We could go into the history and politics of bling and attempt a hefty essay about how African Americans were forced into slavery and poverty, and decades after emancipation are often still living as second-class citizens in their own country and how flashy cars, clothes and jewellery are simply a big 'fuck you' to the white oppressors of their ancestors to show how far they've come... But we're pretty sure that an academic will have put it better and smarter than we ever could have.
Instead we decided to find the most famous/memorable/significant/crazy/awesome/ugly/weird bling that rappers have sported. Some of it is truly amazing and some is obscene and ludicrous (ie: not Ludacris, although he did say once "watch out for the medallion, my diamonds are reckless / feels like a midget is hanging from my necklace").
Run DMC's dookie gold ropes are classics, Slick Rick's rock-studded eye-patch is unforgettable, Kanye's pyramid knuckle duster is fabulous, Lil Jon in his 'Crunk Ain't Dead' necklace (apparently worth $200-$250 thousand, weighing five pounds and sporting 3,756 white diamonds) is absurd.
So, what did we miss?
Posted By:
Katie Olsen