Hello, welcome to Complex. I'm here to share a secret with you: Rappers rap because they want to stunt. Of course, there are the rappers who are in it for the art and the storytelling—but you clicked on an article about chains clinking. Let's loosen up a bit.
Like I was saying, rappers like to stunt. And the best way to stunt is to talk cash money shit over shit you paid cash money for. It might happen while said stunting rappers are talking during an interview, like Soulja Boy in his now-infamous "bow bow bow bow bow" motivational speech (see: 2:52). All throughout the story Soulja tells, you can hear his pieces bang against one another theatrically, adding another element to the tale.
Chains have become the very essence of flexing in hip-hop, both visually and aurally. We see them, but rarely do we get a chance to hear them. Here, we've started a list of the best songs where you can hear the sounds of rich accessories. It should be noted, this is by no means a definitive list. Hit us in the comments and let us know more that we’ve missed.
Future, "My Collection"
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Super Future has at least a handful of songs where you can hear his chains saying hello. But for this feature, we have to go with the one where he actually acknowledges the noise. At 0:48 of HNDRXX's "My Collection," his chains make their first appearance. But it's at 1:00, in the middle of dropping personal bombs about his drug-selling past and drug-affected present, that Future literally says: "And these chains clanking back and forth, they too loud."
We know, Future. We know.
Ayo & Teo, "Rolex"
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Before the Ayo half of Ayo & Teo even opens his mouth to spit on their breakthrough single "Rolex," his chains start speaking on his behalf. They're present throughout his verse, starting at 1:59—but you don't hear a peep out of them during their spotlight moment, when Ayo brags, "Ice on my neck cost like 5K." A missed opportunity, but the chains assisted so solidly that it almost doesn't matter.
Lil Pump, "Iced Out" feat. 2 Chainz
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2 Chainz's name is 2 fucking Chainz. Of course his friends around his neck have made themselves known. And what better place for them to pop up than on a song called "Iced Out"? As soon as Tity says "Ice, ice, ice, ice, ice—freeze it," at 1:36, it's an automatic duet between him and his chains. They rustle back and forth for the first half of his verse, sending a good song into "great" territory.
Migos, "Pop Shit"
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The Migos have multiple ice collaborations on deck. The one we're featuring here is the most delicate stunt one could possibly attempt, and the pay off is so worth it. At 2:03, Offset eloquently asks, "I'ma glide on your bitch, do you hear me?" As he raises this very valid question, he rifles his set of chains, setting off a short but sweet wind chime-like effect. Do you feel that breeze, or is it just me?
Jay Z, "BBC"
21 Savage, "Bad Business"
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These days, 21 Savage thinks chains are out and financial literacy is in. His transition is an amazing sight to behold—something I never would have believed had you told me about it a year ago. But here's the thing about being a rapper: every viewpoint you've ever articulated is well documented, most of the time on wax. And in 21's case, his opinion of chains was made clear the moment he wore them during "Bad Business" from Issa Album. They pop up almost immediately, at :08, right around the time 21 says "Big dog, lil' bitch." The thing is, you can't hear the chains clinking throughout the song—but it makes sense if you've seen 21 in action. He's a relatively stationary character.
N.E.R.D, "Tape You"
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We admit, this one might be a stretch—mostly because of the kind of chain that likely makes an appearance. At 2:15, the slightest chain jingle occurs while Pharrell sings the hook of "Tape You" from In Search Of. Scientifically speaking, 2001 was a modest era for chains—they were just starting to really take off. Combine that with the almost hollow sound of the chains, and one might be led to believe that it's a wallet chain or another kind of accessory chain hip kids wore on their person back in the day. Either way, a chain is a chain. (Ayo Pharrell: let us know if we're right.)
Bonus: DMX, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
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That brings us to our bonus chain-clinking shout-out: DMX. The Dog had his day when he stopped by Power 105.1 in 2012. They printed off the lyrics to childhood favorite "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," asked him to give it a go, and the rest is history. DMX has since released his own official cover, but for years, the only version we had to feed our souls was this off-the-cuff remix, complete with so much enthusiasm it sent his chains a-jangling.
This is what it's all about, folks. The pure, unbridled joy chains bring rappers, and rappers bring us.
