How Drake, Bad Bunny and Nicki Minaj became part of a new Natural History Museum exhibit
The bling is the thing.
Drake, Bad Bunny, Nicki Minaj, Slick Rick and the Notorious BIG are among the hitmakers featured in a new show at the American Museum of Natural History called “Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry.”
It showcases custom-made jewelry worn by some of music’s biggest stars and made by legendary New York City jewelers, including Tito Caicedo, of Manny’s New York, who created Biggie’s iconic diamond-studded Jesus piece.
“It’s time to celebrate the artists, jewelers, craftsmen, and everyday people who contributed to the storied history of hip-hop jewelry,” Vikki Tobak, guest curator for “Ice Cold,” said in a statement.
The exhibition, on view now through January 5, 2025, in the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery within the Museum’s Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, spans five decades.
It begins with oversized gold chains from the 1970’s and ’80’s, including the Adidas necklace from Jam Master Jay of Run D.M.C that was made in honor of the 1986 hit “My Adidas.”
From the ’90s, standouts include a diamond-encrusted “QB” pendant made by Caicedo for the rapper Nas, and a diamond studded Roc-A-Fella medallion made in honor of Jay-Z’s record label.
From this century, there are key pieces worn by Nicki Minaj, Drake and others. Have a look.
Nicki Minaj’s Barbie pendant
Self-proclaimed Barbie girl Nicki Minaj, who grew up in Queens, has been called “Barbz” by fans for years — long before she teamed up with Ice Spice for the hit song “Barbie World” on the soundtrack to last summer’s blockbuster “Barbie” movie.
A few years ago, the rapper’s stylist enlisted 27-year-old jeweler Ashna Mehta for some hardcore Barbie bling.
Mehta, whose family runs a wholesale diamond business, set 54.47 carats of diamonds in an 18k-karat-gold Barbie pendant outlined with pink enamel that cost “hundred of thousands.”
The design is punctuated by a diamond heart.
“I made it within a week. I took apart all of my existing jewelry and I put all the diamonds into the necklace to have the opportunity to have Nicki wear it,” Mehta, who grew up on the Upper East Side and now lives in Dubai, said.
In a statement provided for the exhibit, Minaj noted that she’s never been one to wait for a lover to buy her jewelry.
“I always promote the girls to have their own stuff, be go-getters,” she said. “Don’t depend on a man for anything [and go] to school.”
Drake’s “The Crown Jewel of Toronto”
When rappers want a statement necklace, they call Alex Moss, a New York City-based jeweler known for bringing the drama with 3D diamond pendants, bubble-letter diamond chains and rings made to look like mini sculptures.
For Drake, he dreamt up “The Crown Jewel of Toronto,” featuring the Canadian city’s CN Tower being climbed by the Toronto Raptors’ and Blue Jays’ mascots.
Drake wears the 3D, 18-carat-white-gold pendant with ultra-clear white, blue and yellow diamonds and Burmese red rubies in the “8 AM in Charlotte” video off his 2023 album “For All the Dogs.”
“He said, ‘let’s make the sickest Toronto piece ever,'” Moss recalled of working with Drake.
“We’re both from Toronto originally and we have this synergy creatively whenever we make pieces.”
Tyler, The Creator’s Bellhop Necklace
Moss also has pieces he did for Tyler, the Creator and A$AP Rock in the exhibition.
The above necklace, made for Tyler’s 2021 album “Call Me If You Get Lost,” was a tall order.
It features 23,000 hand-set stones, 186 carats in diamonds and 60 carats in sapphire, with a hanging pendant – a 3D bellhop in gold holding a briefcase in each hand.
“It was a half million-dollar project. This one took 10 months just to find the stones,” Moss said. “It’s 360 degrees. It’s like a 3D action figure.”
Moss’s visual inspiration was Tyler, The Creator’s Wes Anderson-inspired bellhop look at the 2020 Grammys when he took over the red carpet in a baby pink uniform. That night, he won “Best Rap Album” for his album “Igor.”
Tyler stepped out in the bellhop necklace in 2021 at the BET Awards, after Moss flew the piece — valued at half a million dollars — to him personally.
A$AP Rocky’s “EXO Grenade pendant.”
Moss teamed up with Swiss clockmaker L’epee 1839 to create a 14-carat gold-and-diamond wearable grenade-clock for the rapper’s “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n)” 2023 music video.
The pin of the grenade serves as a key to wind the time for the clock.
“We added the clip on top for him and it came with a chain he wore as a pendant,” Moss explained.
His relationship with the rapper is an interesting one.
“I was telling him how I’m getting back in shape. He’s like, ‘Dude I’m running too, come tomorrow morning at 6 a.m.’ I said, ‘6 a.m. is crazy, bro, 7 a.m.’ We went on a nice casual jog in Soho in broad daylight,” Moss said. “It got our creative juices falling. On cool down walk back we discussed pieces.”
Bad Bunny Grill set
Alligator Jesus, born David Tamrgo, is Hollywood’s go-to guy for grills. He’s blinged out mugs for Madonna, Beyonce and many others.
One of his fastest turnarounds is this one done for Bad Bunny and on display at the museum.
He made the musician a last-minute grill with 14-carat white gold, diamonds and rhodium-plating for a Rolling Stone shoot in 2023.
Once Tamrgo does a grill for a high-profile client, he holds on to the molds, so he can quickly make new grills.
“He needed it same day,” he told The Post. “I met with him at midnight and then he had the grill in his mouth full of diamonds by 7 p.m. that following evening.”
