The book that Hemingway wanted to write, Agatha Christie couldn’t, and Alex Haley didn’t have enough soul for.

NEW YORK, NY, APRIL 4, 2025—Pioneer Works Press is excited to present If You Can Kill It I Can Cook It, a comprehensive cookbook and monograph by the cult artist Swamp Dogg, to be released on May 20, 2025. Pioneer Works will host a book launch event on June 8, 2025 as part of its monthly Second Sundays programming.

Following the release of his 2020 album Sorry You Couldn’t Make It, the cookbook marks Swamp Dogg’s second collaboration with Pioneer Works Press. Presented in conjunction with the theatrical release of Magnolia Pictures’ feature length documentary Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted (2024) and his album Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th Street (2024) from Oh Boy Records, this marks a triumphant moment in the artist’s life.

Before there was Snoop Dogg, there was Swamp Dogg. The original was born Jerry Williams Jr. in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1942. He first won fame as a 12-year-old soul singer called Little Jerry before he later decided, at the end of the 1960s and after several hit records, to create a new identity for making music and mischief. Thus, Little Jerry became Swamp Dogg—a legendary singer, songwriter and record producer whose singular voice and ideas have shaped the history not merely of soul music, but of country, hip-hop and a dozen other genres. He also made history in the music business, early in his career, as the first Black A&R man at Atlantic Records, where he oversaw music by The Drifters and Gary U.S. Bonds—just two of the storied acts whose sounds he helped shape.

If music is Swamp Dogg’s first love, this fabled man of taste has another one: food. In 1972, Swamp Dogg proclaimed that he would write a cookbook so transformative that the legacies of culinary giants like Julia Child, Betty Crocker, James Beard and even Colonel Sanders would pale in comparison. He stated that "It is the book that Hemingway wanted to write and that Agatha Christie couldn’t, and Alex Haley didn’t have enough soul for.” Now, more than 50 years later, that book is finally here—spurred in part by the creation of Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted.

If You Can Kill It I Can Cook It is more than a cookbook. It is a book for those who appreciate recipes seasoned with personality and history and accompanied by stories to go with dinner. It is a biographical artifact and a journey into the mind of a chef who will teach you how to make “Baked Beans Bo Diddley,” “James Brown In Flight Chicken” and “Willie Nelson Potatoes Platter.” It is also a glimpse into the savory life of a musical genius who recognizes “Whore D'oeuvres,” beans, pork and “Gospel Bird & Family” as major food groups. Reminiscent of cookbooks from the days of yore, the spiral bound, hardcover book features over 50 of Swamp’s favorite recipes, richly illustrated with tales and photos of family, food, music and business. As Swamp Dogg says, “Well, get to cooking!” 

In conjunction with the release of the cookbook, Magnolia Pictures will release the artist’s feature length documentary, Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted, on May 2. Directed by Isaac Gale and Ryan Olson, the film chronicles the titular artist and his “bachelor pad of aging musicians,” including the charming Guitar Shorty and lovably quirky Moogstar, as they navigate the tumultuous music industry—transforming their home into an artistic playground in the process. Presented alongside his feature length documentary and album, If You Can Kill It, I Can Cook It resonates with the same fervor as his music, all while satisfying a different sensory palette: taste.

About Swamp Dogg
Swamp Dogg, also known as Jerry Williams Jr., is a cult soul superhero with over 65 years in the music industry as a singer, songwriter, and producer. Known for his eccentric rock-influenced R&B and some of the most hilarious and unforgettable album art, he’s released 25 genre-defying albums and collaborated with artists like John Prine, Jenny Lewis, and Bon Iver.

About Magnolia Pictures
A leading independent film studio for 20 years, Magnolia Pictures is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, boasting a library of over 500 titles. Recent releases include The League, from director Sam Pollard and executive producers Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq Trotter that celebrates the dynamic journey of Negro League baseball's triumphs and challenges through the first half of the twentieth century; Paul Schrader’s Venice and New York Film Festival crime thriller Master Gardener; Lisa Cortés’ Sundance opening night documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything; SXSW Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award-winning comedy I Love My Dad, starring Patton Oswalt; double Oscar nominee COLLECTIVE, Alexander Nanau’s jaw-dropping expose of corruption at the highest levels of government; Dawn Porter’s John Lewis: Good Trouble; Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s Cannes Palme d'Or winner and Oscar-nominated Shoplifters; Oscar-nominated RBG; Ruben Östlund’s Cannes Palme d'Or winner and Oscar-nominated The Square; and Raoul Peck and James Baldwin’s Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro.

About Oh Boy Records
Oh Boy Records is an independent record label located in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1981 by Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter John Prine. The label is run by the Prine family and is the second oldest artist-run independent label in the U.S. The label continues to expand its catalog with a dedication to authentic voices—giving songwriters a platform to create art while speaking their truth. Oh Boy has released audio and video recordings by John Prine, Dan Reeder, Swamp Dogg and Kris Kristofferson, among others, along with a new generation of artists like Kelsey Waldon, Tré Burt, Arlo McKinley, Emily Scott Robinson, Mick Flannery and Palmyra—and won A2IM Libera Awards Label of the Year for a small label in 2022 and the Folk Alliance Lifetime Achievement award in 2023.

About Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St
Hailed by NPR as "one of the best country albums of the year," Swamp Dogg’s Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St is a record that’s as reverent as it is raunchy, a collection that challenges conventional notions of genre and race while at the same time celebrating the music that helped make Swamp Dogg the beloved iconoclast he’s known as today. Featuring bluegrass staple musicians Noam Pikelny, Sierra Hull, Jerry Douglas, Chris Scruggs, Billy Contreras and Kenny Vaughan, with special guests Margo Price, Vernon Reid, Jenny Lewis, Justin Vernon and The Cactus Blossoms.

About Pioneer Works

Pioneer Works (PW) is an artist and scientist-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural center in Red Hook, Brooklyn that fosters innovative thinking through the visual and performing arts, technology, music, and science. We support onsite production through our science, design, recording, and ceramics studios; media, virtual environment, and technology labs; darkroom; and garden. Multi-disciplinary programs, exhibitions, residencies, and performances are presented to the public, of which the majority are free.

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