Today’s guest on the show is Vikki Tobak. Vikki just dropped her new book, Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History which explores the intricate dialogue between culture, adornment, and identity. In this episode we talk about the work of pioneering jewelers, the work of leading photographers and the history of hip-hop jewelry, from the 1980s to today.
Listen To The Vikki Tobak Interview
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Notes From The Talk
Congratulations | The Contact High Trajectory | Photoville | Art Edition of Ice Cold | A Printed Documentary | The Foundation | Start at the Written | Ice Cold. Jewelry Edition (No. 1–25) | The New Jim Crow | Blood Diamonds | No Encore! | Writing Routine | Research | The Big Picture | Connections and Synthesizing | Chain Snatching | Mansa Musa | The Kimberley Process | A Ton of Interviews | Avianne & Co. | Talking to Taschen | Wolfgang Tillmans | The Financials of Books | Jamel Shabazz | __valtown | meccapolis | Working with Young Photographers | Jewelry: The Body Transformed | Met Exhibitions | Slick Rick – The Moment I Feared | Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty | Bill Adler | PNB Rock | The Jewelers | Notions of the American Dream | Remixing and Reinventing | A$AP Ferg x Tiffany | Ice Cold Documentary | Mercedes | Dedication to Storytelling | Sacha Jenkins | Library of Alexandria | The Nefertiti Piece | From Kazakhstan to Detroit
“I’ve been telling stories through my attire and adornments for as long as I’ve been telling them with beats and rhymes.“ – Slick Rick
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About The Book
Whether it’s diamond-encrusted grills, oversized “truck” style chains, bust-down Rolex and Patek Philippe watches or a Tiffany necklace, jewelry is a cornerstone of hip-hop culture. Glittering, blinged-out jewels are the shining statement of a collective identity: unapologetic, charismatic, and street savvy.
Spanning the history of hip-hop jewelry, from the 1980s to today, Ice Cold: A Hip- Hop Jewelry History is a stunning compilation of storytelling and visuals. Hundreds of extraordinary images of every major hip-hop artist on record celebrate how “Ice” has become a proclamation of identity and self-expression.
Starting with Run-DMC’s gold Adidas pendants and Eric B. & Rakim’s ostentatious dookie rope chains and Mercedes medallions, the jewelry then transforms from street style into a booming design culture. The hip-hop tradition of “show up and show out” reaches new heights with artists like Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Gucci Mane, and Cardi B, whose over-the-top pieces integrate unique pop culture references, unconventional materials, and enduring collaborations with artists like Takashi Murakami.
Author Vikki Tobak reveals – in great detail – the work of pioneering jewelers such as Tito Caicedo of Manny’s, Eddie Plein, and Jacob the Jeweler as well as newer artisans such as Avianne & Co., Ben Baller/IF & Co., Greg Yuna, Johnny Dang, Eliantte, and many more.
Ice Cold is a vision of dazzling, inspirational style, featuring the work of leading photographers, including Wolfgang Tillmans, Janette Beckman, Jamel Shabazz, Timothy White, Gillian Laub, David LaChapelle, Danny Clinch, Chris Buck, Mike Miller, Phil Knott, Raven B. Varona, Al Pereira, Albert Watson and more.
A foreword by hip-hop superstar 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 personal journeys into their jewelry universe.
Ice Cold goes beyond the ostentatious bling to reveal a transformative story that is loud and proud.
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