Cheez-It Used Hip-Hop Music to Age the Cheese for Its New Crackers and We Can’t Stop Dancing

Lois Alter Mark
Lois Alter MarkContributor
Lois Alter Mark is a contributing writer to Apartment Therapy, Forbes, USA Today 10Best and Reader’s Digest. She started travel writing after accompanying Oprah Winfrey on the Ultimate Australian Adventure, and now enjoys eating her way around the world. A native New Yorker, she…read more
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published May 18, 2022
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Hip-Hop Aged Cheez-It
Credit: Cheez-It

When it comes to making cheese, aging is such an important part of the process. It’s how the cheese develops its full flavor, its distinctive aroma, and its rich texture.

So, when Cheez-It came across a study from Switzerland’s Bern University of the Arts proving that, “Put simply, cheese that has been exposed to music tastes different,” they decided to put their own spin on the findings. They turned to the experts at Pandora to compile a collection of iconic hip-hop songs with the same tempo and sonic frequency as those used in the study, which found that “the cheese exposed to hip-hop music displayed a discernibly stronger smell and stronger, fruitier taste than the other test samples.”

They brought the cheese to a secret location, put the mixtape on repeat and, six and a half months later, the result is Cheez-It x Pandora Aged by Audio, the first-ever sonically-aged cheese snack. 

If you want to test them yourself (do they really taste cheesier?) the limited-edition boxes will be sold exclusively on CheezeItHQ.com beginning May 26 at 12 p.m. EST. You’ll also be able to access the Aged by Audio mixtape — featuring songs by superstars including Drake, Eminem, and Saweetie — that was curated by Pandora to intensify the flavor of the cheese.

To celebrate the launch, Cheez-It is also partnering with SiriusXM radio host, Sway Calloway, to release his exclusive new YouTube series, “Living Legendz,” featuring interviews with the biggest names in hip-hop.

“This collaboration is the perfect mix of my favorite things: hip-hop music, wild innovation and Cheez-It,” said Calloway. “Hip-hop has influenced many lives, so I’m looking forward to seeing if fans can taste the effect of the most beloved genre of music in the world on these crackers.”

Take some advice from the Beastie Boys and “Ch-Check It Out.” You could also take a hint from Snoop Dogg and wash down the Cheez-It with some “Gin & Juice.” Who knows? You may take one bite and think, like A Tribe Called Quest, “Oh My God.”

We’re going to stop now before we get too cheesy.