Since hip hop’s inception more than 40 years ago, artists and other celebrities within the hip hop community have regularly been associated with being physically attractive to one degree or another. But aside from hitting the gym religiously (here’s looking at you, 50 Cent), many well-known artists and industry fixtures have credited their healthy diets. Surprisingly, there’s a large number of vegetarians within the hip hop community- including some that you might not expect.
Common
One of hip hop’s OGs is also an OG of vegetarianism, embracing the movement long before it became a mainstream hashtag. In an article in Men’s Fitness, he states that he gave up most meat products in the ’90s and now considers himself a pescatarian and tries to fill his plate with as many veggies as possible.
RZA
This hip hop legend and PETA spokesperson has been a vocal vegetarian, promoting not just raw food and a plant-based diet, but also animal-free clothing and accessories as well. His menswear brand, 36 Chambers, which prides itself on “culture, consciousness, and creativity,” does not use any animal leather or animal by-products in their merchandise.
Miley Cyrus
In addition to being well-known for her on-stage antics, Miley is also known for her svelte body, which she credits to a vegetarian diet that she adopted in 2015. (In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, she claims this was due to her pet fish and pig.) This led to her being named PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2015.
YG
One of the industry’s newest vegetarians, YG adopted the vegetarian lifestyle in 2016 out of concern for his future health- specifically the potential for cancer from processed meat. In an interview on the Breakfast Club, he stated, “”I went vegan. It’s hard to stay vegan and eat right when you’re moving around so much, but I’ve been off that alkaline water heavy, though,” he shared. (Alkaline water is said to have many health benefits.)
Leona Lewis
Proving that vegetarianism isn’t just an American trend, British artist Leona Lewis, who has been a vegetarian since age 12, recently partnered with The Body Shop in an effort to promote their line of animal-friendly, cruelty-free beauty products. Like others on the list, she was crowned Sexiest Vegetarian of 2008 by PETA.
While doctors and other medical experts still aren’t in agreement about the benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet, these celebrities swear by it. Yet, it also should be noted that almost all of them also credit their success to a sometimes grueling fitness regimen, which leads us, mortals, to wonder: do they ever have a cheat day?
