the high range. Cooking is the same across the board: add boiling water to the line, cover, and steep for three minutes before stirring.
Creamy Chicken Gumbo
The packet includes noodles and a powder base featuring chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, celery seed, black pepper, and paprika, with MSG to boost flavor. The sodium in this one is 1090mg.
Noodles:
Standard thin cup noodles with that familiar wheat-and-oil vibe. At the 3-minute mark they’re decently bouncy and do the job, but they soften fast if you let them sit.
• 5/10 (drops to 3.5/10 if left sitting)
Spiciness:
While I don’t find these actually hot, some of you might. They’ve got some basic Cajun seasoning in them.
• 0.5/10
Overall:
This tastes like a very basic chicken soup that someone dressed with a Cajun seasoning blend. The onion rehydrates well enough, the bell pepper adds some mild sweetness, and the broth stays on the thinner side despite “creamy” on the label. It doesn’t feel as cheap or harshly salty as my peers in the noodle reviewing world might make you think, and for a dollar-store cup it’s more cohesive than expected. The limitation is texture and body. It’s got a nice aroma and flavor despite the cheap noodles, but nothing about it is reminiscent of real gumbo.
• 6.5/10
Beef Prime Rib
This cup’s seasoning leans savory with beef broth powder, onion, garlic, black pepper, paprika, and a small amount of sugar for balance, plus MSG. This has a sodium count of 1060mg.
Noodles:
Same behavior as the gumbo – fine at 3 minutes, then softer as they linger.
• 5/10 (drops to 3.5/10 if left sitting)
Spiciness:
None.
• 0/10
Overall:
This smells distinctly of Worcestershire and eats closer to a classic London broil marinade than “prime rib,” which I think works surprisingly well here. The beefy flavor has a sweet-tart lift from that Worcestershire and tamarind, and the mushroom powder deepens the umami a little more. A tiny pinch more salt or MSG would push it further, but even as-is it’s clearly the most satisfying broth of the trio and well above a plain “beef” cup. Haters are gonna hate on this, but I found it very tasty.
• 7/10
Louisiana Hot & Spicy Chicken
The ingredient list features chicken broth powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, onion, garlic, and parsley, along with MSG for punch. The sodium in here is 1280mg.
Noodles:
Identical base noodle – it’s a totally average noodle when eaten promptly, and much softer if you take too long.
• 5/10 (drops to 3.5/10 if left sitting)
Spiciness:
This comes off like a tame supermarket Louisiana hot sauce. It’s warm but brief, not a lingerer.
• 3/10
Overall:
The thinnest, least aromatic broth of the set. The flavor leans one-note, just salt and chili pepper, with just a little soy-and-chicken flavor behind it and a vinegary finish from the hot sauce. If you’ve ever splashed Louisiana hot sauce into a chicken cup, you’ve basically made this already. It’s not outright awful, but it’s completely unambitious compared to the previous two. The only one of the trio I wouldn’t buy again.
• 4/10
Notes since filming:
Another product line I’ve defended on occasion since this review. The packaging choices and the rapper endorsements on these for some reason makes people make a lot of assumptions about the flavors. I’ve seen posters on Reddit clutch their pearls and yell that this is the worst thing they’ve ever eaten. Bullshit hyperbole. These aren’t great, but they’re not bad either. There’s far worse out there that costs more than these.
