The Notorious B.I.G., A$AP Rocky, and other rappers will have their jewelry included in an exhibit at one of the world’s most famous museums.
‘Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry,’ put on by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, will begin on May 9 and will focus on pieces worn by Hip Hop’s biggest superstars.
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In addition to Biggie and Rocky, the exhibit will feature jewelry from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Slick Rick, Erykah Badu, and Tyler, The Creator.
“Hip-hop jewelry has had a huge impact on our wider modern culture,” said Sean M. Decatur, the museum’s president, in a statement. “These jewelry pieces are not just magnificent in and of themselves, they’re an important part of hip-hop history and hip-hop culture as artists claimed and transformed traditional symbols of luxury and success.”
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The exhibit shares a name with a book released in 2022 that documents the history of Hip Hop jewelry. The book’s author, Vikki Tobak, is curating the museum exhibit, alongside co-curators Quality Control’s Coach K and filmmaker Karam Gill, the latter of whom directed a 2021 documentary series about Hip Hop jewelry also named Ice Cold.
Tobak’s book Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History uses 40 years of iconic imagery of some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars and compelling stories to celebrate how “ice” has become a “proclamation of identity and self-expression.”
The 388-page hardback book published by TASCHEN maps out the evolution of the Hip Hop jewelry game, from Run-DMC‘s gold adidas pendants and Eric B. & Rakim‘s ostentatious dookie rope chains and Mercedes medallions to the over-the-top pieces of today worn by the likes of Cardi B, A$AP Rocky, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, JAY-Z, Gucci Mane, Meek Mill, Cam’ron, Beyoncé and Rihanna.
But more than just the artists themselves, Tobak highlights the work of pioneering jewelers such as Tito Caicedo of Manny’s, Eddie Plein and Jacob the Jeweler, as well as newer ice artisans such as Johnny Dang, Avianne & Co., Ben Baller/IF & Co., Greg Yuna, Eliantte and others.
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Billed as “the definitive history of how Hip Hop blinged out and redefined the world of jewelry, luxury, and style,” Ice Cold includes a foreword written by Slick Rick, as well as essays by A$AP Ferg, LL COOL J, and Quality Control Music’s Coach K and Pierre “Pee” Thomas.
