I need a girl with extensions in her hair, bamboo earrings, at least two pair. Rapper LL COOL J dropped that iconic bar in his 1990 hit “Around the Way Girl” and it was a time in hip hop culture that many women growing up in New York City felt seen. It’s no secret that NYC and rap music transcended fashion in a way like no other. As we pay homage to the genre’s 50th birthday, Simone Smith—the rapper’s wife and original around the way girl—along with her close friend and business partner, the Mary J. Blige, are dropping a limited-edition jewelry collection.
Both Smith and Blige grew up in New York City in the 1980s, the epicenter of hip hop and “Fly Girl” style, and the collection is a nod to classic rope and bamboo door knockers, but modernized with an added nameplate—‘Fly Girl’ and ‘Hip-Hop’.
“Hip hop is so important to me because it gave me my identity, growing up in the inner city and the projects. It was and still is a powerful way for us to express ourselves and understand other artists and rappers who MC through their experience,” Mary J. Blige shares. “Years ago people thought this genre would be extinct, but 50 years later it is still here and just as big as rock and roll.”
“We decided on these earring styles for Hip Hop 50 because these are the earrings that were the most popular—specifically the triangle hoops, that we call Tri-Bams—and the ones that every girl from the projects and female rappers wore,” she adds. “Hip hop culture always influences the designs for Sister Love, ad these are the earrings we wore growing up and are still wearing today.”
In addition to the special earring drop, Smith has also created several accompanying pieces for the fellas. With her husband serving as one of the collection’s models, men everywhere can also show off their jewelry style with a range of bracelets, pendants and more.
