You must have enough property so that you are not missing life’s necessities. Success comes from hard work and true with success, a person wants to live with success on his arm like a diamond bracelet. You cannot speak about success without associating it with wealth and status. As those fortunate to see wealth grow into their success, some become ostentatious thus beginning to live the “bling-bling” life.
Wikipedia encyclopedia describes the term bling-bling as “a hip-hop slang term which refers to jewelry and other accoutrements, and also to an entire lifestyle built around excess spending and showiness.” I didn’t think that I could become more informed about the term bling until my cousin, put it in bold writing in his newest book and gave it to me as a Christmas present. The book BLING, The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book written by Reggie Osse and Gabriel Tolliver breaks it down even further. Reggie Osse is a native of Brooklyn who started off his career as an entertainment lawyer for Def Jam and was in the Gas Face video by 3rd Bass. Gabriel Tolliver is a writer, producer and director from Shaker’s Heights, Ohio. Together they put together a revealing description of what bling is all about. This book is a showcase of all things that could be considered bling. In 173 pages of interviews, knowledge, price guides and photographs taken by Ernie Paniccioli, Atsuko Tanaka, Jeanette Beckman, London Features International, Getty Photo Archives, RETNA, John Ricard, Corbis, Al Pereira, Sue Kwon, Photofest, Robert Burch and David Corio. In this book, you see a more detailed view of the hip-hop term.
“Bling is a concept, a sound effect, a light refraction, a lifestyle. Bling is a status.”
These words introduce the world of bling to it’s readers. From the front cover which is a silky black fabric with a diamond encrusted brooch with the word bling on it, I knew that this book had style and attitude to it. This book is very detailed and informative. I found it quite interesting and funny at the same time. Bling is broken up into five chapters with a really interesting introduction and a great appendix that fans of bling might be interested in reading. Chapter 1: Bling! Bling! gives you some history on diamonds telling you where they came from and the first findings of diamonds in the world. This visual declaration of financial and stylistic freedom is not something new that just came out of nowhere. True that the word bling was coined in the nineties by BG of the Cash Money Millionaires, but in the sixties, the term bling bling was used by the Silvertones in their song Bling Bling Christmas. The word diamond came from the Latin word adamas. This chapter includes definitions of bling, bling factoids, and a bling time line.
“You know you’re blinging when your bling is featured on MTV Cribs, and the next day the IRS comes to audit you. “
Bling can also be referred to as ice, rocks, sugar pops, frosty freeze, blood stones or candy. Bling is not only an interesting read which reminded me more of like a magazine because of all the pictures, it has you laughing at different spots.
Chapter 2: Back In The Day introduces the jeweler, Tito the O.G. Ecuadorian, and some of his classic pieces. Pictures of many of yesterday’s and today’s hottest hip-hop stars dressed up in their treasures around their neck, quite loudly. Features two pages of facts about gold and before and after shots of artists as their bling upgraded with time.
Chapter 3: The Ice Age: speaks of the standard unit of weight for diamonds. From diamond nameplates to $100,000.00 diamond-held steel and yellow gold handguns to diamond pinky rings, bling is a display of the abundant treasures that success brings. This chapter introduces different gemstones and gives a brief history, knowledge and color description of emeralds, rubies and sapphires. The pictures is what does it for me. When you see the faces of artists you have grown to love wearing these elaborate pieces on their necks or on their fingers, it brings the reality of bling to light and makes it more than just a term that these artists use.
There are two more chapters in this fascinating display of bling which include Grills and Goblets and Behind the Bling:. To end the book Bling Reggie Osse and Gabriel Tolliver include a Bling Birthstone chart, Zodiac Sign stones, Anniversary Stones (And Some Metals), a directory of different places to go and find the best of the best bling, and a cleaning and maintenance guide to taking care of your bling. Also included is things to be aware of when buying diamonds, a diamond color chart, and directions on how to make your own diamonds.
To tell you the truth, I heard the word bling bling for a long time and thought it to only be diamonds. Now I am aware that it is not just diamonds but extends to everything that can be considered something of wealth and is flashy. In other words, bling is anything that you can wear to attract thieves. An ordinary person like myself might choose to bling out my IPOD case or bling out my earring with diamond studs. Stephon Marbury was robbed of his $150,000 diamond necklace. Not to be worn on the trains. Some bling cannot be worn. People like Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons have blinged out their toilet. The idea for this book was very creative. It is one of those books I didn’t expect to see being out there in the public. I would recommend this book to lovers of hip-hop. You’ll like this one.
