23 musicians you probably didn't know were vegetarian
by Mark Teo
December 4, 2013
Earlier today, Jay-Z announced that he was going vegan—for 22 days. It was a way to test out a new diet, we assume. And while there’s no saying if he’ll stick with the diet—we suspect he won’t—it’s also an indicator that veganism is now considered a viable dietary lifestyle, even by the world’s biggest pop stars.
Of course, we’ve known this forever, vegetarianism and veganism has long been a part of punk rock and hardcore circles. (“Joey Knuckles FSU could cave in your fucking face without the assistance of jerky pepperettes,” we hear you saying. We believe it.) But outside the genre, there are plenty of musicians who’ve adopted meat-free lives. Whether for ethical, environmental, or health reasons, here are 23 musicians you didn’t know flew the veg flag.
Jay-Z
Though there’s no guarantee he’ll stay on the vegan side, Jay-Z went vegan for his 44th birthday. “Psychologists have said it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. On the 22nd day, you’ve found the way,” he wrote on his blog. Get on that Field Roast, fella.
Travis Barker
The Blink-182’s “Can I Say” stomach tattoo—which references Dag Nasty—hints at Barker’s secret hardcore past, so it’s perhaps no surprise that he’s vegan. It might be surprising, however, that dude’s invested in Crossroads, a bougie-as-heck vegan restaurant in L.A.
Jonsi
Sigur Ros are best known for their whimsical take on post-rock, but the leader of the Icelandic outfit has also been puttering around vegetarian circles for more than a decade. It perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise that he doesn’t eat meat—especially considering that one of Iceland’s most celebrated dishes is Hakarl, a type of urine-scented rotten shark. “I didn’t go vegetarian because of the animals, but the longer I have avoided meat, the more disgusted I am by what happens to them,” Jonsi told Viva Activists. “When I look at meat, I see the animal it came from.”
Anthony Kiedis
Actually, Kiedis—despite being winning PETA’s corny-as-heck Sexiest Vegan Alive Award in 2011—isn’t a vegan. He supposedly dabbles in fish and eggs, making him firmly an ovo-pescatarian. That fact hasn’t stopped Facebook groups like “Anthony Kiedis the Hottest VEGAN Alive.”
Dead Prez
Dead Prez’s music is known for their revolution-first, people-centric approach. But they’re also staunch vegans, and on their debut album Let’s Get Free, they penned the vegan anthem “Be Healthy,” which declared, “I don’t eat no meat, no dairy, no sweets / Only ripe vegetables, fresh fruit, and whole wheat.”
Daniel Johns
It’s called Frogstomp, not Frog-snack. That, and Johns supposedly sports and animal liberation tattoo on his ankle.
Jacob Bannon
Although Converge fits neatly on metal bills, Jacob Bannon’s vegetarian lifestyle comes firmly from the hardcore scene. “There is an element of social and ethical awareness in certain pockets of the punk and hardcore,” he told VegNews. “The animal-rights movement is something that fits into that world well.”
Paul Masvidal from Cynic
Paul Masvidal, of Death and Cynic, has always been a spiritual dude: He’s a yogi, meditates regularly and, of course, has written about his dietary habits. “What people don’t understand is that Buddha was the biggest rebel of all,” he told Prefix. Save the hail seitan jokes, guys.
Travis Ryan from Cattle Decapitation
If you’re part of an extreme metal band called Cattle Decapitation, it’s a sure sign you’re a vegetarian. Travis Ryan, the band’s leader, says much of the band’s early material was, in fact, about the topic. “We don’t need fur and we don’t need meat,” he told About.com. “It’s not against meat eating. It’s the way we have gone about it in this country with mass systematic slaughter and factory farming.”
Cedric Bixler
When it comes to meat products, the Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixler’s all like, “GET AWAAAYYY!!! GET AWAAAYYYY!!!” Amirite?
Jared Leto
How in the hell is butt rock God Jared Leto 41? A diet based on Tofutti Cuties, he says, is the secret to eternal youth. “I’m pretty healthy so I think that helps a lot,” he told GQ. “I’ve been that way for a long time – 20 solid years of eating vegetarian/vegan and taking care of myself.”
Bryan Adams
The 50-something Canrock icon is a vegan—and has been vegetarian for the better part of two decades. In fact, he—like PETA—has taken up the fight against whaling and KFC’s cruelty to chicken. “I’ve made a conscious decision not to be part of the cycle of killing animals because I couldn’t see the point of crusading for Greenpeace and then eating a fish,” he told Metro. “Seriously, if you are going to talk the talk, you need to walk the walk.” DAYUMMM.
Bif Naked
The PVC-clad “Daddy’s Getting Married” singer better hope they’re serving TVP at the wedding reception.
Andre 3000
Although Outkast’s music can feel wonderfully excessive, Andre 3000 doesn’t drink, smoke weed, or eat meat. Far from being puritanical, though, he still included a long fur coat in Benjamin Bixby’s lineup.
Moby
At first, we were surprised to learn that Moby was a vegan. But then, we learned that he played in a seminal hardcore band called the Vatican Commandos, emerging from a NYHC scene that produced John Joseph and this incredible Youth of Today video.
Avril Lavigne
Lavigne is a card-carrying vegan—even ensuring that her wedding dress contained no animal products. (There was no mention, however, of a vegan option on her wedding invite.) You’d think Chad would be a eat-steak-like-real-man-man, but according to UKHairdressers.com (our fave source for celebrity news), he’s praised her ability to cook, like, nutritional yeast Mac ‘n’ Cheez.
Common
This conscious rap god spends plenty of time in less-than-veg-friendly environments—his HBO show, Hell on Wheels, is shot in Alberta, the seat of Canada’s cattle country—but, in his words, “I don’t want to be detrimental to animals… if you eat better, you live better and feel better.” Check his philosophical musings on vegetarianism below.
Prince
Prince must’ve lost his shit when Whole Foods started carrying purple kale, cabbage, and carrots.
Weird Al
“Weird” Al Yankovic burrowed his way into our hearts thanks to wonderful parody songs like “Amish Paradise.” But, as we wrote about earlier this week, he has a serious side, too—and part of his not-joking persona is a strict vegan diet.
Thom Yorke
The Radiohead singer’s veganism is so legendary, a branch of Radiohead forbidden-fruit fanfic has cropped up called “Thom Yorke and Cheesecake.” Well, there goes our afternoon.
Erykah Badu
There are two isms we stand behind: Vegetarianism and Baduism. As she told VegNews, “Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul. And to me, your soul is your intent. If your intent is pure, you are pure.”
Russell Simmons
The legendary mogul isn’t technically a musician, but he is technically a vegan. As he told Ellen in a thoughtful letter, “Being a thoughtful vegan makes our time on this Earth more peaceful and joyous, because you get to have a hand in promoting and increasing the happiness, good health and well-being of others — both animal and human — rather than being an instrument of their suffering and death.”
And since it’s relevant, here’s what he has to say about Jay-Z’s plans:
Congrats to @jayz for going to plant based diet for the 40 billion animals that are slaughtered yearly, the environment and his health
— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) December 5, 2013
Morrissey
Just kidding. You totally knew Morrissey was vegetarian. Beyond penning the classic Meat is Murder, he’s always been excellent for pro-veg stage banter: After barbecue wafted on stage at Coachella, for example, Moz commented that, “I can smell burning flesh. I hope to God it’s human.”
Tags: Music, News, Andre 3000, Anthony Kiedis, Avril Lavigne, Bryan Adams, Daniel Johns, dead prez, Erykah Badu, Jake Bannon, Jared Leto, Jay-Z, mars volta, Moby, Morrissey, Russell Simmons, Thom Yorke, Travis Barker