Hip Hop Jewelry

What do you think of when you think of the word rapper? Certainly you think of extravagance, fancy cars, big houses, money, women, power and most definitely jewelry. Jewelry has been a feature in hip hop culture ever since it emerged onto the mainstream during the 80s. Run DMC rocked heavy and large dookie rope chains, which are now back in fashion. In the 90s, 2pac wore a large herringbone gold chain and sometimes his large Figaro chain with a custom made revolver pendant. Today, 50 cent rocks his platinum iced out spinner pendant. There is no doubt that hip hop jewelry has evolved, but it continues to be a centerpiece of attention among stars and fans alike.

The history of over the top jewelry in hip hop and its popularity is due to the fact that hip hop jewelry is a sign of wealth and prestige. If you were able to afford something nice and luxurious like a large gold chain, then you were doing something right. Perhaps the jewelry was meant to impress women, or even to let other men know who's in charge. For some, it hip hop jewelry has a deeper meaning. It is a sign of accomplishment and success. For rappers, a jewelry piece may represent a milestone, like a degree.

Most hip hop stars come from humble beginnings like you and I, so when they are put in a position to enjoy the nicer things in life, they tend to go all out. Kanye West sums it all up best in this verse of his recent smash hit the good life. "But when I got my card back activated, I'm back to Vegas cause...I've always had a passion for flashin', before I had it I close my eyes and imagine, the good life." What this line represents is the struggle, trials and tribulations that hip hop stars and fans endure before achieving success. When success comes, the iced out watches and platinum chains represent overcoming those struggles. Hip hop jewelry is not just showing off, but its telling off. It's telling off those who doubted you, telling off those negatives thoughts in your head telling you to quit when you were down. Hip hop jewelry is a symbol of conquer and achievement.

Hip Hop Jewelry is constantly evolving. We've seen custom made large gold pendants of the 80s, as well as completely iced out platinum chains of the late 90s. Now, the trend has grown exponentially among both hip hop stars and fans to include belt buckles, earrings, watches, shoe tags, grillz and more. The focus now is on uniqueness, where hip hop jewelry incorporates a variety of stone colors, arrangements, styles, and tastes. Luckily, with the explosive growth of hip hop jewelry, many online retailers have invested a lot of money to constantly improve the look and feel of fashion jewelry replicas of the popular jewelry we see in the media. Hip hop jewelry will continue to grow among the youth, and retailers will be close behind, offering lower cost alternatives to the masses.

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