Tech N9ne feared that Chiefs fans would recognize him behind the face paint and huge sunglasses, wearing a red Chiefs helmet and No. 58 jersey that said “Feed Me” on the back.
If any did, they played along like the good sports they are so they wouldn’t spoil his role as the first celebrity guest of the team’s new reality series.
Can you just imagine his direction?
Go eat!
Where do we sign up?
The Chiefs sent the man who wrote “Red Kingdom” into the tailgate parties before the Lions game on Oct. 12 to film the first episode of “Secret Chiefs.” It premiered Friday on the Chiefs’ official YouTube channel and social media platforms.
Two more shows are coming this season. Each will spotlight the yumminess of Kansas City’s biggest tailgate scene.
In each show a celebrity superfan or Chiefs legend will go undercover to sample the tailgate food. Each VIP guest will choose three dishes and crown a “Best Bite” winner who will be revealed live inside the stadium before kickoff.
The fun is interactive. Fans can nominate tailgates to be featured at Chiefs.com.
“Secret Chiefs is another step in how we’re expanding our connection with fans — tapping into the shared passions that make up Chiefs Kingdom,” Lara Krug, Chiefs executive vice president and chief media and marketing officer, said in a statement.
“It’s a fresh opportunity to show up for our fans and invite even more people into the experience, blending football, food, community, and culture in a way only the Chiefs can.”
No acting chops needed for this foodie’s dream assignment because clearly Tech N9ne, a Chiefs fan since the age of 5, enjoyed every ... single ... bite.
“Welcome to Kansas City, where you can smell it before you taste it, and it all tastes great,” he said before the tasting. “Kansas City tailgating isn’t like anything in the world ... they’re preparing for hours getting ready for that tailgate.”
He walked around the parking lot posing for photos, line dancing with fans — “they might have a D.J., they might have music, they might have a grill line,” he said — and took a short stroll with the Chiefs Rumble drumline.
He was not shy about calling Kansas City barbecue the best in the world. “I don’t care what nobody says,” he said. “I stand on that.”
So no surprise that two of the dishes he chose were barbecue-based.
First he tasted Chad’s KC Smokehouse Hero sandwich, filet mignon cooked to about medium piled on grilled garlic toast with blue cheese, red onion and baby arugula.
Its creator, Chad Comeau — aka “Red Chef” — has tailgated for 17 years.
“The first bite, man. I ate the whole thing,” said Tech N9ne. “It was silky, man. I don’t know, man. This is going to be tough. I’m not a fan of blue cheese, but it tastes wonderful on this.”
The founder of music label Strange Music told Comeau he was a finalist and asked him to join him inside the stadium later.
At one point, Tech N9ne told producers, “I think they’re on to me. I have to sound different. So, I’m going to be talking kind of like the Godfather.”
He next sampled Monte’s 816 Combo by Monté Terrill.
Terrill’s claim to fame is studying under champion KCK pitmaster Richard Fergola — the “Fergie” of Fergolicious BBQ — and learning how to cook with his mom.
“So, typically we try to switch it up depending on who our opponent is,” Terrill told Tech.
(If weak-sauce opponents dictate the menu, he should serve chicken. But we digress.)
“I see you got something different right there,” Tech said.
“Yeah, we got a little turkey here. So, right here, this is going to be the tailgate 816 combo sandwich. Wagyu brisket (smoked 18 hours) with wood fire injected turkey breast served over a little jalapeno slaw, with a little secret sauce.”
“Oh man that sounds great,” Tech said before demolishing a bite. “Most people do hot dogs and hamburger, but you got this high-end food.”
“I mean, I think it’s just for the love of it, right?” Terrill said. “Like, I love cooking, man. We’re always out here every home game. Rain, sleet, snow, shine.”
Tech knew his third pick would have to be outstanding to have a shot at beating the 816 combo. He chose Jessica Newbill’s Stuffed Love Shells.
She told Tech she got engaged at a Chiefs tailgate party.
“So the love shells, the stuffed cheese, you’ve got ricotta, you’ve got mozzarella, you’ve got parmesan and then you top it off with my homemade sauce — has onion and basil and garlic in it and a little bit of salt and pepper and sugar.”
He sprinkled the shells with even more parmesan before serving Tech, who loves Italian food. So no surprise the shells were his third pick, after dripping sauce on himself.
Before kickoff his three finalists climbed up to the stadium’s drum deck where he announced Terrill as the winner of the $500 first prize, plus two field passes to the Raiders game on Sunday.
Another episode was filmed at that game; another will be filmed Oct. 27. The episodes premiere Fridays after the games. The plan is to produce a full slate next season.
The Chiefs’ co-producer is the aptly named, Emmy-winning YumCrunch studio.