The terms “ice” and “bling” have become staples in modern-day English vocabulary. These often refer to flashy and often expensive pieces of jewelry that are worn by popular figures in Hip Hop culture. So what exactly does it mean to look iced out? Well, bling can take many forms! Whether it is the Rolex Day-Date on Nicki Minaj’s wrists, the Cactus Jack pendant donned by Travis Scott, or the pink diamond embedded in Lil Uzi Vert’s forehead, your bling can go as far as your imagination takes you!
The Importance of Bling in Hop Hop Culture
So you might be wondering, why do Hip Hop figures want to show off their jewelry as often as they do? After all, there are plenty of genres in music where artists can earn a lot of money. Why do rappers put an extra emphasis on being iced out? To put it simply, Hip Hop culture romanticizes the idea of going from rags to riches. Wearing extravagant pieces of jewelry shows off the fact that you have overcome your difficult upbringing and have become an icon, a prominent figure, a successful person.
Types of Hip Hop Jewelry
Pendants
Out of all the pieces of jewelry that you can wear to look totally iced out, nothing is more prominent than the pendant! Pendants often have a unique design to them, made of either gold or silver, and precious gems are often embedded in them. Pendants are very important to look iced out because they are often the largest and most noticeable piece of bling on your body.
Chains
If you want to look like the real deal in the Hip Hop game, you cannot have a pendant without a chain. Chains in Hip Hop are worn around the neck, often holding up the pendant, and are made of either gold or silver. There are small chains but the ones often worn by rappers are very large and very flashy. The more noticeable the better. As a matter of fact, rapper T-Pain often wears his “Big Ass Chain” that covers his entire midsection.
Rings
If you look at some of the most iconic figures in the Hip Hop world like Rick Ross, one of the first things you will notice about their bling collection is a huge gem-encrusted ring! Rings are one of the staples in men’s accessories in general, but the ones in hip hop are truly decadent.
Watches
Finally, absolutely no bling collection is complete without the most important piece of them all, the watch. A nice iced out watch is the ultimate symbol of success in Hip Hop. This is why we often hear the term “ice on my wrist” in rap songs. Watches are often the most expensive pieces of the bling collection because the quality of a phenomenal watch goes beyond how iced out it looks.
Confidence is Key
Of course, the amount of ice on your body won’t really mean anything if you do not carry yourself like a person who deserves to wear them. Remember, the whole point of hip hop jewelry is to show off how you have overcome all of the struggles that life has thrown at you. You should be confident about that fact. There is no doubt people will judge you because of your extravagance but you should take solace in the fact that they have no right to judge you at all. If you wear your bling with disdain, you won’t really be able to pull them off. Wear your bling with confidence and class, however, and there will be absolutely no doubt in people’s minds that you are an absolute G.