Hip-Hop and Jewelry: A Love Story
Ever since the beginning of time, people’s perception of jewelry has been mixed. Some people look at it as a fine work of art that should be appreciated, collected, and worn at every chance they get. Some, on the other hand, view it as a useless accessory and a waste of resources. Despite the mixed opinions, there is one common perception about jewelry: it is a status symbol. Wearing pieces of jewelry gives other people the impression that you have a certain amount of wealth. From people who wear antique jewelry passed on between generations in their family to aficionados who search for loose diamonds in places like Tulsa for their collection, these projections about them being rich would not change. Take rappers as an example. You see them on television rocking those outrageous gold or platinum chains on their necks and those diamond-encrusted watches and bracelets. It makes people think that these artists are extremely wealthy, even if the reality is that some of them are still living in the projects. Since we’re on the topic, let’s talk about the decades-old relationship between hip-hop and expensive jewelry.
Jewelry has been a part of hip-hop culture shortly after its beginning. In 1980, Kurtis Blow, a rapper who is credited for creating the first-ever certified gold hip-hop record, appeared on his debut album cover sporting multiple gold necklaces and pendants. These pieces of jewelry were not cheap imitations and were as real as they could get. Little did people know that this creative album cover would be the catalyst for a culture’s development, and eventually, would add more identity to it.
Just a few years after Kurtis Blow’s debut album, there was an influx of new up-and-coming rappers, such as Eric B. & Rakim, Slick Rick, Biz Markie, Run-DMC, Big Daddy Kane, a young LL Cool J (Yes, THAT LL Cool J), just to name a few. Despite having differences in their styles and techniques, most of these artists rocked gold jewelry all around their body. Gigantic rope chains, large bull rings, 4-finger rings, bracelets, heavy pendants, and even crowns and scepters. All of these are made out of gold and diamonds, and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
This affinity for wearing expensive jewelry was carried on into the next two decades, where it reached the pinnacle of mainstream popularity. In the 1990s, the pieces became more outrageous and creative, to say the least. Rappers were leaning towards platinum and more diamonds and were less into gold. Of all the unique designs that were introduced in this decade, nothing stood out more than the Jesus Piece, which is a diamond-encrusted pendant that was molded into the face of Jesus Christ. It was the last chain that was worn by the late Notorious B.I.G. before being murdered in 1997. The Jesus Piece has been worn by countless rappers, such as Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim, and Kanye West, and is still a highly-sought out pendant up until today. As an iconic accessory in the world of hip-hop, this pendant is widespread all across the world and can even be sold as an estate jewelry in places like Tulsa provided that there is a history behind it.
In the 2000s, the outrageousness and creativity became out of hand. It was in this decade where rappers would literally integrate diamonds in any place they could think of. Their body, their clothes, their cars, even in their bathroom. This was evident when grills, which is essentially a mouthpiece made out of gold, platinum, and/or diamonds, became a thing. Rappers, such as Lil’ Wayne and Nelly, popularized this piece of jewelry. It was also in this decade where hip-hop figures started to sport chains that were really expensive. Pharrell Williams, one-half of the Neptunes, sported a colorful, diamond-encrusted chain in the mid-2000s that was estimated to be worth $1,000,000.
As mentioned in the first paragraph, jewelry is widely viewed as a status symbol. For the components of hip-hop, it’s not as simple as that. For them, wearing pieces of jewelry that are way more expensive than vintage watches sold in places like Tulsa is not for them to brag about how rich they are, but it's for them to show off that they made it in life. As a culture that was created by people who were struggling to live, it’s only natural for them to bask in their success. For them, wearing jewelry denotes success. It may come across to some as a superficial way of winning in life, but at the end of the day, victory is subjective. For the hip-hop culture, rocking jewelry means that they have won the war against struggle.
