If you know anything about anything, then you know that several Dirty Southerners, with such giants as Nelly and Lil’ John leading the way, it is once gain cool to lug five lb gold chains around our necks and shove our mouths full of gold hip hop jewelry. Once again, you say? Yeah, I dared to say it.

While these stars might be carrying the torch for a few of the styles from the past, er’,  I mean the future, it might be best for you to understand where real hip hop jewelry started.

Two words.

Flava Flav. Some may want to forget, but this skinny, little, high power, rap machine with the oversized clock swinging around his neck, and the teeth made right in Fort Knox, is probably the Godfather of Hip Hop jewelry as we know it today.

Nelly may have made gold and platinum plated bicuspids the rage it is today, with his hip hop Grillz success. Lil’ john might have brought back Run DMC rope chains with his infamous “crunk ain’t dead” pendant and chain and made them into the hip hop chains of today. He even brought his own addition to bling bling hip hop jewelry, the Pimp cup. But there is no way we can say that this “bling thing” is a new thing, and with that being said, I also do not think that it is going to be going away anytime soon.

There will always be a desire to express our success through the use of larger than life jewelry pieces. It is built into the very nature of jewelry itself. It is made to wear, and it is worn to show it off, so the bigger the bling the better the bling. Hip hop pendants, chains and ropes all fit this bill. It doesn’t take an inside look into the new generation to understand this need, to embrace it, and join right in.

No one is asking you to carry around one half million dollar, custom hip hop jewelry chains like Lil’ John, but it sure would be nice. For those of us with a little less scratch than that, there are still plenty of eye catchers out there to adorn our filthy rich desires. From something so simple as a dope belt buckle to a jewel encrusted phat ‘az wallet, and even hip hop diamond jewelry, the trend has grown to incorporate any body’s taste, as long as your not a just buster with a few bucks trying to look sick. If that the case, then you might need to use a little more hip hop jewelry than the next guy.

I think Nelly said it best

I got the wrist wear and neck wear dats captivatin’
But it’s my smile dat’s got these onlookers spectatin’
My mouth piece simply certified a total package
Open up my mouth and you see mo carrots than a salad
My teeth are mind blowin’ givin’ everybody chillz
Call me George Foreman ‘cuz I’m sellin’ everybody grillz

While some may not understand, or even mock the legitimate fashion standing of hip hop grillz and their roots as a statement of overcoming adversity against all odds, they will at the same time totally enwrap themselves in all other aspects of a culture that seems to be based on opportunity and risk, but at the same time views the enjoyment of the profits to be something shameful.

Don’t ask Lil’ Wayne, Lil’ Kim, Jay Z, or Sean Combs to be bashful or repentant for their success. Lil’ John even rewarded himself in selfish splendor by spending over $150 on a 12 pound hip hop bling showered necklace and pendant stamping out the important social message “Crunk Aint Dead” in all its naked beauty.

Where Grillz take a special place in history is their unique body positioning as a jewelry item. While there have been many various reincarnations of older themes, such as tattooing and piercing arise throughout the years, grillz are uniquely modern. While tattoos or tribal piercing may have been the status defining adornments in previous cultures, the dramatic honesty in the display of raw wealth as the status symbol of today through real hip hop jewelry could never be a more natural act, no matter what you think of Nelly’s top row of diamonds and bottom row of gold.

If you would like to express what you got because you can, then a simple search of your favorite gold grillz and hip hop jewelry information will point you to an endless supply of choices of products, styles, and suppliers, of grillz, bling bling jewelry, and other iced out hip hop jewelry.

While the popularity of the over sized and bejeweled hip hop jewelry movement has been in full swing for several years, the recent influx of hip hop chain wearing, gold laden rap stars has promoted the fashion trend to an unprecedented level. Young and enterprising vocal superstars such as 50 cent and Sean Puffy Combs have brought such terms as the bullet chain and the iced out bracelet not only into the mainstream but have made them common household identifiable names. Hip hop gold chains and hip hop grillz are now everywhere. Never before has it been so in vogue to wear your retirement around your neck, and to see young inner city youth rushing off to the dental artist.

Whether faux or GinuWine, the fascination with dripping brocades of iced out jewelry and grillz that could be proclaimed as “the shiznit” are not a passing fad. With long time rap veterans such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and rambunctious upstarts, such as the never subdued Lil’ Wayne paving the way, it is going to make it hard to forget the sparkle of silver and gold, shaped into objects of vainglory pleasure and adorning every hip hop star and CD cover that matters.

Men are not alone in their desire to show their stuff. While not the usual ghetto inspired expression of triumph, Lil’ Kim may be remembered for pulling off the perfect alter ego portrayal, while maintaining her glowing reputation for bling appeal with her silver coin dress used in her promo photos for “dancing with the stars” on ABC. While a four finger platinum ring is isn’t, anything that dares to be crafted out of a semi precious or precious metal in the shape of money covering (almost) the body makes her our bling diva, and no number of hip hop chains or Mercedes pendants on any body’s neck even comes close to touching it.

With some hip hop chains the size of Texas and a few forties, Beyonce will seem like a reasonable date selection, and you can finally get up the nerve to tell your girl who really runs the roost. At least when she puts you out on your butt, you will have all of that bling bling to pay for the hotel room fees for the next week or so.

Not all of us can be Li’ Wayne or one of the Cash Money Millionaires, but with a few mouse clicks and a valid credit card, any body who is willing to spend the cash, or simply look like they did, can find enough bling hip hop jewelry to fill Fort Knox. You have an almost endless selection of hip hop belt buckles and iced out watches at the tips of your fingertips.

You no longer have to source a blood diamond to fulfill your greedy jewel encrusted desires either. With faux hip hop jewelry and almost every other style of bling bling available in semi precious or non commodity form, there is no longer a reason at all to feel guilty for sporting your new Platinum and white gold rope chains and silver studded pistol hip hop pendants.

While appearing as if you just walked out of Tutankhamen tomb takes time to put together and is best pulled off by those with the ego of a mountain, anyone with a PC and an Internet connection can now live the dream of wearing a pirate’s ransom as an accessory a near reality.

Quality and actual piece value can vary from hip hop bling retailer to retailer. Make sure that you deal with a supplier that offers open information on the products they offers and a guarantee of satisfaction on the products they sell.

Even though the iced out hip hop jewelry style features diamonds, it does not have to be gaudy or over the top. There are many simple jewelry and iced out purse and compact sets that will easily fit the needs of someone with a little less need for hip hop bling in their ensemble.

Gold is shiny enough, and silver is always a slick statement, and Platinum, is, well Platinum, but the shine of a flawless stone is in a league of its own.

Nothing says success like the glowing rays of one of the hardest substances on Earth. Permanent and enduring, it is the utmost of precious stones that man possesses. Rocks are power, a financial asset, and a surefire sign of high social tiering.

Iced out jewelry makes a great gift idea, as who could ever find fault with a diamond lined Rolex styled watch and wallet set, or a Rocawear set of iced out heart earrings/ Diamonds are a girls best friend, and with Cube earrings the size of 2 Caret stones lead all to believe that guys will be just as happy.

Hip hop diamond jewelry not only showcases a light show of beauty, it also fits any style or taste. While large amounts of gold or silver are heavy and sometimes garish to one’s fashion set, a 2 finger name ring or a boom box pendant with layers of shining diamonds are a lasting testament to the love of diamonds by all who are lucky enough to own them.

For those of us that like a little more glitter than our bank account can provide through natural or synthetic diamond purchases, there is a thriving faux diamond and cheap hip hop jewelry industry offering deep discounts and high quality merchandise on the Internet.

If you have dreams of a simple crystal pendant necklace, or grand visions of being a hip hop diva dressed out in a mink and 5 row diamond broach the size of a small country and a tiara that comes with its own armed security, there is a speedily ordered or custom hip hop jewelry solution to make you stroll in style with a self confident smile.