Do you notice the shiny gleam in a hip hop artist’s teeth when they perform in their music videos?
That’s called a grill, a set of dental jewelry made of gold, silver, or metals encrusted with jewels. Artists like Lil Jon and Paul Wall sport these shiny choppers along with their usual bling.
However, these items also pose some risks to oral health. These health hazards include gingivitis and possible tooth decay. That said, it’s amusing to see how they brave the risks to up their game.
Have you ever wondered about which rappers sport the grill? Or somehow enhanced their smile with fake teeth? Let curiosity bring you to look at these eleven hip-hop artists that stepped up with their smile.
1. Kanye West
He started with his early records and hits from the early 2000s.
Now, he comes to the headlines with his current releases and controversies. Kanye West continues to wow fans with his unique stylistic shifts and approaches to his tracks. He has also gone through various ventures like business and fashion.
At one point, he showed a photo of his gold-and-diamond grill on Twitter. He also mentioned to Ellen DeGeneres back in 2010 that he took out the majority of his bottom teeth to place in a diamond-encrusted grill.
Though we may hear more of his notoriety, having a dental grill is not among the reasons. His music and public image still outshine his fashion sense. Still, it’s no surprise he is among the greatest hip hop singers of all time.
2. Nelly
On this list of celebrities with dentures and grills is none other than Nelly. Known for his number-one hits, the rapper also has his stints in acting for both film and television. At some point in the early days of his career, he sported gold grills around the right side of his teeth.
Since then, however, he abandoned the golden fake teeth and had his real teeth fixed. With this, he favors a more natural-looking pair of teeth to match his lovely smile.
3. 50 Cent
He started from his discovery by Eminem back in 2002. 50 Cent rose into popularity in hip hop with various tracks hitting the Billboard Top 5.
Since then, he has gone through various changes and ventures throughout his career. This included clothing lines and film acting.
Evident in these changes are the ones done with his teeth. With his success coming overnight to an extent, he had his teeth bring in a winning smile that matches his wealth and boosting his new image.
4. Kid Cudi
Sporting visible changes in his smile, Kid Cudi makes use of dental veneers for his acting career. This talented rapper has made a solid lineup of tracks ever since meeting Kanye West. This brought in various collaborations with the infamous star.
From his early beginnings in the early 2000s to the formation of the duo with West named Kids See Ghosts, Kid Cudi carries an award-winning smile to match both his acting ventures and his musical journey. The neat look from the dental veneers is doing the trick for that award-winning smile.
5. Lil Jon
He started from his early career with the East Side Boyz back in 1995. He then ventured to his solo career from 2006 and never looked back since.
Lil Jon brought about the crunk genre into the spotlight. His musical style and influence invoke the bass-heavy beats that you can dance with.
Along with this is his ever-famous sporting of dental grills. He sported the dental jewelry in every music video featuring him. In fact, the look is not complete without them and he is likely the first artist people think about when it comes to hip-hop artists sporting a grill.
6. Ludacris
At one point, Atlanta-based rapper and actor sported grills in one of his music videos. The one for Southern Hospitality has Ludacris sport a pair of gold grills as he delivers his rhymes.
From his early beginnings in 1998 up to present, Ludacris delivered ten studio albums. Some hits from these albums managed to hit the Billboard charts.
His acting career lists a good number of supporting roles. However, the most memorable was his role as Tej Parker in the Fast & Furious film series.
7. Nicki Minaj
You would recognize her for her looks, her figure, and her unique rhyming style. Nicki Minaj makes use of a more electronic musical style evident in her songs like Super Bass.
Her fashion sense is also characterized by the use of bright colors. This is evident in her colorful costumes and wigs.
It’s not a surprise that she would also sport a set of grills at one point. You can see this in a music video she did back in 2017. Both upper and lower teeth sport what appears to be a diamond-crusted set of grills.
8. Lil Wayne
The New Orleans-based rapper started his career back in 1996. Gaining momentum as years passed on in producing tracks. Notable with advancements in his technique and lyrical style, Lil Wayne holds dynamic shifts in his fashion as well.
Early in his career, he sported some dental grills of varying styles. In 2010, he revealed he underwent dental surgery to achieve a diamond-encrusted look for his teeth. This was possibly done through a dental implant procedure.
9. Gucci Mane
One of the pioneers of trap music, Gucci Mane started his career back in 2005. Throughout his journey, the rapper managed to release about 13 studio albums.
During the early days of his career, Gucci Mane sported gold grills in his videos. But as years passed by, he stopped wearing them. Starting from 2010 onwards, you can see Gucci Mane without the dental bling.
Despite some controversies, Gucci Mane continues with his ventures.
10. ASAP Ferg
Started his musical career in 2009 with A$AP Mob. He calls his career as a continuous hustle and struggle. This journey stands as the basis of his inspiration for his tracks.
Shelling out two albums and two mixtapes, ASAP Ferg managed to win a Rookie of the Year award in the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards.
An interesting note would be in 2017, where he sported a custom grill. Among the notable features of this piece of jewelry were the ruby fangs along with encrusted pink diamonds. The gem-encrusted grills amounted to about $10,000.
11. Paul Wall
To complete the list is the rapper known for celebrating the art of the grill. Throughout his career, Paul Wall had 10 studio albums and four collaboration albums.
What makes him iconic is not only on his tracks. It is more on the look he carries, with smiles covering the iconic grill tying into his identity.
Consult a Dentist Before Getting Fake Teeth
While the grill adds more on the rep you carry, it needs a proper look by a dentist. A properly-fitted grill may pose little risks. However, left unsupervised may pose problems for your oral health. You might end up facing risks like allergic reactions, especially from base metals.
Before getting grills or fake teeth, check a dentist near you.
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