“India has some of the youngest populations in the world, and jewellery has always been a part of Indian culture. While dental jewellery is not a common sight in India’s hip-hop landscape, Frostbite, India’s first premier grills company founded by Shrikesh, is trying to create a grill bling culture in India. A$AP Rocky sports teeth grillsĪmong chains and earrings, another piece of jewellery has made its presence felt in India: Teeth Grills. I am inspired by early jewellery pioneers like Slick Rick and a mix of my Sindhi heritage,” shares Rule.
It’s an ode to a classic all-gold 80’s and 90’s era, which is big, gold and bulky. “I have a fairly large statement piece, a round gold pendant with my SR logo on it. Statement pieces are in and here to stay. Look at Post Malone’s diamond-studded teeth or A$ap Rocky’s diamond studs. For some artists, jewellery is more than just accessories it is an integral part of their persona. Hip-hop jewellery, which is often made of precious metals, is more personalised and symbolic todayīut that’s not all. ” More and more artists in India are releasing music, making videos, touring, travelling,” adds De Sá, for whom Queen Latifah and Salt n Peppa were significant influences. “A lot of the bling culture comes from the US, but if you look at hairstyle and hair accessories, I would say African countries also widely impact Indian style. Indian jewellery takes inspiration from the west and tries to find its own niche. In the last 3-4 years, you have seen small jewellery brands from all over India focus on more hip-hop-esque jewellery pieces like iced-out Cuban link chains and accessories at affordable rates and have reached incredible success in such a short time.”Īnother reason is the influence of global artists and hip-hop music. “I personally feel that the tastemakers of hip-hop culture in our country began expressing themselves more creatively and flamboyantly, which in effect created a demand for it. As someone who loves his bling, Rule talks about the growing market for hip-hop jewellery in India. Today, Indian hip-hop fans can purchase a variety of bling, including oversized gold chains, pendants, rings, bracelets, and earrings. For Tracy De Sa, diversity is key when it comes to hip-hop jewelleryĪs hip-hop music grew in popularity, so did the demand for hip-hop jewellery. And despite common beliefs, jewellery was also extremely popular for men,” De Sá tells us. From letter chains with names or the names of the groups they belonged to, to the ‘bling bling’ culture where gold, silver, diamonds, and stones became a reflection of a person’s success. Jewellery is essential in all of this as it is often the easiest thing to wear and also the most valuable. “Hip-hop culture only became trendy in the early 2000s with television channels like MTV and the rise of music videos. What remained constant, though, was the exuberance and love for being ‘iced out’. Artists began looking inwards instead of westwards, and from there came India’s very own hip-hop culture that today boasts many artists. In India, hip-hop was in its teething stage till Raftaar, Honey Singh, and Badshah formed Mafia Mundeer- India’s first hip-hop group that found incredible success it went on to start the journey that the genre has seen in India. And even though it seems like streetwear is in vogue today, it is important to understand how these communities were stigmatised by embracing these styles, they became targets of racism and discrimination and were often sidelined.” Many artists wear jewellery as an extension of their personality. Using colourful clothing, traditional jewellery, and hairstyles was a way of doing all this. “In the 70s, hip hop was founded by communities that felt the need to represent their culture and traditions, share what they had left behind and create a space where they could feel at home. Goan origin hip hop artist Tracy De Sá also talks about jewellery as a form of representation by artists over the years. The trends and styles of jewellery have changed over the eras and decades of Hip-Hop but it’s definitely a constant,” shares Shah Rule, a Mumbai-based rapper whose signature sound has established him as a prominent name in the Indian hip-hop scene. “Hip-Hop culture and its relationship with jewellery stem from its early beginnings in the 1980s with iconic Gold Rope chains sported by pioneer rappers by the likes of LL Cool J, Run DMC and more. Shah Rule owns a round gold pendant with his SR logo on it Nonetheless, what was once a means to show your fit and status at battle raps is today a more intrinsic part of hip-hop culture. Our favourite musicians have all endorsed ‘ice’ in myriad forms across the decades.
A walk down the hip-hop hallway would establish this point. It is almost impossible to separate the genre from the bling.
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