Rappers wearing gold chains, goes back like babies and pacifiers. Rappers didn’t start off wearing gold chains and flashy jewelry. The Sugarhill Gang initially wore jeans and a button down shirt or a sweater. Some would say the trend started with Kurtis Blow. Kurtis Blow was the first rapper signed to a major label. His first album features him shirtless wearing a couple of thin gold chains around his neck. While it’s possible the trend of rappers wearing gold chains may have started with Kurtis Blow, he wasn’t the first black male performer to rock gold chains on stage.
Gold has always been a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Black male singers such as Lou Rawls, Al Green, and Sammy Davis Jr. wore their gold before rap hit the commercial scene. Furthermore, comedian Redd Foxx loved to display his gold chains, medallions, and rings on stage. It is possible rappers wore gold chains to reflect the style of black male entertainers on television at the time. Watching Al Green with his shirt off or half buttoned shirt, wearing gold chains and romancing the ladies through music may have had some influence. However, once rap began to rise and rappers began to profit, they took wearing gold to another level.
The rise of rap music and the commercialization of hip-hop equaled a rise in profit. Additionally, rap music changed from delivering a message to displaying lyrical skills and being boisterous. Rappers had to display confidence and success. Rappers were making more money and the best way to show it was to display their jewelry. A small gold chain did not equal success and status. Therefore, gold rope chains became bigger and heavier. Medallions became larger. Grills were made in gold and platinum and also became a status symbol. Gold rope chains were pushed aside for more expensive platinum and diamond crusted jewelry. Flashy jewelry is now embedded in hip-hop. Jewelry along with cars and women are the ways rappers flaunt their success and status.