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Rappers love to show off their wealth, and there's no better way to do so than with diamond-studded plates hung on platinum and gold chains. Fuck around and get a nice car, but it'll be outdated in a year. Invest in a chain and you'll floss your stacks for waaaayyyy longer. Our obsession with ice is at an all-time high—it's December, it's the holiday season during a recession, and we're aspiring for flawless stones in the new year. Thus, we asked the dopest jeweler right now, Ben Baller, to rank the best chains in hip-hop. He knows everything there is to know about fine jewelry. Just check IF & Co. for the proof, and read his words right here:
Let me start off by saying that ranking the 50 greatest chains was hard just because there are so many fake chains in hip-hop. Another thing is that just having a cross or Jesus piece will never make the list. These chains are ranked for creativity and not necessarily the amount of money they may cost. Also, a disclaimer: this is my list. But I'm being honest and fair, from being around jewelry for over 30 years, and making and being close to custom jewelry for over 10. This is my livelihood, my profession, and I'm recognized for making some of the best custom jewelry in history.
It took me a few months to come up with this list. I could have put every single chain that I made on here, but every number has a true position and I didn't play favorites. Some may say I forgot a chain or two, but I doubt it. This is my professional opinion from being involved heavily in hip-hop and jewelry, and professionally respected in both. Most of the shit you may think should have made the list is either fake or in bad taste.
It's also not easy to speak good about jewelers whose work I don't fuck with, but I made this about the chains. I put my personal opinions about some jewelers to the side and let this rock. Not all jewelers are consistent with their work, but if one of their chains made this list, then it was their best work. I salute to all you out there grinding it out in the jewelry game in this recession, still making artists shine. I will keep doing my thing, you should keep doing yours. And a note to the new rappers out there getting their first shines: do your research—the game is different now. Style and quality > size and carats.
I'm willing to answer questions or reply to comments when I can, so speak your mind below. Here we go...
Written by Ben Baller (@BENBALLER).
50. Mistah Fab
50. Mistah Fab's Short Yellow Bus Chain
Made By: Highline Jewelers
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $15,000
Just plain and simple, Mistah Fab went dumb. On some Bay Area slang shit. He went so dumb, that he made a short bus chain—a short yellow bus because he's all the way dumb with it. The fact is, Mistah Fab is one of the most underrated rappers in the game today. The chain was made in the Bay, and I just respect the concept, then him going out and executing it into his pendant.
49. Just Blaze
49. Just Blaze's PS3 Controller Chain
Made By: Jason of Beverly Hills
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $25,000
Just silly. An all black diamond encrusted Playstation 3 controller on your neck? For an electronic junkie like Just, this is perfect. Even the chain on it says "fuck you." The actual workmanship is also incredible and it fits his steez perfectly.
48. Yo Gotti
48. Yo Gotti's Memphis Tigers Chain
Made By: Freeze
First Seen: 2006
Estimated Value: $35,000
Let me say this—I saw this piece in person in Las Vegas a few years ago and I thought, "let me check out this dude's piece a little more." Definitely not mad at it. And I've seen someone else make an Ohio State Buckeye piece, but Yo Gotti's was done much iller. It was heavy, and I like that he made this to rep where he's from. Not being from a major metropolitan market, he's letting cats know, (besides Young Buck), "I'm out here." Workin'!
47. Cash Money Records
47. Birdman's Cash Money Records Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $20,000
Nobody entered the game this hard. Literally. First video, you just have on two Rolex's on each wrist? Lambos? Bentleys? Cash Money was and is still on top of the hip-hop game today, but this memorable charm meant you were part of that elite clique of dudes from New Orleans doin' it! Just being legendary alone makes the list.
46. Beanie Sigel
46. Beanie Sigel's State Property Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $35,000
I love this chain because I got to rock it once and when I actually had it in my hands? Man, the design of it being like an MLB baseball or college team logo was already hard, but the thing was fucking 300 or more grams solid! The diamonds were all VVS or VS and it danced in the dark crazy! This shit had to be made in 18k gold, it was so heavy. It also let cats know that the clique inside Rocafella from Philly was getting $$$$$.
45. Bun B
45. Bun B's 10 Commandments Chains
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $40,000
Straight up trill. I love this chain. It's the 10 Commandments so Bun's letting cats know the laws of man/life, and the way this chain was made was very sick. I like how the letters were raised up from the bottom and the borders were raised up to match, instead of making it a flat piece with only the letters raised. This gives it a 2-D feel, plus he made yellow and white diamonds look good when it's hard to do that combo—word to Fab. He also used one thick rope in white gold and one yellow gold rope to let cats know he wasn't fucking around with the coordination! Not only clever, but a timeless piece!
44. Shawty Lo
44. Shawty Lo's Crack Vial Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 2008
Estimated Value: $15,000
Yes, I'm only talking about that crack vial piece around his neck. C'mon. Do I really need to say anything else? This is gangster, this is silly, this is fucking awesome. This is some street shit and the loose diamonds = crack. The vial is a genius idea (I even made something similar last year off this idea). Shit is just great and it has a sick chain. Some folks may have think he went too far, I don't! Salute!
43. Fabolous
43. Fabolous' Rich Yung Piece
Made By: David Bling
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $75,000
I'm only putting this on this list because it was so fucking big. The width from each wing was ridiculous. The fact that it was a real chain made it even better and I like how New York cats were making half their Cuban yellow, half of it white. I remember seeing it in the jewelry store on 47th and 6th and shit was impressive. The diamond setting was legit too.
42. Method Man
42. Method Man's Ice Pick Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 2000
Estimated Value: $25,000
When I saw this for the first time, it was in DUB Magazine and I remember Meth talking about how he couldn't get past TSA security because they thought it could be used as a weapon. Well, the shit is deadly—literally—and a sick fucking piece of jewelry! This was made when there wasn't a lot of custom jewelry being made, and when not a lot of rappers had it like that. It's a fully pave'd ice pick and done very nicely. I fuck with this chain a lot. This chain costs triple what it cost to make back then, easily!
41. Method Man
41. Method Man's Upside Down Wu Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $18,000
This is just hip-hop history: the M logo that looked like an upside down Wu font. Super clean, icey as fuck. 'Nuff said—respect. (Note: I can't think of any real Wu Tang logo chains that were made with heavy ice. Most were just gold and I can't put that on here unless they were made in the '80s, sorry.)
40. Boss Hogg Outlawz
40. Boss Hogg Outlawz' Logo Chains
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $20,000
Let me say that these crew chains were so legit, that I wanted to fuck around and be down with them because they were so hard! I loved how they were made in different colors for each artist and Slim Thug's was the largest. The names were clearly made out. I'll never forget the picture with my boy Killa Kyleon rocking all of them at one time. These were the only badges I wanted to fuck with. Not the ones the pigs wear. This was some Texas wrangler true boss hogg shit. Heavy and icey, too.
39. Nipsey Hussle
39. Nipsey Hussle's Malcolm X Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $30,000
This represents a lot for men, period. It represents men with wisdom and power and those who fight the struggle, so it was perfect for the best rapper in the West. The execution was very good too, and the shit is solid gold. (Back to the Wu reference, them joints were not solid and big like this and back in the '90s, gold was dirt cheap. Shit is near $2000 an oz today.) Anyway, I respect he kept it 100 with the big ass 16mm Cuban link to let cats know he's gangsta, but also hip-hop with it.
38. Camron
38. Cam'ron's Globe Chain
Made By: Aviannes
First Seen: 2006
Estimated Value: $75,000
Let's just be honest with each other and know that Cameron Giles is a fucking genius and fool at the same time. And I don't mean fool like you can put the banana in the tail pipe (no homo) joke off with him, but I mean fool because he's ignorant with how hard he goes on his style. The chain is big, it's a globe. It represented the Scarface movie prop the best I've ever seen and the shit was the size of a small basketball but made with all real diamonds!!! SMH. Really though, he is one of very few who really OD'd on his jewels and we can talk about the stop light and all the other crazy shit, but this is my favorite of his set ups and it makes the Top 50.
37. Ghostface Killah
37. Ghostface Killah's Versace Medallion
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $50,000 plate alone
Now I don't know how heavy this charm is, but even if it is completely hollow, it would still weigh over 1000 grams. So that's over $40,000 just on that plate, let alone however much the chain that's holding it costs. You want to talk about stupid? This shit is crazy as fuck. I love it because Tony Starks is the only cat to bring back that Slick Rick look and really pull it off on some pimp shit. The plate is beyond over the top. There's nothing else to say.
36. Nelly
36. Nelly's Nefertiti Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 2006
Estimated Value: $100,000
I personally love this chain. I love the fact that it represents the old school all the way, back to his roots. He put it on a fat dookie gold rope chain. The Nefertiti was also made very precisely and not only that, the rope was partially iced out and done so fucking classy! The Nefertiti charm was big too and fully flooded in nice bright diamonds. Props!!!
35. G-Unit
35. 50 Cent's G-Unit Spinner Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 2003
Estimated Value: $75,000
Yup, don't act like this wasn't coming! Because you know it has to be on here. When G-Unit was the biggest shit in hip-hop, you saw these cats stunt so hard and have all kinds of chains, but really, this Spinner chain was the "fuck you" to everyone rocking chains at that time. It was a big ass circle, all the way fully flooded in diamonds, and it spun like a Davin wheel. It may not be timeless, but it will forever be remembered and make hip-hop history for sure.
34. Chamillionaire
34. Chamillionaire's Chameleon Chain
Made By: King Johnny
First Seen: 2008
Estimated Value: $100,000
To some, this chain is cool, but to those who know the real deal on diamonds know this piece is fucking trill! He also has that colorful chameleon that says KOOPA on it, but no disrespect when I say, fuck that chain. But this one? Damn. This chain is not small either. I've seen it in person and it's completely prong set with some BIG ASS SOLITAIRE DIAMONDS. Like, big enough to be earrings. I love that it was prong set and in double rows. He also had it on a diamond stud chain which was real, when 99% of the rappers wearing diamond stud chains were fake. He made his logo righteous—the only way you should if you got all that ringtone money and mixtape money like him.
33. Game
33. Game's "The Game" Chains
Made By: Ben Baller
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $50,000
This piece is special because I made it. When Game hit me up wanting this set up, it was for his new album, Devil's Advocate and for his “One Blood” video, he didn't want to just rap about some shit he didn't have—he lived that life. So we made him a 50 carat double "Game" chain set up and he asked for Cuban links because he wanted it OG hip-hop and the chains were fucking heavy as shit! We laser engraved “The Documentary” on the smaller one (not a small chain though) and “The Devil's Advocate” on the big chain. This chain got a lot of play in his career and from what he told me, the chain is so big and heavy, when he's on stage it will cut into his chest something awful because of the sharp edges. Oh well. We can smooth those out a little bit for you homie, but we made this chain just right. It was 100% precise to spec and the artwork.
32. Pharrell
32. Pharrell's BBC/Ice Cream Chains
Made By: Jacob the Jeweler
First Seen: 2006
Estimated Value: $1,000,000
The only reason why this isn't in the top 10 is because I don't actually like any of the designs on these pieces. But it has to make the top 50 because P dropped maybe $500k or more on his jewelry set up. I know they were his logos, but they were so elementary in design. I will say his diamond Cuban chains though? The best I've ever seen, EVER (but still second best to my boy Jonas Bevacqua's 30mm iced out Cuban link, sorry lol). But P did go hard. And it was all his shit. I just didn't fuck with it that tough. But the work and craftsmanship (not design) was triple A grade and I got to tip my hat off to Jacob for doing what he does best.
31. Nas
31. Nas' "N" Chain
Made By: Ben Baller
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $50,000
50 carats total of black and white diamonds to represent the most official letter in a name in hip-hop? I was surprised that Nas didn't have an "N" chain earlier in his career. This chain got a lot of publicity, too because he wore it at the GRAMMYs wearing a N**** T-shirt on. But really, the work on this was top notch. I remember making this joint for Nasir and he wanted it to be the size of a CD cover. Haters can say what they want, but this is Nas. This is his "N" chain. And because it's Nas, it's going down in history. I just happen to have made it and we did our thing because nothing is more embarrassing than seeing an icon in hip-hop rocking some bullshit!
30. Nas
30. Nas' King Tut Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 1999
Estimated Value: $65,000
I remember holding this piece and being like, "damn, why didn't I think of this?" But what else do I need to say? IT'S FUCKING KING TUT! The shit is fly. Period. It's gold and represents majestic ancient shit from the motherland. It's history rocking history. Illmatic repping the illest mummy.
29. Clipse
29. Clipse's Clipse Chain
Made By: Ben Baller
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $30,000
This logo is vicious. Shit is one of the best designed logos in hip-hop. When we got approached with this project, I was glad to not only say yes, but to get paid for making something for a group I'm a fan of. More importantly, this was my first ever celebrity chain that I had made. And to make this project come full circle, my big brother/life coach/inspiration for everything in life, Mister Cartoon designed this logo! Makes sense on why it's so dope huh? (Fact: I just got off the phone with Pusha T while writing this and found out it was Cartoon who designed this and it FUCKED ME UP! I didn't even know. Wow!) We went all the way VVS diamonds on this—not that bullshit you see when jewelers claim VVS when it's not even SI2.
Pusha and Malice were very particular about their jewels and knew their shit because they were spending money on jewelry way before their rap careers. We made this piece solid too, and even though these cats are used to Cubans, we threw a Franco chain on this. This is one of the few pieces next to the NAS “N” chain that has the chain welded onto the charm properly. They didn't get this for cheap though, lol.
28. Fat Joe
28. Fat Joe's Terror Squad Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $50,000
Nobody can make a list of top 50 hip-hop chains and not have Fat Joe's name in it. He was the first to rock BIG diamond chains, for real. His TS chains were all crazy. They were super iced out and heavy as fuck! But the boss's chain, Joe's TS was the illest of them all. It was the first colorful diamond chain I've ever seen. It matched the Jacob “World is Mine” watch with almost every single colored diamond possible on it. Joe even had a three different colored diamond encrusted Miami Cuban link to go with it. Ultra sick. The machine setting pave was flawless, too.
27. Fat Joe
27. Fat Joe's Air Pun Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $25,000
Back to Joe again? On some sneakerhead shit, this is the fuck you of fuck yous. Joe is a big time sneakerhead and on top of that, Big Pun (RIP) was his brother and the main guy besides him killing it for Terror Squad. What a dope way to honor him. This shit was so dumb! Whoever made this chain killed it for real. Such a dope diamond plaque and so much meaning behind it. The Jumpman logo with Pun's silhouette is incredible. The red rubies were so red too. So they had to be excellent rubies being used.
26. Rick Ross
26. Rick Ross' Red Maybach Music Chains
Made By: Johnny Dang
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $80,000
This is the definition of fully iced out and fully flooded, for real. The sides are done, the edges are done, the thing is covered completely in diamonds and rubies. This piece is FULLY FULLY FLOODED. It's almost the size of a slice of New York pizza! This shit is huge! And heavy as fuck with that signature southern style diamond with a halo cased necklace. I had to put Rick Ross on here. He definitely has a lot of jewelry, but this is his trump shit.
25. Lil Eazy-E
25. Lil Eazy-E's Eazy-E Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 2006
Estimated Value: $20,000
This chain is no joke. His dad was the pioneer of gangsta music and I was one of his biggest fans ever. The Eazy-E chain is so perfectly made that I don't think anyone in jewelry could have made this chain any better. If you're gonna do a face in 3-D, this is the only way to go. The execution and what it represents is what made it on this list. I fuck with it heavy.
24. Ice-T
24. Ice-T's Tony Montana Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $30,000
Let's get serious, are you the dickhead who hasn't seen the movie Scarface? I doubt it. Everyone's seen the movie, everyone knows that "TM" logo goes hard as fuck. I love that of all people who could have had this chain made, it was an OG like my uncle, Ice-T. That shit just fits him. It's so fucking bossy and the size is just right. I'm glad that an OG from the west coast made the list.
23. Akon
23. Akon's Konvict Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $50,000
The fact that he was giving these chains out to his artists like they were letterman jackets was already on some "shut the fuck up" type shit. These chains are probably worth around $45,000 to $50,000 each. Out of anyone's record label in the last 10 years, I can't say anyone else went harder on actual size and presence. The meaning obviously behind being a convict is also dope. I fuck with the design too. I remember sitting in first class with Akon once and I said, “let me see that shit bro!” It was very regal.
22. Swizz Beats
22. Swizz Beatz' Kid Robot Piece
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 2009
Estimated Value: $18,000
Next to Lil Eazy-E, as far as 3-D head chains go, this one is the best I've ever seen made. That's why it is ranked higher. Even the back is iced out. The whole thing is flooded crazy and made so fucking classy.
21. Swizz Beats
21. Swizz Beatz' Boombox Chains
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $40,000
This is hip-hop. This is also "fuck you." The chains are just beautiful, and they look amazing in pictures—even better in person. Swizz has never had any shitty jewelry, even his Andy Warhol joint that Jacob made is crazy, but him making it two times on here is enough. Respect. His beats go hard, his chains go hard too.
20. Sean Garrett
20. Sean Garrett's Iced Out Pens
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $135,000 total
I've never even heard of this dude until I saw his chains. He has three super iced out 3-D diamond pens—one in yellow gold, one in rose gold, and one in white gold. Flawlessly executed Mont Blanc-style pens which you could wear inside the Polo lounge while sipping an Arnold Palmer and eating a $50 Kobe burger. These are the classiest chains on my top 50 list and the fact that dude is a big writer and producer makes these pens even so much iller. Diamond pen > Diamond sword.
19. Lil Wayne
19. Lil Wayne's YM Chain
Made By: Emit
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $50,000
A big ass diamond prong set piece that represents his crew. I never thought that I would see anyone mimic the NY Yankees logo and make it look good, but he definitely did that! This chain is dope as fuck. I got to hold it one time when Tyga brought it by my store. Even though I will never ever ever ever wear a NY Yankees hat in my lifetime, I have to say it is in the top 3 dopest logos on the planet, and if I was in Young Money, I would rock this chain on the daily. But just a smaller one because this shit is HUGE.
18. Nu Jersey Devil
18. Nu Jerzey Devil's Devil Chain
Made By: Ben Baller
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $35,000
A lot of people say this is our best piece of all time, not just for rappers, but the best piece we have ever made. I disagree, but I will say this piece is fucking crazy as bat shit. This was probably one of our first ever truly 3-D pieces that we had to make come to life with just a basic jpeg sent to us from Nu Jerzey Devil. When we finished it, I was like DAMN! It really shit on so many rappers' and producers' chains that I laughed, but was proud to make it my default pic on myspace for a month or so, lol. The piece is as tall as a Sidekick2 and is heavy as fuck, filled with rubies and black and white diamonds. The logo itself is sick, I'm just glad it's still around and he rocks it heavy, still.
17. Kanye West
17. Kanye West's Murakami Jesus Piece
Made By: Takashi Murakami
First Seen: 2008
Estimated Value: $75,000
This is what you call, "not playing fair." He got the most prolific living contemporary artist on the planet to collab with him to make this design, and then made it come to life in diamonds and gold. That alone is like someone having Picasso make a charm back in the 1920s! The piece is crazy. I love art, so I'm a fan of the design and the way the diamonds were set on this was just done so tastefully!
16. Death Row Records
16. Death Row Records' Chains
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $12,000
I remember the first time I ever got to hold one of these chains in my hands. It was Tupac's and he came to my club while I was DJ-ing and I said, "let me take a picture with this shit on!" As fucking cool as Tupac was, he didn't take the chain off his neck, but we took a picture (no digital cameras back then, my ex-girlfriend destroyed my photo album of shit that would make any grown man cry—true story). But back to the chain. It was just exactly what the Death Row logo looked like. Only the top artists got theirs in diamonds, and the employees and lower level cats got them in gold only. This chain caused a LOT of drama in the '90s. Shit caused deaths, literally. So just by wearing this and being affiliated with Death Row during their heyday meant you had to be heavy in the game. This will always be history and I think there are less than three in existence. This is hip-hop memorabilia, for real for real. The chain meant you made it and you were part of one of hip-hop's most feared and biggest selling empires.
15. Dipset
15. Juelz Santana's Dipset Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $40,000
This is one of my personal favorites of all time. (Just because a chain is ranked higher than this, doesn't mean I like it better—it's just a top 50 overall of the best chains out there, period.) I always wanted to make or wear a Dipset chain, being a huge Dipset fan. But there were a good amount of these Dipset chains made. It's just Juelz' two-tone and two-color diamond one was the illest one made! The big ass heavy yellow and white Cuban? Nobody really rocked two chains on one pendant! The eagle and design was piff, the diamond setting was right, the gold was heavy, the crew and movement was one of the illest cults in hip-hop, and this was its flagship chain. There was a lot of work put into this chain. I love when the craftsmanship is on point and it shows.
14. Rocafella
14. Rocafella Chain
Made By: Jacob the Jeweler and Chris Aire
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $28,000
What else can I say? Jay-Z trumps every rapper, money wise, skill wise(arguable), and his label logo chains make the top of the list for hip-hop label logo chains. I love the Rocafella label logo. Some may say I'm biased because I was a part of Rocafella from 1996 to 2000, but that shit means nothing. In 2001, Dame gave me a rose gold Rocafella chain which was made by Chris Aire and I wore the shit out of that chain! I gave the chain back in 2004, but I was rocking it proudly because I was down with them from day one. O.K. fuck the stories, the chain itself represents the ultimate success in hip-hop! From Reasonable Doubt to Watch the Throne! From the Young Gunz to Kanye West! To every colorway in gold and only made with a minimum quality of VVS2, these chains hold much more value than just its gold or diamond weight. I love that Dame checked jewelers who were making unofficial chains, too—that's how much that meant to him. Tell me who you know right now in the game that wouldn't want to sign with the ROC? Besides Cam'ron, lol.
13. Fabolous
13. Fabolous' LOSO Chain
Made By: Ben Baller
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $65,000
Now, we must have something with 50 carats in them! Yup, we made this chain. The vision was completely Fab's idea, but the execution and precision was 100% IFANDCO'S! I actually have the making of this chain in discussion on video because we were filming my TV show for FUSE. So Fab wanted a two-sided LOSO chain because "Loso" was his new moniker and on one side we made 25 carats of VS white diamonds, with white gold in a 9mm thickness, then the other side was 25 carats of VS yellow diamonds in yellow gold with 9mm thickness, so the piece was thick as fuck! And we used a diesel sized Cuban chain that weighed around 350 grams! One side of the Cuban was totally yellow gold, then if you flipped the chain over, it was white gold! The shit shined like the sun and the moon depending on what time of the day it was, but regardless, it shined! Definitely a stunna! And it was on the cover of XXL early! Much love to Fab, he's always had his jewelry game on point and he's worked with different jewelers but it's always love.
12. Young Jeezy
12. Young Jeezy's Euphanasia Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 2011
Estimated Value: $40,000
This the newest chain to make the list and after seeing all the jewelry that's been flossed in magazines and videos, this one is that serious to make the top 50 list! Jeezy aka The Snowman don't play when it comes to his ice game, but when he busted this out a few months ago, I knew he wasn't fucking around by entering the yellow gold game. He never really rocked anything yellow, but everyone knows yellow gold is in and ain't going anywhere for a while. So if he was going to go yellow gold, he had to go dumb hard! This is a remake of Tupac's Euphanasia chain and the replication of it is spectacular. I applaud this chain with the utmost respect. I vaguely remember seeing Pac's Euphanasia chain in person and there aren't any decent clear pics of it, but I've seen it on a photograph and never forgot the image in my head or the originality of it. Dope that Jeezy would remake this chain and rock it on a heavy rope chain keeping it old school all the way. And I just know this is a heavy piece, not a hollow bootleg joint.
11. Young Jeezy
11. Young Jeezy's USDA Chain
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 2009
Estimated Value: $100,000
This right here is the epitome of gangster jewelry. Certified and approved for real. I can't even think of the carat weight on this beast, but it's at least 60+ carats easy. All white on white. And if you are gonna do a badge type plaque, you have to at least come this heavy and hard with it, or just leave it the fuck alone. This piece spawned tons of fakes and wannabes, but that's just giving more compliments to Jeezy's G-swag. I actually love the way it's made. If I were to remake a chain like this, it would be done the same way. I wouldn't change one thing. This is my style. White diamonds cost the most, and I hate when artists who can't afford to go all white diamonds mix it up with yellows or blacks, or because the jeweler fucked up, but Jeezy kept it all the way iceman official with this one. Two guns up!
TOP 10!!!! SHIT AIN'T NO JOKE! Y'ALL READY? WELL HERE WE GO!
10. Nigo
10. Nigo's $-Sign and Bape Heads
Made By: Jacob the Jeweler
First Seen: 2002
Estimated Value: $4,000,000
There are two people in this top 50 list that I put on here that are heavily involved in the hip-hop community, but weren't rappers or producers or DJs or even with a record label. Nigo is definitely a big part of hip-hop and was affiliated enough to be part of this list. In fact, not putting him on this list would be disrespectful. His clothing brand has sold damn near a billion dollars worth of gear worn by hip-hop heads for a decade. And when we're talking about his ice game? Shit ain't no joke. Single person for person? Nobody in hip-hop can say they spent this much money on diamonds and gold or platinum than Nigo. Real spit. His jewelry pretty much was all made by Jacob and he's spent over a few million without even flinching.
Let's just start with the "$" sign. That shit is a few hundred carats!!! And it weighs 1800 grams!!! The chain weighs another 1300 to 1500 grams!!! The price of that set up has to be around $450,000 at least, easy! And green diamonds are expensive! The piece is fully iced out, the edges and top/sides and all that. Shit is ignorant, like icing out your pacemaker before you put it in your chest and nobody on earth could see it or know it except for your doctor. That's about how crazy Nigo is with his ice game. His teeth have to be the illest I've seen made next to Weezy's except his are removable and the cleanest set up I've ever seen. So clean that I thought they were veneers! But if you've ever seen Nigo's Nylon magazine cover, then you know his total jewelry game is dumb. His Andy Warhol and art game is dumb, his toy game is dumb, crib game stupid, car game absolutely stupid! To this day, he's shitting on everyone I've seen step up. The thing is, my favorite pieces he owns are The Bathing Ape APE heads in three different colors (right). The pave machine setting is flawless, the mold is flawless, the chains that he has on them are flawless, and the way the chains are iced out are just sickening. Literally the best work I've ever seen to date. Hats off.
9. Nas
9. Nas's Queensbridge Piece
Made By: Tito
First Seen: 2000
Estimated Value: $40,000
When Nas came out with this chain, nobody even knew you could make a chain this size. It's still relevant today, maybe the design is a little old, but it's been remixed. It was originally yellow gold and made by Tito (the OG before Jacob) and then remixed by Jacob later. Then I got my hands on it and replaced some diamonds and re-dipped it white over again. The laser pin-striping and detail in the piece is old school. The Queensboro bridge itself represents the entrance to the Queensbridge area that is home to some of the best rappers to ever do it. The fact that it's actually gold with genuine diamonds makes it ill, word to will, but the fact that it's Nas's chain period makes it a classic, with references like "My QB piece makes y'all n****s tuck yo shit in!"
8. Gorilla Zoe
8. Gorilla Zoe's "Don't Feed The Gorillas" Chain
Made By: Mo and Zahir of Icebox Jewelry
First Seen: 2009
Estimated Value: $115,000
Now this piece? Absolutely perfect for the artist it was made for—from the CAD design to the machine setting. This was the best work I have ever seen come out of the South and it was made by Mo and Zahir of IceBox jewelry in Atlanta. These are some young cats, too, who have been putting in work! They have done some phenomenal work but this is their best by far. I don't remember the specs, but it had to have at least 60 carats, maybe in black diamonds. But fuck the diamonds on this piece because the work is just impeccable and the concept is nutso. The gorilla inside a cage? Really? Iced out? In gold? Fawwkkkkk! It really is a beastly piece of jewelry and I have to give credit where credit is due. I don't even care whose idea it was or anything, but the piece is ridiculous!
[Note: Please google this chain so you can see it up close, it is fucking insane!]
7. Slim Thug
7. Slim Thug's Boss Hogg Outlawz Chains
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $275,000
Nothing really else to say besides Slim being a boss for real. His jewelry game was always super on-point and he defied the stereotypical Southern jewelry that a lot of people elsewhere would look down on. Not Slim's jewels, though. I've never seen him slip and fall off. This piece is two things: icey as fuck and heavy as fuck. The iced out Figaro chain is a super nice touch. It's just big and expensive and clean. You get the point.
6. Kanye West
6. Kanye West's Horus Chain
Made By: Jacob the Jeweler
First Seen: 2010
Estimated Value: $300,000
O.K. people, peep game. This entry right here could maybe—I say maybe—be the only piece of jewelry on this list that might not be genuinely real gold. I haven't asked Kanye, and I doubt he'd wear something fake in the color of gold, but who fucking cares! This chain goes HAM! This is KRAY for real. This shit is dumb, this chain is stupid, like 2 + 2 = 7. I'm sure for those who have seen the "Power" video know this shit, even hollow, would have to weigh 3 kilos of gold. It made my top 10 list just off the pure ignorance alone. I don't want to talk about this chain anymore.
[Note: After further research, I found out the chain is real. FML.]
5. Jonas
5. Jonas' LRG Chains and Head Piece
Made By: Ben Baller
First Seen: Unknown
Estimated Value: $3,200,000
This is the second guy in clothing besides Nigo who is on this list. Now Nigo's shit is insane no doubt, but as far as the yellow gold game goes? Nobody on earth can touch my man Jonas, RIP. His clothing brand chain swag was unfuckwittable, period. His $45,000 belt buckle was stupid. His G-Shock to this day was the one that shut down the game. His fully iced out VVS1 diamond Cuban chain that weighed 2 kilos was the game ender, and he had so many different set ups, all yellow gold. He never went with a white gold set up, he refused to! His Jonas head was the first ever and he didn't even floss it much. It just shut down the game whenever he would walk around Magic [tradeshow in Las Vegas] stuntin' with all his jewels on. His custom designed links on his chains were sick. Him and his design team were very thorough with their art work and it made it easier for us to make and deliver the jewels. When he had cycle links, I'd see other jewelers bite our style. He never set trip though, he just set trends. I can't begin to give every detail in all of his jewels, but I miss my brother and best friend in life. Rest in paradise, and I know you got jesus rocking your Jonas piece!
P.S. We have a nickname for VVS diamonds in my store. We rarely use them, but when we do, we call it Jonas quality, and that's been something we have been using since 2006. Love always wins. #jonasquality
4. Lil Jon
4. Lil Jon's "Crunk Ain't Dead" Chain
Made By: Jason of Beverly Hills
First Seen: 2007
Estimated Value: $500,000
What else is there to say besides that it made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest diamond chain? Well how about the fact that it was made beautifully by my comrade Jason of Beverly Hills? The piece itself is obviously huge, completely flooded in diamonds and heavy as hell in gold on a rope chain. The only way someone could come close to fucking with this chain would be if they made it a little bigger and made everything invisibly set. But bottom line, this is about hip-hop, and “Crunk” is a big part of hip hop, so this chain is properly placed in 4th position. And again, if you were to take away the size of this chain, you could never take away the craftsmanship or work of it. It's all the way official. Professional work as always by my boy Jason.
3. Run Dmc
3. (Tied) Run DMC's Dookie Ropes and Adidas Piece
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 1984
Estimated Value: $25,000 each
For the 3rd position on this list, it's a three-way tie. First up, Run DMC. Are you kidding me? I don't even have to say anything. These cats were rocking gold rope chains and flea logos and shoes around their necks before anybody else! They set the gold chain swag and set the bar of how thick your gold chain had to be to fuck with them in hip-hop. They are hip hop. This is where they started.
3. LL Cool J
3. (Tied) LL Cool J's Dookie Chains
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 1987
Estimated Value: $50,000 for all chains
The second at number 3 is LL Cool J. From the troop gear and shoes to his gold ropes, he also was a pioneer reppin' heavy gold jewels, plus he had that ill four-finger ring. He was the only person on earth that I have seen with a 27mm wheat gold chain. Just for him putting a fat ass dookie rope chain on a black panther gets him on the list. He was the main reason why I wanted to rock track suits with a Kangol and gold chains.
3. Eric B and Rakim
3. (Tied) Eric B and Rakim's "Paid in Full" Chains
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 1987
Estimated Value: $100,000 each guy
Finally at the number 3 rank is Eric B and Rakim. When I first saw the Paid In Full album cover, I said, "I need some Gucci and I needs some GOLD!" Fuck the fact that this is perhaps the best hip-hop album in history, and off this album alone, Rakim was so far past any other rapper, even today. The cover was just classic and will always be in my memory. So many crazy gold chains and big ass gold medallions. Nobody today calls these medallions anymore because it's not worthy of the definition, but never mind that. They rocked Mercedes Benz pendants, anchor pendants. OG SHIT! You had to have money and success in hip-hop to be rocking gold. Your skills back then equated to album sales and you just didn't get a deal unless you were dope.
Those three mentioned above had to be on the list. I don't think of gold chains when I hear the name Dougie Fresh, but...
2. Slick Rick
2. Slick Rick's Whole Set
Made By: Unknown
First Seen: 1988
Estimated Value: $250,000
…When I hear Slick Rick aka MC Rickey D, I hear gold and nobody else can fuck with him. I fucked with Slick Rick's swagger the hardest when I was in junior high and all through high school until he got locked up. He is the only person besides Mr. T who could pull off this look. The funny part about Rick's steez too, is that he didn't give a fuck. He told y'all you were mad and poor and peasants, while his chains were real and he stayed draped in gold. Look at this picture of him. The crazy part? Slick Rick has been doing this and dressing like this with this much gold since the mid-80s. So, he is true to this. He's the icon for hip-hop jewelry. Fact.
Damn, time for #1. Now, this list has nothing to do with rap skills. Nothing to do with how many records sold. Nothing to do with anything else, but being in hip-hop some way in any shape or form of rapping, producing, writing, or DJ-ing from the beginning to now...and how significant your chain was, or how impressive it was to me! Key word, ME.
1. Mike Jones
1. Mike Jones' Ice Age Chain
Made By: King Johnny
First Seen: 2009
Estimated Value: $1,000,000
I give you #1, MIKE JONESSSSSS! Who? Mike Jones. His first ICE AGE chain. Let's get all the bullshit out of the way first. Nobody has ever made a chain shape like this before—the actual necklace chain that is holding down this beastly 100+ carat diamond medallion. If you asked 10 jewelers what kind of chain that is, the closest and best description you could say is that it's a macaroni-shaped chain. Shit is no joke, and yes, it is fully flooded out. Completely iced out, 360 degrees.
Shall we get to the actual pendant? Let's. It's like diamonds set on top of diamonds. If I were to lowball estimate the value of this single set up, I'd say $1,000,000 is a low number. I'm sure somewhere under all of that ice, there is gold, but I seriously think that there are diamonds drilled into more diamonds on certain parts of this chain. I remember seeing this at a radio station and it was the most ignorant thing ever. But then I went into hater mode and thought, "the shit is fake, has to be, no way." But then it went into a friend of mine's shop to replace 30 diamonds and sure enough, the loupe and diamond testers came by Green and good.
He even put the Rolex crown on top of the chain to let everyone know that his shit right here is the king of kings and lord of lords when you think or talk about gold/diamond jewelry. I can't think of anything that's even harder than this shit. I really would say this is the top 1, 2, and 3 chain. It's really set far apart from the other stuff. The other stuff is history and most of these rappers are better known overall than Mike Jones, but this is about chains and this chain specifically trumps all others. Sorry, you can hate me, say what you want, but you can't fuck with this.