Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry / The History of Jewelry and Hip-Hop!
The American Museum of Natural History – New York
See stunning jewelry pieces that trace the history of hip-hop from the 1980s to today.
Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry celebrates hip-hop’s cultural influence through stunning jewelry worn by some of its iconic stars.
Highlights include Slick Rick’s dazzling crown, the Notorious B.I.G.’s legendary gold ‘Jesus piece,’ the diamond-studded Roc-A-Fella medallion for the record label co-founded by Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj’s sparkling ‘Barbie’ pendant, and pieces from Erykah Badu, A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$, FERG, and Tyler, the Creator, among others.
Building on New York City’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop as a global phenomenon, Ice Cold will highlight the evolution of jewelry in hip-hop over the past five decades, starting with oversized gold chains embraced by rap’s pioneers in the 1980s and moving through the 1990s, when emcees turned business moguls sported record label pendants sparkling with diamonds and platinum.
The exhibition will be on view in the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, within the Museum’s new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, and is included with all admission.
in New York for “Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry” at the American Museum of Natural History.
Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images
Exhibition Playlist
A mix created by DJ Woof featuring the following songs can be heard in Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry.
Biz Markie – “Just a Friend”
Notorious B.I.G. – “Big Poppa”
Tupac ft. Anthony Hamilton – “Dear Mama”
Joey Bada$$ ft. J Cole – “Legendary”
Erykah Badu – “On and On”
Fat Joe – “Shit is Real Pt. III”
Ghostface Killah ft. Raekwon – “Kilo”
KRS One – “The Bridge is Over”
A Tribe Called Quest – “Jazz (We’ve Got)”
Jay-Z – “4:44”
People Under the Stairs – “Acid Raindrops”
Big Pun ft. Fat Joe – “Twinz (Deep Cover 98’)”
Outkast – “ATLiens”
A Tribe Called Quest – “God Lives Through”
Roxanne Shanté – “Roxanne’s Revenge”
Run DMC – “Run’s House”
Tupac ft. Snoop Dogg – “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted”
The Game ft. 50 Cent – “How We Do”
Daddy Yankee – “Ella Me Levanto”
The Beatnuts ft. Big Pun – “Off the Books”
Bad Bunny – “Booker T”
Aaliyah ft. Slick Rick – “Got to Give it Up”
MC Lyte – “Act Like You Know”
Public Enemy ft. Professor Griff – “Rebirth of a Nation”
Queen Latifah – “Latifah’s Had it Up to Here”
in New York for “Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry” at the American Museum of Natural History.
Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images
The Inextricable Histories of Jewelry and Hip-Hop, As Seen Through the Bling of Tupac, Slick Rick, Missy Elliott, and Cardi B
ArtNews.com
BY AMAYA MCDONALD
It is a rite of passage for many young Black girls to receive their first piece of gold jewelry. It serves as a keepsake of their family, of where they come from, of who they are, and it typically becomes a staple in their own jewelry collections. Many people across the Black diaspora recognize jewelry as a symbol of identity as well as a signifier of wealth and success. While gifting jewelry has been practiced for centuries across many cultures, today, some of the most iconic and coveted jewelry comes directly from the influence of hip-hop culture, inspired both by the genre’s most famous artists and everyday people.
The recently opened exhibition “Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry” at the American Museum of Natural History in New York (on view through next January) aims to chart this story, unraveling jewelry’s undeniable role in how early hip-hop artists and their audiences chose to present themselves in a world that refused to accept and acknowledge them and how that five-decade legacy continues to impact contemporary fashion, style, and representations of wealth and status, especially in the Black community.
Curated by Vikki Tobak, a journalist and author of a book that lends the exhibition its title, with record executive Kevin “Coach K” Lee and filmmaker Karam Gill, “Ice Cold” features iconic pieces worn and designed by hip-hop pioneers since the 1970s, including Roxanne Shanté’s nameplate necklace, Notorious B.I.G.’s Jesus Piece, and Tyler the Creator’s Bellhop Chain.
Tap here to find out more about this new museum exhibition!
ADDED BONUS!!
Next door at the New York Historical Society Museum, Enchanting Imagination: The Objets d’Art of André Chervin and Carvin French Jewelers, and the Gallery of Tiffany Lamps.
