22 Rappers Who’ve Worn Ridiculous Chains

Statement jewelry has long played an integral role in hip-hop history. While the styles have changed over time—from Run-DMC’s signature dookie rope chain in the 1980s to Lil Uzi Vert’s iced-out homage to Marilyn Manson—the tradition of sporting shimmery neckwear is alive and well.

On Culture II, Offset brags about rocking an emoji reimagined as a colorful, diamond-speckled pendant. In 2011's "My Chain," Gucci Mane wonders: "My chain, my chain, don't you like my chain mayne?" (He's gone as far to create an Instagram account dedicated to his St. Brick piece.) A year earlier, Kanye West, Consequence and Q-Tip bragged about the heft of their chains on the bravado-packed "My Chain Heavy." And don't forget Jay-Z's iconic line, "Said she loved my necklace, started relaxin'/Now that's what the fuck I call a chain reaction" on 1998's "Money Ain't a Thang." These artists' rhyme books and jewelry collections are only built for cuban linx.

The demand for chains that are decadent, fully customized conversation pieces has never been higher, with celebrity jewelers such as Jacob the Jeweler, Ben Baller, Elliot Avianne and Gabriel Jacobs becoming legends in their own right. As rappers continue to up the ante on their chains, rocking pieces that could result in hunchback, XXL takes a look at the biggest and baddest neckwear over the years, with a focus on size, not how many numbers and commas were involved to seal the deal.