Ice Ice Baby
How hip hop redefined and glittered the world of luxury
Jewelry is and remains a pillar of hip-hop culture – whether it's diamond-encrusted grillz, oversized truck-style pendants, busted-down Rolex and Patek Philippe watches, or a Tiffany necklace. The excessive bling is the glittering statement of a collective identity – uncompromising, charismatic, and full of street smarts.
Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History spans the entire history of hip-hop jewelry from the 1980s to the present day – it is the fantastic fusion of hip-hop narrative and its visual representation. Hundreds of unusual photographs showcase all the major hip-hop artists and celebrate "ice" as an expression of identity and self-expression.
Following its beginnings with Run-DMC's golden adidas pendants and Eric B. & Rakim's flamboyant Dookie chains and Mercedes medallions, hip-hop jewelry has evolved from a street accessory into a booming design culture. The tradition of ostentatious displays has reached new heights with artists like Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Gucci Mane, and Cardi B, whose increasingly exclusive pieces incorporate pop culture motifs, utilize unconventional materials, and repeatedly collaborate with artists such as Takashi Murakami.
The author Vikki Tobak showcases the work of jewelry pioneers such as Tito Caicedo of Manny's, Eddie Plein, and Jacob the Jeweler, as well as more recent artists such as Avianne & Co., Ben Baller/IF & Co., Greg Yuna, Johnny Dang, Eliantte, and many more, using numerous examples.
Ice Cold is a comprehensive showcase of a dazzling, inspiring style, to which leading contemporary photographers contribute: Wolfgang Tillmans, Janette Beckman, Jamel Shabazz, Timothy White, Gillian Laub, David LaChapelle , Danny Clinch, Phil Knott, Raven B. Varona, Al Pereira, Albert Watson and many others.
The foreword by Slick Rick and essays by A$AP Ferg, LL COOL J, Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas of Quality Control Music take us on a very personal journey into their jewelry universe.
Ice Cold goes far beyond the ostentatious bling to reveal its transformative history, which is both loud and proud.
Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History spans the entire history of hip-hop jewelry from the 1980s to the present day – it is the fantastic fusion of hip-hop narrative and its visual representation. Hundreds of unusual photographs showcase all the major hip-hop artists and celebrate "ice" as an expression of identity and self-expression.
Following its beginnings with Run-DMC's golden adidas pendants and Eric B. & Rakim's flamboyant Dookie chains and Mercedes medallions, hip-hop jewelry has evolved from a street accessory into a booming design culture. The tradition of ostentatious displays has reached new heights with artists like Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Gucci Mane, and Cardi B, whose increasingly exclusive pieces incorporate pop culture motifs, utilize unconventional materials, and repeatedly collaborate with artists such as Takashi Murakami.
The author Vikki Tobak showcases the work of jewelry pioneers such as Tito Caicedo of Manny's, Eddie Plein, and Jacob the Jeweler, as well as more recent artists such as Avianne & Co., Ben Baller/IF & Co., Greg Yuna, Johnny Dang, Eliantte, and many more, using numerous examples.
Ice Cold is a comprehensive showcase of a dazzling, inspiring style, to which leading contemporary photographers contribute: Wolfgang Tillmans, Janette Beckman, Jamel Shabazz, Timothy White, Gillian Laub, David LaChapelle , Danny Clinch, Phil Knott, Raven B. Varona, Al Pereira, Albert Watson and many others.
The foreword by Slick Rick and essays by A$AP Ferg, LL COOL J, Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas of Quality Control Music take us on a very personal journey into their jewelry universe.
Ice Cold goes far beyond the ostentatious bling to reveal its transformative history, which is both loud and proud.
The author
Vikki Tobak writes for magazines and newspapers such as Complex , Rolling Stone , The FADER , Mass Appeal , Paper , Vibe , i-D , and the Detroit News . She is the author of Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop and the curator of the traveling exhibition of the same name. She has worked as a producer and columnist for CBS, CNN, and Bloomberg News. She began her career as a culture editor at Paper magazine before working at Payday Records/Empire Management with groups such as Gang Starr, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Show and AG, Jeru, and other hip-hop legends.
Hardcover: 25 x 34 cm, 3.06 kg, 388 pages
Edition: Multilingual (German, English, French)
Ice Ice Baby
How hip hop redefined and glittered the world of luxury
Jewelry is and remains a pillar of hip-hop culture – whether it's diamond-encrusted grillz, oversized truck-style pendants, busted-down Rolex and Patek Philippe watches, or a Tiffany necklace. The excessive bling is the glittering statement of a collective identity – uncompromising, charismatic, and full of street smarts.
Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History spans the entire history of hip-hop jewelry from the 1980s to the present day – it is the fantastic fusion of hip-hop narrative and its visual representation. Hundreds of unusual photographs showcase all the major hip-hop artists and celebrate "ice" as an expression of identity and self-expression.
Following its beginnings with Run-DMC's golden adidas pendants and Eric B. & Rakim's flamboyant Dookie chains and Mercedes medallions, hip-hop jewelry has evolved from a street accessory into a booming design culture. The tradition of ostentatious displays has reached new heights with artists like Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Gucci Mane, and Cardi B, whose increasingly exclusive pieces incorporate pop culture motifs, utilize unconventional materials, and repeatedly collaborate with artists such as Takashi Murakami.
The author Vikki Tobak showcases the work of jewelry pioneers such as Tito Caicedo of Manny's, Eddie Plein, and Jacob the Jeweler, as well as more recent artists such as Avianne & Co., Ben Baller/IF & Co., Greg Yuna, Johnny Dang, Eliantte, and many more, using numerous examples.
Ice Cold is a comprehensive showcase of a dazzling, inspiring style, to which leading contemporary photographers contribute: Wolfgang Tillmans, Janette Beckman, Jamel Shabazz, Timothy White, Gillian Laub, David LaChapelle , Danny Clinch, Phil Knott, Raven B. Varona, Al Pereira, Albert Watson and many others.
The foreword by Slick Rick and essays by A$AP Ferg, LL COOL J, Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas of Quality Control Music take us on a very personal journey into their jewelry universe.
Ice Cold goes far beyond the ostentatious bling to reveal its transformative history, which is both loud and proud.
Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History spans the entire history of hip-hop jewelry from the 1980s to the present day – it is the fantastic fusion of hip-hop narrative and its visual representation. Hundreds of unusual photographs showcase all the major hip-hop artists and celebrate "ice" as an expression of identity and self-expression.
Following its beginnings with Run-DMC's golden adidas pendants and Eric B. & Rakim's flamboyant Dookie chains and Mercedes medallions, hip-hop jewelry has evolved from a street accessory into a booming design culture. The tradition of ostentatious displays has reached new heights with artists like Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Gucci Mane, and Cardi B, whose increasingly exclusive pieces incorporate pop culture motifs, utilize unconventional materials, and repeatedly collaborate with artists such as Takashi Murakami.
The author Vikki Tobak showcases the work of jewelry pioneers such as Tito Caicedo of Manny's, Eddie Plein, and Jacob the Jeweler, as well as more recent artists such as Avianne & Co., Ben Baller/IF & Co., Greg Yuna, Johnny Dang, Eliantte, and many more, using numerous examples.
Ice Cold is a comprehensive showcase of a dazzling, inspiring style, to which leading contemporary photographers contribute: Wolfgang Tillmans, Janette Beckman, Jamel Shabazz, Timothy White, Gillian Laub, David LaChapelle , Danny Clinch, Phil Knott, Raven B. Varona, Al Pereira, Albert Watson and many others.
The foreword by Slick Rick and essays by A$AP Ferg, LL COOL J, Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas of Quality Control Music take us on a very personal journey into their jewelry universe.
Ice Cold goes far beyond the ostentatious bling to reveal its transformative history, which is both loud and proud.
The author
Vikki Tobak writes for magazines and newspapers such as Complex , Rolling Stone , The FADER , Mass Appeal , Paper , Vibe , i-D , and the Detroit News . She is the author of Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop and the curator of the traveling exhibition of the same name. She has worked as a producer and columnist for CBS, CNN, and Bloomberg News. She began her career as a culture editor at Paper magazine before working at Payday Records/Empire Management with groups such as Gang Starr, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Show and AG, Jeru, and other hip-hop legends.
Hardcover: 25 x 34 cm, 3.06 kg, 388 pages
Edition: Multilingual (German, English, French)
In the heart of Hamburg