You might prefer subtle jewelry, the kind of pieces that make a statement without dragging you down because they weigh half your bodyweight. Maybe your choices are personal – whether it’s a custom piece, a Star of David necklace, or handmade Jewish jewelry from Israel – but sometimes it’s fun to look at some more outlandish choices. Here are five crazy pieces of jewelry in hip-hop.
Ghostface Killah’s Gold Eagle Bracelet
The Guardian recently interviewed the makers of Def Jam: Fight For NY, the classic PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube game. Fight For NY was a hit with hip-hop heads, featuring rappers like Ghostface Killah, Flavor Flav, Snoop Dogg, and Method Man. Daryl Anselmo, the game’s art director, said, “Ghostface had a four-pound solid gold eagle bracelet and he insisted his character’s finishing move should be this bird coming to life and pecking out all the other rappers’ eyeballs. The limitations of the PlayStation 2 technology and our violence restrictions meant we couldn’t pull it off. It was impossible.” Last year, comedian Tracey Morgan paid homage and wore his own impossibly large gold eagle.
Bad Bunny’s 14-Karat Grill Set
How many white gold diamonds do you need in your mouth, exactly? According to designer ALLIGATOR JESUS (David Tamargo): a lot. Bad Bunny had his own 14-karat grill set designed especially for him, with the sparkling letters ‘BUNNY’. The piece recently featured in an exhibition entitled “Ice Cold: an Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry”, which curator Vikki Tobak said was intended to “celebrate the artists, jewelers, craftsmen, and everyday people who contributed to the storied history of hip-hop jewelry”.
A$AP Rocky’s Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby, and Enamel Lego Man
A$AP Rocky isn’t shy of bold jewelry choices. If you can make your entrance at Lollapalooza wearing a Tamagotchi around your neck, why not rock a diamond, sapphire, ruby, and enamel Lego man? The Tamagotchi necklace was available to buy for around $60. The Lego necklace? Well, that’d cost a little more – the gold is 14-karat and the piece was designed by Alex Moss and Pavē. Moss has also made pieces Drake and Tyler, the Creator.
Flavor Flav’s Clocks
Early in his career, Flavor Flav wore a stopwatch around his neck, but then upped his game with giant clocks. Flav has explained the rationale: “This lady came through our projects with this big box of shower clocks” and people around him were laughing and saying, “We dare you to wear that on stage!” That’s what happened. After all, “If you dared Flav to do something around that time, Flav would do it.” (Flav talks about himself in the third person – maybe he’s earned it.) The clock has since become as recognisable a part of Public Enemy as Chuck D’s legendary voice or the Bomb Squad’s siren-laden, fidgety beats.
Slick Rick’s Platinum and Diamond Crown and Eye Patch
Slick Rick has never been one for subtle outfits. As a youngster, Rick was blinded in one eye by broken glass, and his eyepatch was a key part of his image as Rick became one of hip-hop’s earliest stars. His track ‘La Di Da Di’ is one of the most sampled songs in all music. In 2012, Jacob & Co designed the legendary rapper a giant crown made of platinum and diamonds – with a matching eyepatch, of course.