Source: Alvaro Keding / AMNH
Hip-Hop is at the American Museum of Natural History. Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry opened at the famous New York museum on Thursday, May 9 and is a must-see for all rap fans.
The special exhibition features an impressive collection of custom-made jewelry from hip-hop stars of today and past, including Nicki Minaj, A$AP Rocky, Slick Rick and Jay-Z. There are also favorite tracks from artists the culture has lost, including the Notorious BIG, Biz Markie and Young Dolph.
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152740626229.jpg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=85)
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152740626229.jpg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=85)
Source: Alvaro Keding / AMNH
The exhibition is a continuation of the celebration of 50 years of Hip-Hop and aims to highlight the cultural influence of Hip-Hop and its indelible effect on fashion and the world at large. The pieces, which include watches, chains, rings and more, are housed in the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery at the Museum of the Museum. Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.
“Bringing it Ice Cold The exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History is a testament to the cultural importance of this art form and culture,” he said. Ice Cold guest curator Vikki Tobak in a statement. “It's time to celebrate the artists, jewelers, artisans and everyday people who have contributed to the storied history of hip-hop jewelry. This exhibition not only pays homage to hip-hop's roots with tracks from the likes of Biz Markie and Jam Master Jay, but also highlights its lasting impact on style and society with tracks from contemporary artists such as Tyler, the Creator , A$AP Rocky and FERG .”
Ice Cold traces the evolution of Hip-Hop jewelry over its 50 years, from gold rope chains to frosted necklaces and watches. Except Tobak, who wrote Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry Historyguest curators are Kevin “Coach K” Lee of Quality Control Music and Karam Gill, the filmmaker behind the 2021 doc series ICE COLD.
And for any haters who say jewelry was just money badly spent, Roxanne Shante dropped some insight in a preview of the exhibit. “If you wanted to think about it in a negative way, it made people think we took all our money and spent it on jewelry,” said Shante, whose Juice Crew ring is part of the exhibit. “In all reality, we didn't. Because some of these pieces were acquired after we bought houses. You didn't want to have that kind of jewelry and you didn't have a safe place to put it.”
Other advisors involved in creating the show include household names like Slick Rick (who is a senior advisor, of course), Roc Nation's Lenny S., and jewelry designer Alex Moss.
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152744924996.jpeg?w=768&strip=all&quality=85)
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152744924996.jpeg?w=768&strip=all&quality=85)
Source: aqua / hiphopwired
This writer's favorite piece, of many, had to be Ghostface Killah's eagle bracelet, aka The Wings of the Wu. Bong Bong.
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152745034174-e1715274799430.jpeg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=85)
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152745034174-e1715274799430.jpeg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=85)
Source: aqua / hiphopwired
You can see Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry, which runs through January 5, 2025, with a general admission cost of pay-what-you-want for New York residents. See detailed photos from the exhibition below.
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152740744218.jpg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=85)
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152740744218.jpg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=85)
Source: Alvaro Keding / AMNH
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152740827988.jpg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=85)
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152740827988.jpg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=85)
Source: Alvaro Keding / AMNH
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152740910251.jpg?w=768&strip=all&quality=85)
![Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry](https://hiphopwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/17152740910251.jpg?w=768&strip=all&quality=85)
Source: Alvaro Keding / AMNH