Although the Notorious B.I.G. famously claimed once that “Mo Money” means “Mo Problems,” that hasn’t stopped the accumulation of wealth from becoming an integral part of rap. More than just a status symbol, blinged out chains also act as a powerful reminder of how far an artist has come.
It’s no surprise then that rappers often compete to own the biggest and best chains, continuing a long standing tradition of one-upmanship in the hip-hop community. Such rivalries have resulted in the creation of some truly wonderful and yet absurd pieces of jewelry over the years that sometimes even overshadow the music itself.
What follows is a selection of the most excessive chains that the world of hip-hop has to offer, ranging from ludicrously expensive to just plain ludicrous. Let’s hope money really ain’t a thang for any of these stars or they could end up filing for bankruptcy real soon.
Read on to see the rappers with the wildest chains in the game.
10. Slick Rick’s Justice Scale Chain
Estimated value: $250,000
Can also be used… as a spare dinner plate
With more gold than Richie Rich and Mr T combined, Slick Rick helped pioneer the culture of excess that would come to define hip-hop. As far back as the mid 80s, the man otherwise known as MC Ricky D wore countless necklaces and rings, often with an actual crown, but none of this measured up still to his justice scale medallion. Larger than his actual face, this glorious accessory would eventually take on a whole new meaning after Slick Rick was sent to jail when he pled guilty to two counts of attempted murder along with numerous other charges too.
9. Method Man’s Ice Pick Chain
Estimated value: $25,000
Can also be used… as an actual murder weapon
Long before custom jewelry became the norm in hip-hop, Method Man commissioned this impressive piece of bling, which the TSA apparently refused to let through security one time on account of its deadly potential. As an esteemed member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man has laid down some killer rhymes over the years, so it makes sense that he’d wear a killer chain too.
8. Quavo’s Ratatouille Chain
Estimated value: $250,000
Can also be used… to blind enemies with a diamond glare
Migos love to get ‘Bad & Boujee’ with their jewelry, but Quavo took this to new extremes a couple years back when he commissioned a chain inspired by a Pixar reference in their hit single: “Still be playin‘ with pots and pans, call me Quavo Ratatouille.” Repping Disney culture, the white gold pendant is covered from head to claw with VVS white diamonds and outmatches even Quavo’s “Yoda” piece in terms of cartoonish absurdity.
7. Cam’ron’s Harlem World Chain
Estimated value: $250,000
Can also be used… as a Horcrux
A few years back, Cam’ron became Public Enemy #1 with the fashion police thanks to his ridiculous and yet also kind of impressive Harlem World Chain. Featuring a battery-powered globe that actually spun round and round, the mechanical chain has since been bought by Lil Yachty who swapped out the words “Killa Cam Harlem World” and replaced them with “Yachty’s World.”
6. Lil Jon’s Crunk Ain’t Dead Chain
Estimated value: $500,000
Can also be used… as a crunktastic door stop
At the time it was made, Lil Jon’s Crunk Ain’t Dead Chain was the largest diamond pendant ever created and ironically enough, it’s appeal endured long after crunk itself died on the charts. Almost bigger than Lil Jon itself, the infamous chain weighed over 5 lbs and even wound up in the Guinness Book of World Records. Although its title has since been snatched by another, Lil Jon’s most impressive creation remains one for the history books.
5. Lil Uzi Vert’s Marilyn Manson Chain
Estimated value: $220,000
Can also be used… to give small children nightmares
In an industry fuelled by swagger that verges on arrogance, it’s fascinating to see a relative newcomer like Lil Uzi Vert pay homage to another artist on one of his most expensive chains, particularly one who doesn’t even work in the realm of hip-hop. Still, it’s easy to see why Marilyn Manson might appeal to the rapper’s own dark side. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that he pushed us “to the edge” with his triumphantly dark single “XO TOUR Llif3”. We wouldn’t be surprised if Uzi pushed his accountants to the edge as well with the cost of this chain that totals up at nearly quarter-of-a-million dollars.
4. T-Pain’s Big Ass Chain
Estimated value: $410,000
Can also be used… to strengthen your big ass neck
More expensive than either a small ass chain or a regular-sized chain, T-Pain’s Big Ass Chain weighs over 10 lbs and is encrusted with nearly 200 carats worth of diamonds. Although he’s since told Vice that this $400k purchase was “the dumbest shit I ever did in my life,” there’s still something rather impressive about the sheer audacity of spending that much money on something so ridiculous. Also, a quick shout out to the guy who dared T-Pain to buy this big ass chain in the first place. He’s got some big ass balls on him, that’s for sure.
3. Kanye West’s Horus Chain
Estimated value: $300,000
Can also be used… to resurrect Tutankhamun
Remember when Mr West wore a humongous medallion in the video for “Power?” Sure, that price tag is almost as heavy as the chain itself and it’s pretty bold of Kanye to compare himself with an actual deity, but it also gives off an otherworldly vibe that suited the song perfectly. It’s also rather fitting that this chain would pay homage to an avian god like Horus given the bird-brained antics that Kanye has put us through in recent years.
2. Yung Berg’s Transformers Chain
Estimated value: $70,000
Can also be used… as a bad luck charm
Riding high on the success of his single “Sexy Lady”, Yung Berg treated himself to an expensive chain modelled on the robot franchise Transformers, because why the fuck not? However, there’s more to this story than meets the eye because not long after, the chain was stolen from him and new pictures of it started circulating the internet. At one point, it even ended up in the hands of Soulja Boy before making its way back to Yung Berg, only for the chain to then be stolen again by UK rapper Rowdy-T. Perhaps Berg should have just disguised it better like the robots in said franchise.
1. Rick Ross’s Rick Ross Chain
Estimated value: $1,500,000
Can also be used… to buy a small country if melted down and sold for its cash value
Running up a total of over one and a half million dollars, Ross’ chain is not only the most expensive on this list, but it’s also the most ridiculous too. The original piece was literally a replica of Ross’ face, and that alone is worthy of a standing ovation, but then the entrepreneur went one step further and created a bust of himself wearing the piece too in what can only be described as a classic case of chainception.
