What type of jewelry do rappers wear?

15 Apr.,2024

 

What Jewelry Do Rappers Choose to Wear?

It's impossible to imagine that a small, closely knitted community can play one of the most critical roles in fashion. The Hip-hop community is one of the main driving forces of fashion trends. And one of the eye-catching parts of hip-hop and fashion is jewelry. Hip-hop culture and jewelry are two sides of the same coin; we cannot mention one without the other.

The Guinness Book of World Records is filled with rappers' jewelry. We are not historians, but we know this has been going on from the start of hip-hop culture. If we look back hallway of hip-hop, we will see many iconic moments associated with jewelry because jewelry has been a part of the culture from the start.

Hip-hop culture started in the decade of 1970. There were three main reasons behind starting the hip-hop genre:

  • Hip-hop was a tool to tell the stories of less privileged people of color from across America.

  • It was a form of celebration.

  • It was a sport. Rap battles are a medium to show off lyrical abilities and win over the opponent.

What one wears to the battle allows one to showcase their wealth, status, and overall "flyness" to competition and other audiences. In those times, the essential parts of the fit were jewelry and sneakers. Now, the fit choice is mostly the same; the stakes got more significant, and so is the jewelry.

Hip-hop is the most influential culture in the world, so it is quite handy to know what jewelry they choose and take inspiration from them. Diamond's jewelry is shiny and brings out the artist's personality.

Jewelry in hip-hop culture is made up of diamonds. Besides gold and silver, diamonds are used a lot in hip-hop culture. They even have a term for a jewelry filled with diamonds, "iced out."

Majorly the jewelry is divided into chains, pendants, rings, Grillz, and bracelets. So let's dive into each of them and understand the brief of each category.

6 Jewelry Rappers Like the Most:

Chains

Chains are the most common and go-to rappers’ jewelry. Chains and pendants are the only two pieces of jewelry that everyone can notice. Because of the placement near the face and upper body, there is no way one can miss seeing the jewelry. No matter whom you meet, the chain and pendant will be noticed. Chains directly indicate that the person wearing them is wealthy, they have power, and it gives an impression of popularity and success.

People can miss rings and bracelets, but people cannot ignore chains and pendants. Because of that, chains are the most common piece of jewelry used in hip-hop.

Chains are of many types, but the most important ones are:

  • Cuban-link chain

  • Rope chain

  • Diamond chain

  • Mariner chain, a.k.a Gucci chain

Each has its own style, pattern, and impact. Some chains are made with lots of gold, while some are made with lots of diamonds.

Eventually, it all boils down to personal choices and what jewelry best represents you.

Pendants

Pendants are like the playground for rappers. Pendants are the only place where the highest number of customization happens. Every rapper takes a pendant as their canvas to express their thoughts, personality, and whatever they want to share with the world. Because it is mostly customized, and the price of the pendant depends on the size, metal, and number of diamonds used in the pendant. Pendants are also the only jewelry piece with the highest number of diamonds. The cost of pendants varies from around $500 to even beyond a million dollars.

There are so many strange examples of the motifs used as pendants, for example, a logo of the rapper's favorite brand, a name, a cartoon character, an animal, emoji, an alphabet, weapons, a message, a cross, Jesus, their own face and so much more! 

A pendant can be anything and everything! That is why pendant is the playground for rappers to experiment with different sizes, shapes, and materials to stand out in the crowd.

Rings

Rings are one of the oldest pieces of jewelry in the world, and it has evolved a lot. It has come a long way from simple metal jewelry to diamond-studded iced-out jewelry. Before the arrival of hip-hop culture, most of the rings were used for the purpose of an engagement proposal. The delicate solitaire ring was the only kind of ring that was famous. The maximum change was done in the quality of the diamond, metal, and number of supporting diamonds. There was no boldness or innovation in it. But after the 1980s, when the culture of hip-hop started gaining traction, the change in the ring started coming, and slowly, the ideas started emerging. Because of rappers, people now think beyond small and subtle rings; now, there are big and bulky rings too. Thanks to rappers, they have upped the ring game. Now there are rings bigger than fingers, filled with diamonds, and heavier than regular rings, and rappers wear them to flaunt themselves.

Grillz

Source: highsnobiety, etsystatic

Grillz are one of the most unique pieces of jewelry out there. Although it seems out of the blue, these pieces of jewelry are in existence for centuries now. Grillz are basically any dental jewelry. When you see history, you will realize that people used to have gold or silver teeth to showcase their wealth, social status, and success to people around them. But after hip-hop, teeth decoratives entered pop culture around the 1980s. The hip-hop community took dental jewelry to a new level as well.

As any human being, the face is one of the most attention-grabbing parts of the rapper’s body. So any type of jewelry on the face gives the opportunity to flaunt themselves. From the history of using metal in the place of a tooth, now they have the teeth filled with diamonds. Now the Grillz comes in the detachable form as well, so it gives rappers a chance to try new designs and keep being in the trend. As visible in the picture, the Grillz make mouth iced-out. It shines and can be noticed from far away. Grillz has a niche following in this culture. Wearing Grillz makes people stand out.

Last but not least, Bracelets and watches

Bracelets and watches have been interesting from the start. All the patterns of chains are converted into bracelets; apart from that, there are multiple other designs for someone interested. Watches have been getting upgraded since the start of hip-hop.

Source: Etsystatic

Everyone wears a regular watch, but rappers wear customized watches. They choose a watch they like and then give it for customization to add gems and metals. No matter what new jewelry pieces will come into hip-hop culture, one thing is clear; watches are not going anywhere.

To conclude, follow the hip-hop community to be on top of every jewelry trend. As you saw, rappers’ jewelry ranges from small and subtle pieces to big, attention-grabbing pieces. No matter what the rapper chooses to wear, this is for sure that jewelry has been and will always be an integral part of hip-hop culture.

So to answer the question, what jewelry do rappers choose to wear? Let's say a rapper chooses anything and everything that showcases their personality.

You can browse some amazing hip-hop jewelry at Netcarat.

Many people admire hip-hop artists and often want to emulate their fashion jewelry choices. Given the rapidly changing trends, you will probably want to update your hip-hop jewelry collection with the latest pieces from you. Find out what to buy and how to style it with these tips.

Certain trends mark history and the hip hop movement is one of the most significant changes of recent decades. With memorable hits, award-winning albums, and colossal personalities like MC Hammer, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg, hip-hop has changed the way people view music. The hip-hop lifestyle also dominates current fashion and jewelry is no exception.

Relationship between culture jewelry and hip hop 

How does jewelry come into play when it comes to hip-hop? As mentioned above, hip hop is not just a genre of music, it is a lifestyle and a sense of identity.

Just as hip-hop culture means 'ascension', hip-hop jewelry perpetuates this idea through beautiful and daring pieces. These beautiful chains, rings, and watches in light gold and sparkling diamonds are symbols of high status.

This trend has continued over the centuries and has become a central part of the hip-hop style. Wrapping yourself in splendor creates an air of superiority, wealth, and confidence.

Most rappers these days can be seen on multiple channels, grills, and other great knickknacks. While today's rappers aren't as impressed as artists of the past, it's not uncommon for familiar names to wear gold and diamonds from head to toe.

Types of Jewelry:

The Classic Urban Jewelry:

Urban jewelry is nothing more than city clothes or street jewelry. These include simple rings, pendants, bracelets, and thin chains that often overlap with larger chains. It could also be a simple sparkly necklace, like the one Will Smith wore during the days of the Prince of Bel-Air. These simple pieces are great for everyday looks and also when you want to pair them with other hip-hop fashion jewelry and go all out!

Rapper Jewelry :

Rappers love nothing more than layers of bulky and expensive jewelry. While everyone has their own style and preferences, they all have one thing in common: gold chains with massive pendants. Think Rick Ross' giant gold and diamond pendant with his own face! Rap stars also like to wear rings with two, three, or four fingers, so that the rings are connected to each other.

Gangster Jewelry For badass :

Do you want to look and feel like a badass? How to do it in style! Wear rings, bracelets, and necklaces with dollar signs, lion heads, crowns, skulls, and guns. Gold nugget rings, grills, and pendants that literally say the word "gangsta" are also very popular in gangster jewelry.

Gold hip hop jewelry:

If you like everyday hip-hop jewelry, these gold-plated accessories are your best choice. We all know that gold is one of the most durable metals. Unlike jewelry, gold does not fade or rust. But investing in one is not that cheap. Hence, gold-plated hip-hop jewelry is the best option as it is cheaper than gold-filled jewelry.

White Gold Hip Hop Jewelry:

White gold is generally a mixture of pure yellow gold and other metals such as silver, zinc, copper, palladium, and nickel. For this reason, they are silver in color with a slight yellow tint. It's not the most durable, but it's a lot cheaper, which makes it perfect for occasional use. White gold hip hop jewelry is more popular with women.

Hip hop jewelry in sterling silver:

Pure silver which is alloyed with copper to make it harder and stronger is known as sterling silver. As you can imagine, it is extremely durable and good for heavy use. Bracelets made from this metal are popular with hip-hop jewelry for men.

Patterns of Hip Hop Jewelry:

Personalize the Look: Pendants

The heart of all hip-hop jewelry is a pendant. This attracts the most attention because it is usually located in the center of your body. Hip-hop pendants come in a variety of styles and sizes but are typically made from popular precious metals like silver, gold, or platinum. They are set with precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds among others. Jewelers can create very unique designs when it comes to pendants. Hip-hop bling uses hip-hop pendants made from a thick, heavy base metal which is then plated with copious amounts of sterling silver or real gold. The stones used are replicas of transparent and colored diamonds. The result is a dazzling pendant with the finish, weight, and look of sterling hip-hop jewelry that costs up to thousands.

The Final Stop: Hip-Hop Earrings

3D cubes, golden buttons, huggie hoops, and pointy earrings are very popular in hip hop earrings for men. However, large bamboo gold earrings in different shapes, such as diamonds, squares, rectangles, and old circles, are popular with women. Sometimes mismatched earrings are worn: a hoop in one ear and a button in the other.

Ramping It Up: Hip Hop Watches:

Watches whose bracelets or chains are not visible because they are completely covered in diamonds are what all influential artists and celebrities wear. And most of the time even the dial is set with diamonds or other precious stones! These icy watches are often worn with chain-link bracelets on the same hand. And if you want to be as cool and quirky as Tyga, wear two watches together!

A bling watch has been essential to your hip-hop jewelry collection since the beginning of this trend. Watches from designers like Rolex and Cartier weren't enough for billionaire hip-hop artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, and P Diddy.

Hip-Hop chain:

A Hip Hop chain is also a must-have when it comes to hip-hop jewelry. Hip hop chains are very unique and are some of the most painstaking chain designs. Hip-hop chains are usually made of box-shaped links with each link having a different box design. These complex chains are linked together and are longer than traditional chains. Lately, there has been a tendency to put stones in chains to provide a diamond chain option for men just like women and their diamond chains. Hip-Hop Bling offers a wide variety of chains, including classic models, ice chains, and even exaggerated four row ice chains. Our chains are made from strong, heavy base metal and are plated with real silver or gold. The stones are high quality diamond simulations that give you the look and feel of real hip hop jewelry for a small fraction of the original.

Hip-Hop: bracelets

When it comes to hand accessories, it's usually a good idea to pair the rings with another piece of jewelry, such as a bracelet. This only completes the look, as sometimes wearing a ring can throw the handoff balance.

When choosing a bracelet, you need to consider the rest of the outfit as a whole. Not wearing necklaces or earrings gives you a lot more freedom in how you want the room to look.

This is because most hip hop bracelets have chain links similar to those found on necklaces chains. You want to make sure that the links fit together well if you decide to use both. For example, if you are wearing a tennis bracelet, you should also be wearing a similar tennis chain.

Hip-Hop Rings:

Rings have long been popular in men's jewelry. With hip-hop jewelry designs; These stunning rings can cost thousands of dollars. It might sound like a lot of money for a ring, but the truth is, you can use a lot of metal for ringing. Hip-hop rings also use a lot of stones like all other hip-hop jewelry. At hip hop bling we have a huge collection of ice creams and two rings at very affordable prices. Indeed, our rings are made from a base metal at a lower cost and are rhodium plated. This gives you the look of pure platinum without the high cost. We also only use high-quality replica diamonds to recreate the sparkle of diamonds without the cost. Order a bling hip-hop ring and complete your hip-hop jewelry collection.

 Hip Hop Jewelry Sets

If you ever don't know how to match your personalized hip-hop jewelry, all your problems are solved! These sets do all the work for you as they come with chains, pendants, rings, etc. Some outfits even have several short and long hip-hop necklaces that don't necessarily go together, but they do.

HIP HOP GRILLZ:

In the 80s, we can see rappers with Gold grillz. It's been back lately and grillz are once again an important part of any hip-hop jewelry collection. Grillz were traditionally made with gold and diamonds and took up to 2-3 months to make. The molds had to be shipped and the client had to make their own impressions with messy dental materials and then return everything. After a really long wait, the grill finally arrives and it could have cost you up to $ 1000 due to all the labor and shipping. Luckily, Hip Hop Bling brings you common matching Hip-Hop Grillz made from our special jeweler base metal and plated with silver or gold. The stones used in our hip-hop grillz are replica grade A diamonds. Our grillz lets you get the look of stars like Nelly and Paul Wall without spending thousands of dollars. You can even have a grill for every day of the week!

OTHER HIP HOP JEWELRY:

Other forms of hip-hop jewelry are hip-hop earrings, which are large and heavy. Our earrings are made of solid sterling silver with surgical steel studs. We only use the best CZ stones. We also have many hip-hop bracelets with unique designs and completely iced out to match your watch. Another beautiful piece to add to your collection is a hip-hop denim chain. These chains have become very popular lately and are made from the same high-quality materials as the rest of our bling jewelry.

Customizable

Today, artists often prefer jewelers for all of their hip-hop jewelry. Therefore, bespoke parts and bespoke products have become a central part of the way of life.

Custom hip-hop jewelry is often set with diamonds and designed with the wearer in mind.

Hip-hop forever

Hip hop will always remain a popular musical phenomenon and people will continue to embrace hip hop culture. The culture of hip-hop jewelry is big, bold and bright. Both men and women can benefit from this current trend if they adhere to the “bigger is better” rule.

Adding hip-hop jewelry to an outfit can be a great way to add some punch to your personal style. With deep meaning and design cues that exude opulence, hip-hop pieces can transform an outfit from "simple" to gorgeous. You can even layer your pieces on top of each other for a more dramatic effect, as well as mix and match styles for a new look every day of the week.

Wearing jewelry as a man is one of the best things you can do - jewelry really is a unisex experience. With it, you can break the stereotype that only women can wear icy and gold clothes, and you have complete control over your appearance and freedom of expression.

What type of jewelry do rappers wear?

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