Trap Kitchen Plants New Roots in Oakland

BY TAMARA PALMER

Spank (Malachi Jenkins) and News (Roberto Smith) grew up in rival gangs in Southern California and later became business partners as adults in Trap Kitchen. After getting the seal of approval from rap luminaries like Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and the late Nipsey Hussle, the business expanded to include a cookbook and food trucks in Los Angeles and Portland and a seemingly never-ending tour of the country. Trap Kitchen cookouts are lively evenings filled with food, music and familial camaraderie that sell out as fast as music festival tickets.

Spank has just announced some big news on his Instagram page: Trap Kitchen is currently hiring staff to open a new permanent location called The Kitchen at Complex Oakland to serve their IG show-stopping pineapple bowls. The soft opening is on May 3 with a special pop-up prior to a show from Florida rapper Plies.

I got a first taste of Trap Kitchen when they hosted a cookout at Complex last fall, but will have to return to try one of those pineapples. Congratulations to Spank and News and welcome to the Bay Area! Here’s a few photos from that first fun evening at Complex:

The Kitchen at Complex Oakland, 420 14th Street, Oakland