Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History presents the bling culture of rappers and their jewelry. Using 40 years of iconic imagery and compelling stories, this visual history shines a light on the world of hip-hop, where mega stars from Run-DMC to Tupac and Jay-Z to Migos and Cardi B flash brilliant custom pieces to show status and personal style.
“Vikki Tobak’s Ice Cold. A Hip-Hop Jewelry History is a lavish catalog of ostentation, documenting a decades-long affair between rap stars and the diamond-encrusted ornamentation that elevates them to around-the-way superheroes.” – The New York Times
“Packed with photos and essays about four decades of bling culture, with looks from artists ranging from OGs like Run DMC and the Notorious B.I.G. to contemporary figures like Cardi B and the Migos, the book is a celebration of personal style and its role in hip hop.” – TIME
“Jewelry has always been part of hip-hop culture and, as a result, has made celebrities of the jewelers themselves. Ice Cold offers a history of jewelry in hip-hop — starting in the 1980s with Run DMC’s Adidas pendants and working its way to recent years, when artists like Cardi B and Gucci Mane turned their ice into an art form. It also spotlights jewelers, offering an inside look at the work of industry vets like Jacob the Jeweler along with newcomers like Avianne & Co. and Ben Baller.” – New York magazine
