Ludacris is back in the kitchen, cooking up international cuisine instead of hit songs. In the Tuesday (Feb. 15) return of his Discovery+ series Luda Can’t Cook, the rapper turned aspiring chef will take a crack at mastering the culinary arts of Haiti, Korea, Cuba and more under the guidance of chefs Alain Lemaire, Seung Hee Lee and Michael Beltran, and Billboard has an exclusive sneak peek.
While its title may have been true before the show first aired, guest star Timbaland asserts in one of the hourlong episodes that Luda can, in fact, cook. In the exclusive sneak peek above shared with Billboard, Luda tells the hip-hop legend that he “can be honest, you can be brutally honest” after serving up a plate of Cuban-inspired chicken chicharrones.
Timba crunches into the munchies and chews thoughtfully before giving the dish an impressive 8.5 out of 10, dinging his pal only for over salting the food. “I’m in awe, ’cause I want to say something bad,” he jokes. “But I can’t. If y’all haven’t tried this boy’s cooking, I suggest you do.”
Produced by Ludacris and Will Packer, Luda Can’t Cook premiered as a one-off special last year and took viewers along on the 44-year-old artist’s mission to master Indian cuisine with the help of chef Meherwan Irani. The whole journey started because he’s been passionate about food his entire life, but never particularly skilled at cooking – something he’s determined to change.
“I put 100% into everything I do, including learning how to cook, and exploring different cuisines from across the globe with world-renowned chefs has been incredible,” Ludacris said in a statement. “I’m excited for viewers to experience Haitian, Korean and Cuban food with me – and see how I put my own style into each dish.”
In addition to learning from renowned-chefs, the series will also see Ludacris traveling around Florida and Georgia to immerse himself in different cultures and serve dishes to special guests, from chef Edward Lee to comedian Lil Duval to author Lorena Garcia.
“After the success of Luda Can’t Cook the first time around, we knew we had to bring Ludacris back for more,” said Courtney White, Discovery Inc. Food Network president, in a statement. “He is up for any challenge and combining his passion for food and learning unexpected new skills is so entertaining to watch. He is determined to master cuisines from around the globe – and we are thrilled to join him for the ride.”
Check out an exclusive teaser for Luda Can’t Cook, out Feb. 15 on Discovery+, above.