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As part of our Start, Build, Grow series, The Root caught up with Rap Snacks Founder and CEO James Lindsay, who married his love of hip-hop with his passion for potato chips to create a viral sensation and become a major player in the snack game.

Start

Philadelphia native and self-described potato chip lover James Lindsay says the inspiration to launch Rap Snacks came from a desire for more creative chip flavors than those offered in the marketplace. For Lindsay, salt and pepper and barbecue-flavored chips just didn’t speak to the culture. So in 1994, he decided to make his own.

“Where I grew up, we like flavor. So I felt like there was a void that I could fill,” Linsday told The Root. “ If there was a barbecue in the marketplace, I came out with a honey barbecue. If there was a ranch in the marketplace, I came out with sour cream with a dab of ranch. It was just about adding a little more flavor to a stale marketplace. Our flavor profiles are totally outside of the box.”

Utilizing a co-marketing agreement with Universal Records and his friends and family as taste testers, Lindsay turned his dream into a reality. Rap Snacks has become a multi million-dollar business, with flavors like Migos Sour Cream With a Dab of Ranch Chips, Rick Ross Sweet Chili Lemon Pepper Chips and Nicki Minaj Bar-B-Quin with my Honey Gourmet Popcorn and branching out to add lemonade, noodles and apparel to his brand.

Relationships with some of the hottest rappers, Lindsay says, are a win-win – building brand equity for Rap Snacks and providing another avenue for artists to connect with fans.

“If you see Lil Baby on [a bag of] Rap Snacks, hopefully, you’ll think about his music and maybe download and stream it. So I tell [the artists] it goes hand in hand. It’s a tangible item that people can buy that’s also promoting your brand and you’re getting paid for it,” he said.

Build

In the 30 years since he launched his brand, Lindsay has taken his time to grow the Rap Snacks footprint through his in-house distribution team – a deliberate approach he says has been beneficial for his company. Rap Snacks are currently available for purchase online and in big box stores like Target, Walmart and Costco around the country.

“Sometimes it’s better to take one slow step forward than ten steps forward too quickly. We’ve been able to take little steps as we gradually grew the brand,” he said. “That’s one of the issues we have in the African American community. We’ll create an item or an idea, and we don’t have anywhere to go with it. It took me those years to create my own distribution and the brand that goes along with it.”

Lindsay says social media has been a tremendous tool for helping the brand reach a wider audience. Partnering with rappers like Lil Baby, who has over 23 million Instagram followers and Migos, who have 13.5 million Instagram followers has propelled the brand into the national spotlight – and got Rap Snacks a name drop in a Migos song.

“When we signed the Migos, they did a song called ‘Get Yourself a Bag of Rap Snacks.’ That was the first viral moment for us,” he said.

Grow

Looking ahead, Lindsay says he wants to expand the Rap Snacks brand overseas. Already available in Europe and Loblaws grocery stores across Canada, he’s got his sights set on Ghana.

“Ghana is the hottest markets in Africa right now. They have great leadership that’s trying to expand their global appeal. They’re welcoming the Western world with open arms to bring products to their people while also creating jobs,” he said.

Lindsay admits the road hasn’t always been easy, but says he’s proud of how he’s been able to turn his idea into a successful business that provides jobs for others.

“You’re going to have bad days and good days, but that love for the business when you’re trying to get [it] off the ground is what’s going to really help see you through,” he said. ““There are a lot of issues people don’t see. But at the same time, if you work hard, there is a big reward.”