Before there was Snoop Dogg there was Swamp Dogg. The original was born Jerry Williams Jr. in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1942. He first won fame as a 12-year old soul singer called Little Jerry–before he later decided, at the end of the 1960s and after several hit records, to create a new identity for making music and mischief.  Thus did Little Jerry become Swamp Dogg—a  legendary singer, songwriter and record producer whose singular voice and ideas have shaped the history not merely of soul music, but of country and hip-hop and a dozen other genres.  He also made history in the music business, early in his career, as the first Black  A&R man at Atlantic Records, where he oversaw music by The Drifters and Gary US Bond–just two of the storied acts whose sounds he’s shaped.  . 

But if music is Swamp Dogg’s first love, this fabled man of taste has another one: food.  In 1972, Swamp Dogg proclaimed that he would write a cookbook so transformative that the legacies of culinary giants like Julia Child, Betty Crocker, James Beard, and even Colonel Sanders would pale in comparison. He stated that "It is the book that Hemingway wanted to write and that Agatha Christie couldn’t.”  Now, more than 50 years later,  that book is finally here. 

If You Can Kill It, I Can Cook It  is a book for those who appreciate recipes seasoned with personality and history, and stories to go with dinner. This is more than a cookbook: it is a biographical artifact and a journey into the mind of a chef who’ll teach you how to make “Baked Beans Bo Diddley”, “James Brown In Flight Chicken” and “Willie Nelson Potatoes Platter”. It is also a glimpse into the savory life of a musical genius, richly illustrated with tales and photos of family, food, music, and business. 

As Swamp Dogg says, “This is the book that Hemingway wanted to write, Agatha Christie couldn’t, and Alex Haley didn’t have enough soul for. Now get to cooking!” 

Presented alongside Magnolia Pictures’ feature length documentary Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted, directed by Isaac Gale and Ryan Olson, and the album Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th Street from Oh Boy Records, If You Can Kill It, I Can Cook It resonates with the same fervor as his music, all while satisfying a different sensory palette: taste.

PREORDERS will ship out starting in May.