“Life is rhythm! Just put your hand on the left side of your chest and tell me if I’m wrong!” For The Rhyming Chef, a kitchen without rhythm is a kitchen without life. “I’m sure at some point we have all whistled, hummed, or even sang a few lyrics while cooking food,” explains The Rhyming Chef. “This is the absolute minimum. What I do is take rhythm and food to the extreme!”
Philman George, aka The Rhyming Chef is of Barbudan heritage, and is proud to have grown up in the inner city of Toronto, Canada. At that time in the late 1980s to early 1990s, Hip Hop was in its “Golden Era.” Each artist sounded different and original, from Special Ed to KRS-ONE to Maestro Fresh Wes to Michie Mee. Little did young Philman know that this era of Hip Hop would help spark the originality and creativity needed to become The Rhyming Chef.
From grade 6 onwards, Philman devoted a lot of time to Hip Hop. “I wrote lyrics, I wrote songs, I performed solo, and I performed with crews. I did anything and everything to get on stage as a Hip Hop artist.” However the young Emcee never looked at music as a career. For this, he would turn to the Culinary Arts.
The passion for cooking started at a very young age. Philman would accompany his mother to the grocery store and watch closely as she selected ingredients for her culinary creations. “I never saw my mother read a recipe book. She cooked from the soul, using a bit of this and a bit of that.” Philman started experimenting in the kitchen as soon as he could reach the stove, and at the age of 16 he landed his first job in an English-style pub as a dishwasher. A few years later he would enroll in Culinary Management at George Brown College in Toronto, Canada.
“As a young cook I always dreamed of being an Executive Chef, but the road to the top was full of obstacles. When I was frustrated with the industry, I would pick up a pen and write a verse or two.” Eventually Philman would start writing lyrics that were centered on his cuisine. “My food is a reflection of my surroundings and experience. I was trained in classical French cuisine, but living in a multi-cultural city like Toronto, and having travelled overseas has led me to expand my repertoire. I love Italian, Caribbean, Asian and East Indian cuisine and I pull from all of these resources to create food that is approachable and flavourful. Every now and then I like to show off, but I believe that ‘fine food’ does not have to consist of ingredients that are expensive and extremely rare.” Once his skills in the kitchen were at par with his talents on the mic, The Rhyming Chef was born!
Over the next 10 years, The Rhyming Chef accomplished his dreams of becoming an Executive Chef, and along the way was able to stay true to his unique talents. With the help of his new bride, a series of cooking DVDs were produced which would further solidify The Rhyming Chef brand. Soon after that accomplishment, The Rhyming Chef landed appearances on popular television shows, and eventually got the green light to produce his own cooking show.
“I’m not done yet, I still have plenty more things to accomplish. What I’m most proud of is the fact that I’ve been able to combine the two things I enjoy doing the most, and in doing so, I have successfully carved out my own path. As long as I stay true to my passions, I know I will inspire others to do the same.”
To inquire about booking The Rhyming Chef for your event send an email to info@therhymingchef.com.
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