An Insider's History of The Iconic Roc-A-Fella Chain

It was always a proud moment, you know, I mean, it was almost like your older brothers knighted you. We all aspired to achieve it in one day and everyone earned it in different ways for complex news. I am Natasha Martínez, it is without a doubt. Rockefeller Records is forever etched in hip-hop

history

, the logo with the final album and the champagne bottle is immortal in the music world, only icons were part of Rockefeller Records, so it is fitting that only icons rock the network even though the record label officially closed. opened in 2013 jay-z made it clear long ago that rockefeller's legacy would live on rap in 2005 saying the

chain

keeps the gangs intact the group of people who wear a rockefeller

chain

around their neck is exclusive and like former Rockefeller employee working his way up the ranks from mailroom to intern to assistant in our everyday struggles.

Wano offers inside details on how someone gets a Rock chain. Here's a look at some of the most prominent people who were given a chain and some blank

history

. and it means a lot to receive one Rockefeller Records was founded in 1996 by Sean jay-z Carter Damon Dame Dash and Kareem Biggs Burke. It's hard to believe now, but back then Jay-Z had trouble signing with a label and was rejected. However, for many, those failures gave rise to the idea of ​​Rockefeller Records, whose success led to a lucrative deal in which he partnered with Def Jam Records and featured some of Jay's best work and some of rap's best artists. from the east coast as the first official signee to release Jay-z.

Reasonable Doubt, a debut album that produced several hits and gave Jay-Z a promising reputation. We now know that jay-z's goat status continued to rise after that first album and as the traction around him grew, so did the label and its roster over time, other Sinese. joined including Memphis Bleek beanie Sigel Freeway, DJ Clue Kanye West and Cam'ron just to name a few according to double XL Memphis is probably one of the first artists to receive a chain considering he was signed to a contract in the 1990s Freeway. 1990. He also received his After hiring in the early 2000s, everyone who had a Rockefeller chain was different circumstances, such as some people got a Rockefeller chain for making a hit record.

I think it was his. I think it might have been like after one didn't have a scammer, well no. It was after they did the hot 97 freestyles at that time. He did not have a close relationship with Rockefeller's hip hop duo, Young Guns. He remembered working with them and how Chris and Neath got their chains. Nev got his maybe two years. After Chris got his and they were in a group together, the reason they didn't give me his at the same time was because everyone should get comfortable calling him lazy, we started working on the chain of state ownership from gangs to albums and NIMH had like a lot of verses on there, he worked really hard um and from there I got the record can't stop won't stop came together and was nominated for a Grammy, you know they were going somewhere.

MJ and Chris got in the helicopter and Jay gave it to him while I was in a helicopter, but he ended up going like rose gold. He got the rose, well this rose gold was like the newest thing, so Chris is like Chris got his, like I said at a time when he was. in the studio working with jay-z oh and blueprints ooh, he was, I mean, he was there every day with Jay and Chris. I went through difficult circumstances where he had lost one of his friends and Jay Connor in that Tom really. I took him under his wing and he kept it with him every day and he was making a lot of music and then one day, you know he was listening to it, everyone who thinks they bought the game chain, thought he could have chosen. that one to take to the studio I think I took the chain from young Chris from Jacob, since Kanye got the chain from him while he was in Chicago and started as an in-house producer.

Wano says Kanye got the chain from him when Rock felt he was serious during his music video for Through the Wire Kanye showed the exact moment he was chained during a show. He was really sick with Kanye. It's as if no one had really foreseen what was coming for him. Know? When I left university. chain before he dropped out of college, he got it around the time he officially signed, which was I think it was like 2003, but I was in Chicago and I remembered I'm talking about this, I go, we're not going to give you his chain, they came out and created that moment, you know, and nobody forgot it, nobody forgot it.

Rockefeller truly works like a family, which makes it fitting that Beyonce has her chain too. Jay yelled at his lady during the PSA. my chain a few years later, Jay put more ice on Beyonce with a wedding ring as the fall of Rockefeller Records approached due to rumors of tension between Jay and Dame, other prominent figures received chains as well as LeBron James , according to Wayne, oh there were different variations of We know of the original Rockefeller and Rockland family movies, but there was one chain that was given presidential status depicted that never saw the light of day except for a select few , they were supposed to be doing something where they were going to give like a presidential position for the three biggest artists that at the time were being screwed, Memphis Bleek and Cameron, and they had made like a separate chain, another rose gold chain where It was, it was rose gold and it had black diamonds.

I never forget it because that's the first time I saw black diamonds J Damon Biggs, they altered it, I had it and it had names inscribed on it, ultimately the presidency didn't come to fruition and I remember Kanye got one of those alterations later As the moment he dropped out of his studies and gave me one of those changes, J Damon Biggs eventually went their separate ways, but the legacy they built lived on through the network and to this day people are still honored with him in 2014, Jay-Z. famously gave Rock Nation signee J Cole his original rock chain for his 29th birthday.

Cole hit the stage at Madison Square Garden with the piece performing "Can't Get Enough Mash" with J's Big Pimpin, who They joined him on stage to perform a public service announcement, but unexpectedly. stopped the show to make a special announcement first of all happy birthday to J Cole, it's his birthday but he has given gifts so I think it's only fair that you receive a gift that on your neck is my original Rock chain and another huge Rock is yours chain moment belongs to DJ Khaled Khaled signed with Rock Nation in 2016 with an exclusive management contract as Calots' manager Jay-Z gifted him his new sign, his personal chain saying I don't have an original one like zero, this is the last one. it's mine I have no other respect more recently in 2017 Big Sean received his rock chain after throwing it I decided Big Sean shared the image of him wearing the

iconic

ice on Instagram writing I hope he gave me this he told me I earned it As Big Sean was doing his press rounds, he stopped by the Breakfast Club swinging the chain and explained how Jay gave it to him.

I never thought I'd have a Rockefeller chain just to make it real, it was always one of those things growing up. I want a Rockefeller chain, it was like one of the most

iconic

chains for me as a kid, after saying that he felt the Rockefeller chain was second to none, he went into detail about how a regular conversation with Jay led to his dream coming true. Don't know. He remembers exactly what we said, but he suddenly hit me and said, "Do you know what size you want? What size chain are you looking for full size or medium?

I'm like full size and he gave it to me anyway and hit me." I like to go pick it up at the jeweler and it was like you earned it, man, long after Rockefeller Records, Jay-Z carried out his legacy by giving away chains to those who earned it, but the exclusivity hasn't been lost, all people with a chain are involved. Roc Nation in terms of business in some ways, after all, Jay-z is not a businessman, he is a businessman, that's all for now, but for more news like this, subscribe to complex on YouTube to receive complex news.

I'm Natasha Martinez.