At this point in the American beer scene, a love for IPAs, Wheat Ales, Stouts, and Saisons comes from all over. Our friends and parents. Our neighbors and celebrities. When we learn that someone has an adoration for craft beer, there’s not a lot of surprise left to be had, except what kind of beer we can share as part of this fun bond.
This spring, I had that debate—between a Wheat Ale and IPA—with the musician and rapper, Fish Scales of Nappy Roots. Scales, whose real name is Melvin Adams Jr., isn’t just accomplished in the world of music, but he and others in the Grammy-nominated group see beer as a next step in their creative journey.
They’ve already made collaboration beers with Atlanta’s Monday Night Brewing and Louisville’s Against the Grain Brewery, and I sat down with Scales this spring in Boise, Idaho, where Nappy Roots was performing and releasing a new beer with the city’s Woodland Empire Ale Craft.
In recent years, there have been a variety of musicians, groups, actors, and athletes who have gotten into the world of beer. Scales and Nappy Roots are among that growing number, and his appreciation for the history, process, and what he sees beer to be culturally is what’s propelling him toward this love while still performing about 100 times a year.
As many conversations have circled around in beer lately, there is a component to this effort to bring craft beer to audiences that were long neglected. We talk about that, the cross-section of music and beer, and so much more, during the course of this conversation.
So, what’s the perspective on beer from one of the most successful musicians in America?
This is Fish Scales, beer lover and rapper, of Nappy Roots. Listen in.