Words by Jesse Serwer—
As previously established, Atlanta rapper Trinidad James might rhyme and talk with a thick Southern drawl but he reps his homeland of T&T to the fullest. The MC’s breakthrough video, for “All Gold Everything,” dripped in Trini colors (even as it was shot in Clayton County, Georgia) while the visuals for his follow-up single, “Females Welcomed,” were shot in Port of Spain during Carnival season. So it’s hardly surprising that Mr. James goes to bat for Trini food, too. It would be hard not to, we suppose. From doubles to bake and shark, it’s one of the richest (and most slept-on, in our opinion) cuisines around.
In fact, when we were approached about a possible Trinidad James webisode earlier this year, our immediate thought was to bring him to one of NYC’s many delicious Trini-owned roti spots. That tete-a-tete never materialized, but we’re glad to see someone had the same idea and has executed it.
That somebody is the Jay-Z-affiliated lifestyle blog Life + Times, which recently brought Trinidad by Anil’s in South Ozone Park, Queens, in NYC, for some doubles and roti. James waxes poetic on his love for the chana-and-chutney-filled bread, aptly noting that the savory snack’s taste defies its unimpressive appearance. Discussion of the delicacy really brings out the Trini in Trinidad, with a suddenly thick T&T accent emerging on the rapper’s lips. Watch the thing here: