“Soon after the neighborhood got wind of Trap Kitchen’s impeccable service, celebrities caught on to the food craze . . . Tyrese was an early client, and now the duo boasts a star-studded clientele including Justin Bieber, Dave Chappelle, Chris Brown, Common (pictured above), Tyga, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Post Malone, The Roots and August Alsina.”
—Billboard
“Anything but conventional—but then again, the culinary come-up of Malachi Jenkins and Roberto Smith was anything but conventional. Part recipe collection and part autobiography, the Trap Kitchen book details the duo’s rise from gang life to cooking for the likes of Snoop and Kendrick Lamar. They also make food fun. Hands-down, it’s the most enjoyable read on this list.”
—Time Out
“Jenkins and Smith, who once belonged to rival L.A. gangs, became friends and started a catering business marketed solely on Instagram. Media outlets took notice, as did Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, paving the way for their debut cookbook”
—Publishers Weekly
“Two gang members from rival hoods have joined forces to prove that trapping can be a legitimate come up.”
—Huffington Post
“With more than 284,000 followers on Instagram, Trap Kitchen is a true Los Angeles success story . . . The media eventually got a whiff of the venture and business immediately exploded. Jenkins has since catered for the likes of Snoop Dog and Tyrese—even Martha Stewart.”
—LA Weekly
“Some of the most successful business models spring out of creating new from the ordinary. For the creators of the Trap Kitchen, that’s exactly what they did. By creating a full-service, underground catering business, two Compton, California-based young men have experienced the power of social media, scrappy business and good food . . . Their success quickly moved beyond the streets of Compton, gaining attention, and creating customers out of notable celebrities like Tyga, The Game, Kendrick Lamar and more, who now turn to the Trap Kitchen to cater their parties.”
—Forbes
“Soon, people started placing orders and slowly, their catering business Trap Kitchen LA was birthed.”
—Vibe
“ . . . dishes are as diverse as his 236,000 Instagram followers.”
—Vice
