Gril Jewelry

Grill

In hip hop culture, a grill (also front or golds) is a type of jewelry worn over the teeth. Grills are made of metal and are generally removable. They began to be worn by hip hop artists in the early 1980s, but they became widely popular during the mid-2000s due to the rise of Dirty South rap. Though grills are fitted to the tooth impression of the wearer, whether they are safe for long-term wear is unknown.

Grills have been a part of hip hop since the early days, and all indications are that they are not going anywhere anytime soon. Like everything else hip hop, grills are big business. Companies are springing up all across the country that cater to the grills market, with names like GotGrills, GoldTeeth.com, and Mr. Bling. With unlimited advertising supplied by the legions of artists rocking grills (I saw one on Regis and Kelly the other day) the grills movement may not even be at its peak.

The insertion of gems into teeth has long predated hip hop culture, with rich Mayans drilling pieces of jade into their teeth. Hip hop artists began wearing grills in the early 1980s; New Yorker Eddie Plein, owner of Eddie’s Gold Teeth, is often credited with starting the trend.

Grills remained popular in the Southern U.S. even as they rose and fell from popularity elsewhere,and the rise of Dirty South rappers in the 2000s spurred a nationwide grill trend. During this time, grills frequently appeared in hip hop music, most notably in the 2005 number one single “Grillz,” by Nelly, Paul Wall, Big Gipp, and Ali, and in other Paul Wall songs. Wall is known for his grill business as well as his rapping; his clients include Kanye West and Cam’ron.

While early grills could not be removed easily and involved reshaping the tooth itself to fit the grill, grills are today made from custom dental molds.

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