You don’t have to be a hip-hop connoisseur to know that rappers take pride in their custom jewelry collections. Whether it’s a wristwatch, a grill, or a chain, many hip-hop artists hire jewelers to create elaborate baubles that are extremely personalized, and often outrageous in concept and size. These trinkets are somewhat reflective of their artistic and personal journeys, and act as a symbol of their success.

The chains worn by these fifteen rappers not only reflect their identities as artists — they also express idealistic childhood fixations. Though a rapper’s public image is often rooted in crowing braggadocio, it’s not uncommon for that same rapper to indulge his or her nostalgic childhood comforts in the form of extravagant jewelry.

Each of these fifteen rappers wear chains that depict fictional characters on them, whether it’s a player from a video game, a food mascot, or a cartoon character. For each, we look at the chain’s relevance to the rapper’s childhood, and the potential risk of the chain’s physical weight turning the rapper into a literal hunchback.

1. RiFF RAFF – Cheshire Cat (Alice In Wonderland)

Childhood Relevance Factor: 3 out of 5 Disembodied Cat Smiles
Hunchback Factor: 80% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“I can steal cookies from your daughter’s lunch / Red rubies on my chain look like Hawaiian Punch”
(“Hologram Benz”)

Diplo took a trip down the novelty-rap rabbit hole, and surfaced after having offered reality tv rapper RiFF RAFF an eight album deal with Mad Decent. RiFF RAFF had every reason to smile as wide as the Cheshire Cat when Diplo gifted him with this $45,000 chain.

2. Soulja Boy – Mario (Super Mario Brothers)

Childhood Relevance Factor: 4 out of 5 1-Up Mushrooms.
Hunchback Factor: 60% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“10 chains, 5 rings, I’m the Swag Daddy / Bitch is talking down, but I’mma swag gladly”
(“Swag Daddy”)

A big part of Soulja Boy’s public persona is linked to his love of nerd culture. Somewhat surprisingly, Soulja Boy has an affinity for video games and anime, as evidenced by his 1UP mixtape. If you listen to the terrible song “Retro Gamer,” it sounds like Soulja was distractedly playing Galaga when he should have been writing bars:

3. T-Pain – Kool Aid Guy

Childhood Relevance Factor: 4 out of 5 “OH YEAH!”s
Hunchback Factor: 75% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“And she’ll be waiting on me naked / With one of my chains on”
(“5 O’Clock” feat. Lily Allen & Wiz Khalifa)

The next time T-Pain offers to “Buy U A Drank,” just know that your options are limited to Blastin’ Berry Cherry, Rock-A-Dile Red, and Swirlin’ Strawberry-Starfruit.

4. Big Sean – Jesus (The Bible)

Childhood Relevance Factor: 3 out of 5 Hail Marys
Hunchback Factor: 20% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“Rainbow chain on my necklace look like a pot of gold”
(“Meant To Be”)

No disrespect to the believers, but since every rapper seems to be sporting at least one Jesus piece lately, we had to include ol’ J.C. on our list.

5. Petey Pablo – Brain (Pinky & The Brain)

Childhood Relevance Factor: 3 out of 5 of Pinky’s Remaining Brain Cells
Hunchback Factor: 70% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“Everywhere I go, I’m fresh and I’m clean / I got that man, sitting on my chain”
(“Everywhere I Go”)

That’s pretty cool, but it would be much cooler with a companion Pinky belly-button ring.

6. Gucci Mane – Bart Simpson (The Simpsons)

Childhood Relevance Factor: 4 out of 5 “Aye Caramba!”s
Hunchback Factor 90% Montgomery Burns

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“My chain, my chain, don’t you like my chain mayne? / Young Gucci Mane and I’m poppin’ off the chain, mayne”
(“My Chain”)

Gucci is probably the king of novelty chains, but his iced-out Bart Simpson is the coolest piece in his collection. If I was a wicked-famous rapper, I would probably get a chain made of Jebediah Springfield’s Hans Sprungfeld’s silver tongue.

7. French Montana – Stay Puft Man (Ghostbusters)

Childhood Relevance Factor: 3 out of 5 Proton Packs
Hunchback Factor: 20% Ectoplasmic Spine

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“I be hoppin’ out the ghost, five chains dangling”
(“Drop A Gem On ‘Em”)

From here on out, if someone asks you if you “stay puft,” just know that they’re asking if you have any cocaine.

8. Skool Boy – Frosted Flakes (Tony The Tiger) / Fruity Pebbles (The Flinstones)

Childhood Relevance Factor: 4 out of 5 Childhood Root Canals
Hunchback Factor: Full Quasimodo (100% Hunch Factor)

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“Check out my ice, I’m so icey”
(Rich Kidz – “My Life” Feat. Waka Flocka Flame)

For Skool Boy, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. He’s also got a wristwatch made of diamond-encrusted bacon strips.

9. Wiz Khalifa – The Zig-Zag Guy (Weed Paraphernalia)

Childhood Relevance Factor: 4 out of 20 Bong Rips
Hunchback Factor: 30% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“See how I landed? Big ol’ chain on / Tight-ass white tee, black chuck tays on”
(“I’m A Star”)

Leave it to Wiz Khalifa to express his love for marijuana in jewelry-form.

10. Tyga – Garfield

Childhood Relevance Factor: 3 out of 5 Arbuckles
Hunchback Factor: 60% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“Gold chains like Mr. T / Your girl’s face in my toilet seat”
(“T Raw”)

Do you hate Mondays? Maybe an $80,00 Garfield chain will cheer you up.

11. Waka Flocka Flame

The Pink Panther

Gumby

Fozzy Bear

Childhood Relevance Factor: 4 out of 5 Stolen Catchphrases
Hunchback Factor: 50% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“Waka Flocka Flame, you can call me Ric Flair / I’m rocking five chains and I’m lit up like a flare”
(“24 Hour”)

It’s only fitting that Waka Flocka Flame wears a Fozzy Bear chain. Now, if only we could see Fozzy retire his polka-dot tie in favour of a Waka Flocka Flame chain.

12. Yung Berg

Transformers

Batman

Childhood Relevance Factor: 3 out of 5 Autobots
Hunchback Factor: 80% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“Once it’s crackin’, it’s a chain reaction minus Yung Berg”
(Smoke DZA – “How Far We Go (Uptown 81)” feat. Kendrick Lamar & Mara Hruby)

Yung Berg had both of these chains stolen. UK rapper Rowdy-T took responsibility for stealing Yung Berg’s Batman chain, and had this to say about it: “I ain’t never been a fan of Batman, but I been a fan…of robbin’.”

13. Chris Brown – Kirby

Childhood Relevance Factor: 4 out of 5 Crystal Shards
Hunchback Factor: 60% Quasimodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“She said it’s nice to meet me / My chain is clear like Fiji”
(“Glitter” feat. Big Sean)

People seem to love Kirby, until they find out he beat Princess Toadstool into a bloody pulp.

14. Rick Ross – Meta “Boss Wearing Boss chain” Chain

Childhood Relevance Factor: 1 out of 5 Former Correctional Officers
Hunchback Factor: 70% Boss-imodo

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“I’m the king of diamonds, my chain still speaking Ebonics”
(“King Of Diamonds”)

How could we leave out the ultimate fictional character in hip-hop, Rick Ross himself?

15. Justin Bieber – Stewie (Family Guy)

Childhood Relevance Factor: 4 out of 5 Irrelevant Pop Cultural References
Hunchback Factor: 30% Herbert The Pervert

Definitive Chain Lyric:

“Justin Bieber chain same color as Christmas”
(Lil B – “Justin Bieber”)

Ok, what’s worse: wearing a chain with an iced-out Stewie Griffin, or including Justin Bieber on a list of fifteen rappers?