When Did Jewelry Become Popular in Hip Hop?

History

• In 1979, the Sugar Hill Gang released the first Top 40 hip hop single, "Rapper's Delight." Sugar Hill Gang members and dancers wore basic athletic fashions that allowed them to display acrobatic dance moves on New York City streets. In 1983, Run D.M.C., and later Big Daddy Kane, were the first in a succession of rappers to incorporate chunky gold chains and medallions as part of their stage costumes.
  
  

Effects

• Hip hop artists' interest in collecting and displaying expensive jewelry has caused some problems. Artists routinely report robberies and invest in high-tech security systems to protect their investments. In 2005, the rapper Cam'ron was shot in an attempted robbery while wearing $200,000 worth of jewelry around his neck in Washington, D.C.
  
  

Significance

• Artists such as 50 Cent, Lil' John and Kanye West appear publicly wearing fine jewelry produced by high-end European craftsmen. For male hip hop fans, jewelry fever is spreading. In 2010, "Time" magazine reported that men's purchases of jewelry for themselves had doubled since 2007.