Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1536610
and set with Moroccan amethyst mounted into 22K gold, it speaks to the millennia-old tradition of dental ornamentation that dates to Etruscan and Mayan civilizations, w h i l e s e r v i n g a s a c o n t e m p o r a r y Clockwise from top left: Masahiro LaMarsh's Seven Gates, 2024, at Dallas Contemporary. Masahiro LaMarsh. Erykah Badu in grillz by Masahiro LaMarsh. Erykah Badu, Masahiro LaMarsh. DaBaby in diamond grillz, custom Kirk chain and links by Johnny Dang & Co., 2019. metaphor for the mouth as a vessel to speak the truth. From Ancient Italy to 1970s NYC Body ornamentation exists throughout global culture. In the case of grillz, as cited in Taschen's Ice Cold, wealthy women of the Etruscan civilization (precursors to the Romans) had their front teeth removed to be replaced by gold versions to underscore stature in high society. Tricked-out teeth as wealth signifiers were also the order of the day for Mayan kings and queens; instead of gold, jade roundels adorned the upper teeth of these mystic royals. In 14th-century Philippines, removable bands of gold worn over front teeth, chakang, were passed down through generations as venerated family heirlooms. Centuries later, with the nascent emergence of hip-hop in New York City, bling ruled. "My jewels are my superhero suit … a gift from ancestors who sat on thrones and reigned with rings and rocks the size of ice cubes," says Ricky Walters, aka Slick Rick, in the foreword to Ice Cold. Author Vikki Tobak traces the presence of grillz in hip-hop baubles to the genre's beginnings in the 1970s. "Even the term bling first came to be used on the streets of Brooklyn as Jamaican slang made its way over from the West Indies," she writes. "As the legend goes, the lack of good dental care in Jamaica made gold teeth popular replacements. Bling was the sound of shine." The word grillz, she says, references "the ornate grilles of luxury vehicles." Twenty years ago, the term officially entered pop culture with Nelly's 2005 music video Grillz, which featured cameos by a Houston duo, rapper Paul Wall and jewelry maestro Johnny Dang. A sampling of the lyrics says it all about the opulence and indulgence of this street bijoux: What it do, baby? (Uh), it's the iceman, Paul Wall (yeah) I got my mouth lookin' somethin' like a disco ball (yeah) I got the diamonds and t h e i c e , a l l h a n d s e t I might cause a cold front if I take a deep breath (already) Today, custom grillz are the couture of hip-hop style, collectible and ensemble-making like any other accessory. In-demand jewelers can take months to complete these dazzling FROM ICE COLD: A HIP-HOP JEWELRY HISTORY BY VIKKI TOBAK (TASCHEN, © 2022). PHOTO BY MEREDITH JENKS. COURTESY THE ARTIST AND ERYKAH BADU COURTESY THE ARTIST AND ERYKAH BADU 35