‘Ice Cold’ American Museum Of Natural History Exhibit Celebrates Iconic Hip-Hop Jewelry
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50 Cent once famously professed, “I let my watch talk for me,” detailing how he doesn’t have to detail his riches vocally—because you know what time it is. And the American Museum of Natural History’s Ice Cold exhibition honors that message, translating the language that jewelry has historically spoken across Hip-Hop’s storied existence.
On Thursday (May 9), fans can listen in on the lustrous conversation as the exhibit opens up to the public. The exhibition will be on view in the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, located in the Museum’s new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals. A beautiful touch. Exhibit entry will also be included in all admissions.
Ice Cold will display iconic bracelets, earrings, grills, and chains at the museum, telling a connected story of how jewelry evolved throughout Hip-Hop’s 50-year run and beyond.
Some pieces include Nicki Minaj’s “Barbie” chain, Roxanne Shanté’s Juice Crew ring, A$AP Rocky’s nameplate chain, Ghostface Killah’s eagle bracelet, the Ruff Ryders pendant, Biggie’s “Jesus Piece” chain, the diamond Roc-A-Fella Chain, and more. However, not every piece in Hip-Hop was used to tell the story of the genre, and it was a meticulous search for the right jewelry to tell a cohesive story.
Vikki Tobak, the curator of the Ice Cold exhibition, detailed the criteria they used when collecting the precious gems, saying, “We focused on pieces that were based on iconic figures, moments and fixtures in the genre that elevated the culture regarding jewelry and status; pieces that were accurate indications and markers of new eras and shifts in Hip-Hop’s history or the culture at large. We tried to get every piece that represented various eras and styles, but some chains were more difficult to acquire than others, ultimately leaving some out.” She explained that two of these chains included Cam’ron’s “Spinning World” chain and 50 Cent’s iconic G-Unit spinner chain.
Roc Nation Executive Lenny S., who serves on the exhibit’s advisory board, detailed how jewelry is an extension of the Hip-Hop artist, and creating an exhibit to honor the jewels and gems as art was a no-brainer. Lenny added that while the museum itself is a white institute, the exhibit illustrates that “the jewelry serves as a form of an artist’s identity.”
“You know what I mean? Because 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.'”
Shanté spoke about the history and importance of jewelry in Hip-Hop at the Ice Cold preview. She detailed how jewelry offered rappers comfort in times of hardship, comparing her Juice Crew ring to a superhero’s cape and leotard. But the legendary emcee talked about jewelry’s cultural importance and significance to Hip-Hop as a Black symbol of power.
“Jewelry fashion is just like fashion. It goes full circle and it comes back around. Especially in the Black community and the ways we express ourselves,” the legend stated. “There was a time where everything was about rope chains and large endowments and the bigger the chain, the bigger the status. And then the ’90s, I want to say the ’90s and ‘2000s came around, and we started seeing an influx of diamonds where now it was the diamond earrings, then it was the diamond chains, next it was the rings and the bracelets.
“When you go inside of the Ice Cold exhibit, you see everything from 10-carrot gold to 10-carrot diamonds. You, me, you see our culture through the years, surviving with self-expression and self-pride. All through jewels. Ain’t that something? So you’ll experience the evolution as you walk through [the exhibition]. It’s Hip-Hop history.”
Additionally, to cap off the experience, a special mix was curated for the Ice Cold exhibit. DJ Woof spearheaded and crafted the mix, drawing on sounds and styles across Hip-Hop history and representing every generation of the culture.
Songs featured in the mix include:
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 – “Sh*t 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”
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