Hip-hop and bling go together like…Kanye West and a set of diamond grills! But how did this symbiotic relationship between the genre and jewelry come about – and do all those heavy stacks of chains symbolize something more than just an aesthetic?
With hip-hop bling making its way into the mainstream like never before, we take a look at the genre’s historical association with distinctive jewelry and a few examples of best-in-class hip-hop mega-bling!
Size Matters
When it comes to bling and hip-hop, size really does matter. But there’s an important reason for this. Going back to the underground hip-hop battles that marked the emergence of the genre in the early 1980s, jewelry was akin to battle armor and an important marker of status. It wasn’t meant to be subtle but to be seen: all those huge gold chains were an indication of success designed to convey victory to rivals and the world in general.
Hip-hop has, traditionally, been a genre closely connected with African American communities and has acted as a vital means of expressing the often difficult experiences of those from these communities. Despite the lack of a level playing field, all that oversized bling was and is a powerful way to demonstrate that, against the odds, success has been achieved and can act as an inspiration to others who wish to follow their dreams.
This is best summed up by the appearance of artist Kurtis Blow, who appears on his self-titled debut record in the 1980s wearing several conspicuous chunky gold chains. Having recently become the very first hip-hop musician to achieve a certified gold record, all that heavy jewelry was designed to send a clear message of triumph.
Building an Investment Collection
Hip-hop stars regularly invest in limited edition pieces from luxury jewelers and designers, building up glittering multi-million dollar collections to add to their wealth portfolios. This is a direct link both to the concept of bling as a status symbol and also points to the connection of many hip-hop stars with the most exclusive jewelry designers of the day.
If, as mere mortals, we’re looking for the best place to buy silver, we’d probably head to the most well-respected jewelers in town or look online to find where we can get the most bang for our buck. For hip-hop stars, it’s a very different proposition. Many work closely with designers such as Tiffany or Rolex to create their own limited edition creations or to have a custom piece of mega-bling made.
Beyonce recently gifted their husband Jay-Z a white gold watch from Hublot, which set the star back an eye-watering $5 million. We’re willing to be he doesn’t wear that to the soft play with the kids.
All About the Accessories
It’s not just about solid gold chains and diamond-encrusted watches. Hip-hop cultures embrace a range of other blingtastic accessories, too. Four-finger rings were popularized by rapper LL Cool J in the 1990s – fast forward to 2013, and the rings are just as impressive, with A$AP Rocky pictured for a magazine wearing a huge square-cut topaz and diamond ring.
As well as bracelets, grills (more on these below), and diamond earrings, many hip-hop stars have taken jewelry to the next level: in 2021, Lil Uzi Vert made the decision to get a natural pink diamond worth $24 million embedded in his forehead. Unfortunately for Uzi (and his insurance provider), the diamond got pulled out by fans at a concert.
Attention-Grabbing Grills
Almost unique to the hip-hop genre is the love of grills shared by many of its stars. In the 1990s, the Wu-Tang Clan members were renowned for commissioning unique styles of teeth bling, such as the fang style, which was first seen on RZA. Nelly and Paul Wall further pioneered the trend, and by the 2000s, grills were part of the hip-hop uniform, with teeth ice being sported by stars from Kanye West to Lil Wayne. The latter is the current owner of the most expensive grills in the hip-hop world: the rapper’s teeth ice set him back $150,000.
And speaking of Kanye, he spoke to Ellen Degeneres in 2010 about how he’d had most of his bottom teeth removed in order to have a set of diamond grills fitted. Now that’s commitment.
More recently, hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion has been seen sporting a subtly sparking set of diamond grills on her bottom teeth, and celebs, including Katy Perry and Kendall Jenner, have also experimented with the style.
Changing the Landscape of the Jewelry World
Hip-hop has long shared a symbiotic relationship with the jewelry world. Ultimately, this has resulted in the mainstream embracing the stand-out, bold aesthetic of the genre and running with it. The beautiful fusion that has come with this is best exemplified by Rihanna’s style at the 2021 Met Gala. The superstar wore a flamboyant mix of jewelry from ultra-luxe brand Bulgari alongside pieces from the Nigerian designer Thelma West.
Now, it’s about jewelers keeping up with hip-hop and the ways in which the genre itself is setting the trends rather than the other way around.
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