Iconic Hip-Hop Chains From The Early 2000s: An Explainer
“I bet you won’t get a big a** chain that says ‘Big A** Chain’ on it,” someone said to T-Pain at the climax of his career in the 2000s.
Due to the heightened flashiness of the Hip-Hop world at the time — mixed with a bit of pride — he did wind up dropping nearly half-a-million on the “Big A** Chain,” and regretting it later.
The stories behind Hip-Hop’s most iconic chains are endless, as the relationship between the rap world and jewelry stretches back to the genre’s inception. Rappers are natural tastemakers who want to show off the fruits of their labor, and watches, chains, and rings are the perfect ways to fuse creativity with opulence.
Every chain tells a different story. Signature pieces from Roc-A-Fella and G-Unit rep the owners’ respective home teams, while creations like Pharrell Williams’ extravagant N.E.R.D. chain and Method Man‘s ice pick were visual representations of where they were in their careers at that time.
Rapper Method Man in June, 2003 in Hollywood, CA.
Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images
Jewelry is such a crucial part of immortalizing important cultural moments that in May 2024, the American Museum Of Natural History opened their Ice Cold exhibit, which is fully dedicated to displaying the jewelry that has been a part of Hip-Hop’s history.
Roc Nation Executive Lenny S., who serves on the exhibit’s advisory board, delved into how important jewelry is as a form a self-expression for a Hip-Hop artist. “The Queen wore chains like Cardi B, or usually represents you or your neighborhood or your crew,” he expressed. “So [chains] are investments, they were investments of like, ‘Look, this is me, this is what represents me, this represents my team, my neighborhood, my block.’”
From T-Pain’s regretful, yet iconic, purchase to Cam’Ron’s battery-powered globe pendant, VIBE compiled updates for a handful of Hip-Hop’s most recognizable jeweled masterpieces.
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Lil Jon’s “Crunk Ain’t Dead” Chain
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/ACMA/Getty Images for ACMA As the president of crunk music, Lil Jon was so passionate about representing the genre that he dropped a heavy bag on a chain that read “Crunk Ain’t Dead.” His publicist, Simone Smalls, confirmed to The BV Newswire that the diamond pendant “is 7.5 inches tall, 6 inches wide, and 1 inch thick, weighing in at 5.11 lbs with a total 73 carats of diamonds.” It boasts an appraised value of $500,000 and was made by Jason Arasheben a.k.a. “Jason of Beverly Hills.” The massive art piece is held by a thick gold rope chain.
The “Snap Yo Fingers” rapper was already on a crazy run during the 2000’s with his back-to-back hits, but he cemented his legacy when his “Crunk Ain’t Dead” chain set the Guinness World Record in 2007 as the largest diamond pendant at the time.
Now, is crunk dead? It depends on who you ask. But thanks to Lil Jon’s emblematic chain, the genre is memorialized forever in diamonds — and it’s hard to argue against that.
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The Roc-A-Fella Chain
Image Credit: Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images The Roc-A-Fella era is a stretch of time that every Hip-Hop fan is well familiar with, and the dynasty is forever represented by the infamous Roc-A-Fella chain. The coveted piece features the label’s vinyl record logo with a bottle of champagne and a cursive “R,” designed by the late Adrian Vargas.
The concept of representing the ethos of Roc-A-Fella in jewelry form originated with Dame Dash, who was widely known for curating an aspirational lifestyle with co-founders JAY-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke. “I just wanted to create a chain that represented who we are,” said Dash, according to TIME.
The Roc chain exponentially became a symbol of excellence in the rap game, and obtaining one was a goal a lot of spitters had at the top of their list. Dame explained that the chain is “a reflection of how much wealth you have,” and getting one required approval from the founders.
Kanye West is a proud owner of the artifact and has mentioned the Roc-A-Fella chain in over a dozen of his lyrics. However, Dame insinuated the gifting was not as intentional as it seemed. “I’m the only person who ever gave Roc-A-Fella artists a chain… If you notice, I took the chain off my neck to give that to Kanye. I was supposed to get that back, but I never got that back,” he said with a laugh.
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T-Pain’s “Big A** Chain” Chain
Image Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage The rap industry is full of people who are constantly trying to flex on each other. T-Pain, at one point, was no different. It seems he puffed his chest out one too many times, however, which resulted in one of his “biggest regrets” to this day.
The origin story of his famous “Big A** Chain” chain is quite simple. Someone was on the side of the stage at one of the “Bartender” singer’s shows and said, “I bet you won’t get a big a** chain that says ‘Big A** Chain’ on it.” Pain couldn’t help but reply, “Oh, you don’t know how much money I got,” and wound up commissioning the iconic piece for $400K.
During an episode of his Nappy Boy Radio Podcast last year, the 39-year-old talent explained the story and said he fully regrets the entire ordeal. He also detailed that the value of the piece has been cut in half, as it’s now worth around $200K. Although the “I’m Sprung” crooner would turn back time and reverse the transaction if he could, the necklace is still regarded as one of the most recognizable pieces in the Hip-Hop space.
HOUSTON – AUGUST 27: T-Pain performs at Venue 27 on August 27, 2009 in Houston, Texas.
Johnny Nunez/WireImage
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Cam’ron’s Spinning “Harlem World” Globe Chain
Image Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage Cam’ron’s Harlem roots ensured that he was never the one to shy away from making incredibly bold, flashy statements through his personal style. Aside from his forever iconic pink mink look, another defining component of his steeze was his spinning “Harlem World” globe chain.
According to Gabriel Jacobs of Rafaello & Co. Jewelers, the piece was the first time anyone had ever made a battery-operated diamond pendant. The extravagant piece of machinery featured around 150 carats and includes a motor-powered globe that spins automatically. The sphere was enclosed in a thick halo that read “Killa Cam” on one side and “Harlem World” on the other. A pair of gold hands rests at the base of the piece to symbolize “holding the world in the palm of your hands.”
Although the chain is most widely associated with the Dipset member, Jacobs revealed the piece wasn’t always meant to rep uptown. He stated that the pendant was originally made for a football player, who then wound up not wanting the piece because it was too large. It was then offered to Cam because he “loves crazy stuff like this.”
The globe chain’s journey didn’t end there, as its current owner is Lil Yachty. TMZ reported in 2018 that Lil Boat purchased the chain for $250K after Cam traded it back in years prior. It now reads “Yachty’s World.”
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Pharrell’s N.E.R.D. Chain
Image Credit: M. Caulfield/WireImage A style icon and elite musician wrapped in one, Pharrell was constantly pushing the needle in the culture when it came to establishing one’s signature style. His legendary N.E.R.D. chain is still among the blingiest in the rap game, just as he envisioned it would be.
The large pendant features the three members of his group N.E.R.D. — Chad Hugo, Shay Haley, and Skateboard P — recreated with hundreds of diamonds. The piece is held up by a one-of-a-kind chain that matched the aura of BBC and BAPE: colorful, vibrant, and different. The official description reads as follows: “14K Three-tone Gold with White, Natural Light Pink, Yellow, Treated Blue, Orange, Black, Cognac, and Green Diamond, Ruby. 157.58 carat weight (est.). Weighing a total of 975.7 grams. Length of 34 inches.” The In Search Of… producer reportedly paid around $1 million at the time for the piece.
The Jacob & Co.-constructed showpiece is such a staple in the culture that it drew one of the rap game’s wealthiest buyers. In 2022, Drake purchased the chain for $2.1 million during Pharrell’s Joopiter auction. Most recently, the chain made an appearance in the music video for Drizzy’s “Family Matters,” his diss track aimed at Kendrick Lamar, when he rapped, “You wanna take up for Pharrell? Then come get his legacy out of my house.”
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Method Man’s Ice Pick Chain
Image Credit: Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images Method Man‘s ice pick chain is a slept-on gem that does a whole lot without having to do much at all. Shaped like an actual ice pick, the diamond encrusted piece is slender in comparison to the large circular pendants many rappers opted for at that time, but the sharp point made it distinct and unlike anything else his peers were rocking.
Ben Baller, one of Hip-Hop’s most famous jewelers, even recalled being thoroughly impressed by the necklace, giving credit to the Wu-Tang member for being ahead of his time in terms of jewelry personalization. “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 f**k with this chain a lot,” he told Complex back in 2011.
Most importantly, the chain was a great investment, as it allegedly appreciated in value by a lot. “This chain costs triple what it cost to make back then, easily,” Ben added.
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50 Cent’s G-Unit Spinner Chain
Image Credit: Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images 50 Cent had the world in the palm of his hands during the early aughts thanks to his successful debut album, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, street credibility, G-Unit’s reign, and more. The NYC native repped his team everywhere he went with his enormous G-Unit medallion. The piece featured the logo fully flooded in diamonds and spun like a wheel, an innovative touch that set it apart from many chains at that time.
As his fame only continued to increase, so did the desire for his prized possessions. The “In Da Club” rapper’s G-Unit chain was infamously stolen in Chicago. For many years, the story of how the valuable piece was returned was a mystery that included a plethora of different storylines. In more recent years, credible sources have started to tell the tale of what went down. Names that were involved were Godfather, JoJo Capone, The Game, Young Buck, and more.
Respecting one’s chain is a rule 50 takes very seriously, as he even rapped about how he’s willing to die over his. “N**gas don’t rob me, they know I’m down to die for my chain/ G-unit, we get it popping in the hood/G-Unit, muthaf**ka,” he rapped on “If I Can’t” in 2003. It’s safe to say he would have gotten it back by any means necessary.
