Shaka Zulu! Coolio Releases Cookbook

First, Xzibit wanted to pimp yo' ride. Now, according to the National Post's Ampersand Blog, Coolio wants to "pimp' yo kitchen."

The rapper has just released Cooking With Coolio: 5 Star Meals At A One Star Price, a cookbook featuring fusion food described as Blasian (black Asian) and Ghettalian (ghetto Italian).

For those who've been following the rapper-turned-MMA-fighter's career, Coolio's journey from gangsta's paradise to granola parfaits has been wildly entertaining — and certainly appetizing.

His Cooking With Coolio cooking show was a viral internet sensation. His repertoire includes colourfully named dishes like "Tricked Out West Side Tilapia," "Soul Rolls" and "Fork Steak And Heavenly Ghettalian Garlic Bread." Some of his videos accrued more than 150,000 viewers per show.

Despite Coolio's sailor tongue, dimebag portion cups and the scantily-clad co-hosts, the Oxygen Network picked up the show in 2008.

As the self-proclaimed ghetto witchdoctor chef would exclaim, "shaka zulu!"

(Note: Shaka Zulu was the 19th century leader of the Zulu kingdom in what is now South Africa.)

Coolio joins the growing list of rappers who have emerged in different professions.

DMX has said he wants to reinvent himself as a preacher, Cappadonna spent a spell as a cab driver and P. Diddy's former butler, Fonzworth Bentley, is now the star of MTV reality TV show From G's To Gents.

Check out these episodes of Cookin' With Coolio:

"Fork Steak" (It's so tender you don't need a knife):

"Spinach Even Kids Will Eat":