Uproxx cover star Baby Tate is currently on her victory lap, having just completed her US tour and a Seth Meyers performance following the release of her latest project, the EP Sexploration: The Musical, a funky and high energy mélange of R&B, pop, drum & bass/club, and hip hop influenced jams. She also adapted the project into a musical of sorts for touring purposes. Vocally speaking, Tate is as adept at riding the beat as a rhymer as she is at creating melodic hooks.
Taking Sexploration on the road, Tate hit major markets like LA, New York City, and Atlanta (her longtime hometown, though she moved to LA recently) and is a self-professed Yelper when it comes to keying in on the right local restaurant gems or hotel delivery moves. A non-beef eater, Tate humbly brags about her elite Yelp exploits on tour, gushes over the amazing vegan sushi and veggie-forward cuisine in LA, and reflects on the dishes she misses from back in Atlanta.
In the interview below, we delve into Baby Tate’s eating and snacking habits on the road, get put onto a few LA spots, and an ATL lobster roll that competes with any nationwide. Oh yeah, and we may have to consider trying Kool-Aid pickles because they are definitely a thing on TikTok.
Let’s get right into it. What snacks or food are on your rider?
I have fruit on my rider. I have hummus and pita and that’s actually it… as far as food goes. I have some ginger shots on there and pineapple juice and a bottle of tequila. But not that much food, just fruit, and hummus.
And is that because you prefer not to be full before you perform, because I know you have choreography and stuff like that? Or do you have a big meal afterward or… what’s your regimen when you’re on tour as far as eating and how you plan around your performance?
Yeah, I actually have somewhat of an unhealthy relationship with eating around shows. I don’t eat that much before I perform. I pretty much eat everything after. So I might not even touch the fruit before I even go on. A lot of times it just sits there.
Yeah, because I was watching your Mind Massage on Fuse and you were talking about late-night snacks and eating celery and hummus and stuff like that. So is that more kind of your flow is before you’re just on empty stomach having tea and things like that and then later on you’ll take care of yourself?
Pretty much, because a lot of the outfits that I wear on tour, I like to look snatched, give the body its bodying. So yeah, I pretty much just am on water and tea.
Got it. And so is there a specific tea that you love or have to have before you perform that is good for your vocals?
Yeah, I absolutely love Throat Coat tea. It really is a nice little coat for your throat, keep it warm and toasty. I like to put a lot of Manuka honey in my tea. Yeah, that’s pretty much it for me.
Now when you’re not touring, do you snack or eat differently? Do you favor more sweet or savory snacks? What’s your regular flow?
I’m definitely more of a savory snacker. I used to be a sweet snacker when I was younger, but that caused me to have a lot of cavities, so I don’t eat sweets like that anymore. But I love pistachios. That’s my favorite snack. I love a good pistachio. Pistachio ice cream is my favorite ice cream. I’m just obsessed with anything pistachios. So I love a good nut.
What else? I love a good chip and dip, whether it’s hummus and pita chips or chips and salsa. That’s my type of vibe. Definitely a savory snacker.
Growing up in Atlanta and now living in LA, who has the better food? Are there different things in each place that you like?
I would say that Atlanta probably has better food options. And I’ve only been living in LA for a year, so I can’t say that I know the full culinary landscape of LA. I have a lot more experience with Atlanta’s food. But there are definitely differences.
I think if you’re a vegetarian or vegan, LA has way better options for you than Atlanta will. And don’t get me wrong, because Atlanta does have some very great vegan and vegetarian food. But there are just more options out here as far as eating healthy.
I know a lot of people that come out here from Atlanta, they’re like, “Where are the wings? Where is the fried chicken? Where is this? Where is that?” But I enjoy all different types of cuisines, so I like [to eat] everywhere.
What are a couple of spots in Atlanta and a couple of spots in LA that people should try if they’re visiting either place?
If you’re visiting Atlanta, I would say try BeetleCat, if you like seafood. I find it so sad when people are allergic to seafood because oh my gosh, that’s one of the greatest cuisines that this earth has. But BeetleCat has this really great lobster roll, one of the best.
What else in Atlanta? There are so many restaurants in Atlanta.
I am kind of bougie when it comes to eating in LA. I really like Katana. I am a big fan of Asian food, so I love Katana.
What do you have to get at Katana?
At Katana, I would say definitely try the crispy rice with tuna. That’s one of the best that I’ve had.
Okay, very good. And then going back to touring, when you’re traveling, going through the airports and all that kind of stuff, are there things that you like to have on you, snacks or food-wise when you’re on the go? Is there anything that is part of your travel arrangement?
I travel pretty light. I try to keep my snacking to a minimum because most of the time I’m sitting first class so I have a meal. Or I’ll have the regular nuts and Bischoff cookies on Delta. But if I do ever get a little hungry, I definitely like those… I forget what the brand is called, but it’s like a nut and fruit mix type of cluster thing.
I know what you’re talking about – I think it’s called Sahale. And then when you get to your room, wherever your destination is, is there anything you have to have in the room for later on? Is there anything in the minibar that you tend to indulge in?
If the minibar has Pringles, I’m definitely spending a little cash on Pringles. And sometimes if I’m feeling a little fancy, if they’re feeling a little fancy and they have a chocolate-covered nut, like an almond or something, I’m having that.
And then when you’re in the studio working on music and stuff like that, is there anything that you have to have in the studio that helps you unlock creative energy or feel like you have the gusto to do whatever you need to do?
Yeah, I mean I’ve been working on my album with Justin Tranter over at Facet House over the past year. And pretty much every session I have everybody take a shot of some type of whatever your liquor of choice is to just get everybody’s energy up and ready to go. And also have a little moment of camaraderie between all the writers and producers in the room.
We might have a little lunch break at some point. Justin always has some amazing vegan food options. There’s this vegan sushi place out here called Niku, I think it’s called Niku Naku [Niku Nashi], or something like that. And it is some of the best sushi that I’ve ever had. And it’s really mind-blowing that it’s not fish. So I love it whenever Justin orders that at the studio.
But other than that, it’s just that shot at the beginning and then we get going.
And then staying on that topic, if you could be an ambassador for any food or snack brand, just you get to pick, what would it be?
Probably pistachios. Yep. Wonderful Pistachios. Hit me up y’all.
You said you used to really like sugary snacks, do you have anything that’s a guilty pleasure that you try not to eat that frequently? But when you have it, it’s like, “Oh, this is so good.”
Sour Patch Kids used to be my favorite candy. It’s extremely way too sweet for me to eat now, but I might have one or two.
And then what’s your favorite flavor of Sour Patch?
Definitely the blue one. When they came out with that I was like, “Oh yeah!”
What’s something that some people may find gross that you love to eat or have for a snack?
A lot of people don’t like pickles. I love pickles and I also like flavored pickles. I’ve had Kool-Aid flavored pickles and different sweet pickles.
Wait, what? Wait, wait, wait. Go back for a second. What was the first one you said? Clay-flavored pickles?
No, Kool-Aid. Kool-Aid.
Kool-Aid flavored pickles.
Yeah.
That’s a thing?
Yeah, it is.
Wow, okay.
They’re really good.
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What are some of the other flavored pickles that you’ve come across or tried?
There was this pickle brand that I found on TikTok. I forget the name, but they had a whole bunch of different flavors and I just ordered five of them. They had a ranch-flavored pickle. There was a tropical fruit-flavored pickle.
Oh my gosh.
It was great.
You’re blowing my mind a little bit right now. I guess I got to get on TikTok and see what’s going on over there.
Yeah, there are a lot of different flavored pickles. I know they have that spicy pickle with the chamoy. I’ve never tried that, but I feel like I would really enjoy it.
And then on the flip, is there something that people really like or is popular in food or snacks that you’re like, “That is disgusting. I don’t understand why anybody would eat that?”
I’m not super judgy when it comes to food. I think one thing that I just wouldn’t eat is jerky, like beef jerky or anything like that. I think that’s weird. But I know a lot of people really love it. It’s just not my thing.
And is that because you’re more veggie-forward or just the thought of it is just not appetizing to you?
Both. I grew up not eating meat so I don’t even eat beef at all. But it’s just a weird thought to me just eating dried meat.
Dehydrated fruits and vegetables have become a really big snack category where you can’t really go anywhere without seeing them. Even in bodegas and stuff in New York City, they sell that type of stuff now. Is that something that you’re into as far as the dehydrated and dried stuff? What are some of your favorites?
Yeah, I mean I love a good dehydrated mango. Those are great.
Those are really good.
Also, I don’t know if this counts, but I’m a really big fan of Craisins. So yeah, I love a good dehydrated fruit.
And what about the veggies? Have you tried any of those?
I haven’t. I normally like my veggies to be either raw or cooked. I don’t know if this is necessarily healthy, but it’s something that I really like, wasabi peas. If you like spicy stuff, maybe instead of eating Hot Cheetos, you can try a wasabi pea. Those are really good. What else? I love a good granola bar. You can never go wrong. They have a lot of great flavors. Trying to look at my cabinets right now see what snacks I have.
And also you were talking about cherries in another interview and berries and stuff like that. Are those your favorite fruits? What are some of your favorite fruits to snack on?
I do love snacking on berries. I love cherries so much. I have had to stop buying berries because a lot of times I let them go to waste because there’s so much of them and I’m only one person and I’m not just going to sit and eat a whole thing of blackberries in one sitting, just kind of OD on them.
They go bad quickly too, which is frustrating.
Yeah, they do. So I recommend if you do want to snack on berries, just get one variation at a time. I will buy raspberries and blueberries and blackberries and strawberries and then all of them go bad because I only had one handful of each.
Speaking of combining fruits and stuff, are there any snacks that you combine together that maybe weren’t meant to go together but you really like as a combination?
Interesting. I don’t think I have any mixtures like that. I think the only one is one that my friend showed me. It’s like Hot Cheetos and Smartfood Popcorn. That’s a pretty good combo.
Those are cousins though.
Yes. Normal combo.
One of your songs on your new project is Lollipop. What are some of your favorite lollipops? I know it was probably metaphorical and there’s probably deeper meaning there, but let’s take it literally. What are some of your favorite lollipops?
I love a good Blow Pop. You can never go wrong with a classic. I so really do enjoy Dum-Dums because they’re like short and sweet and you can bite them and not break your teeth off.
So favorite flavor, Blow Pop? Favorite flavor Dum-Dums?
Favorite flavor Blow Pop is definitely, I think they have a strawberry kiwi one. I might be making that up. I feel like the color is pink and green though. Whatever it is, it might be watermelon – whichever one is pink and…. It’s watermelon, yeah. Watermelon Blow Pops, my favorite. And the Dum-Dums, there’s one that’s clear looking. I think it might be pineapple. That’s my favorite.
Traveling around going on tour, I know you were just in New York. I’m sure you’ve been to a lot of other places. What are some places that you’ve traveled that you were really surprised about how good the food was? Or you tried something local that you really liked. Are there any spots that you would recommend others to try out in those places? I know that’s pretty general, but maybe we could start with New York and maybe pick one other city that you really were like, “Oh wow, the food here is really good”?
I don’t think I’m ever surprised by places having good food. I am a Yelp warrior, so I will always find good food wherever I am. I could be in literally the middle of nowhere and I will find somewhere good to eat. But the last time I was in New York, there was this nice restaurant I went to. I do not remember the name of it. It was Spanish food. It wasn’t Mexican, but it was Spanish from Spain.
Tapas?
Yeah, tapas and stuff. It was really good. And just a random part of New York, a really small restaurant. But yeah, I don’t remember the name.
Anywhere else that sticks out through your travels where you’re like, “When I go back there I must go to…” Whatever. Or do you just have so much good food that it’s hard to remember?
Honestly? Yeah, it’s so hard to remember because everywhere I go there’s a good restaurant. I’m picking a good restaurant regardless. I know in Boston there was this one seafood spot that we went to after one of my shows and we had this huge seafood tower and it was religious. I don’t remember what it was called though. It was like a man’s name [we’re guessing Eddie V’s, which is a premium national chain].
Okay. Is there anything else that you want to share about your music that’s out or what you have coming up before we jump off?
I have new music coming. I’m working on my album that’s going to be coming out this year. So yeah, I look forward to that.