Soul Music Legend Aretha Franklin Is Launching Her Own Food Brand

 Aretha Franklin, the "Queen of Soul" and the powerful voice behind hits like "Respect" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," is getting ready to launch her very own food brand, with an eye toward disrupting the success of a certain diva whose now-infamous sweet potato pies sold like hot cakes around Thanksgiving — Patti LaBelle.

In an interview with Detroit's Local News 4 today, Franklin said that her own line of products will include pies, chili, gumbo, and baked chicken. A Phoenix-based company has been tapped to begin development on Franklin's foods.

When asked if she had ever tasted one of LaBelle's pies, Franklin said, "No, I haven't, but Ms. Patti's gonna have to move that pie to the side!"

However, despite a persistent rumor that Franklin and LaBelle and have been embroiled in a rivalry for a number of years, and fueled by the story of a supposed fist fight in 2014, Franklin later clarified to USA Today that she and LaBelle get along just fine. "Patti and I are cool and we always have been," Franklin said.