Rapsody + Simone I. Smith Debut Culture-Inspired Jewelry Collaboration
Artist Rapsody & Simone I. Smith debut a culture an inspired jewelry collection that is awe dropping. We had an opportunity to speak with them both about it and more.
1. Your collection celebrates the hoop’s significance as a statement piece, a memory, and a symbol of reclamation. Can you explain what that all means to you?
Hoops have always been more than just earrings to me. Growing up in Queens, they were a part of our culture and definitely a part of our style. And then hip-hop came along and took that love of hoops to another level. You saw our favorite female artists rocking big gold hoops, bamboo earrings and door knockers, and they became even more of a statement.
For Black and Brown women, hoops represent confidence, femininity, culture and pride. We’ve been wearing them forever. So for me, reclamation is really about celebrating something that has always been a part of us, owning it and continuing to tell our story through it.
2. Is there a particular story or interaction behind how this collaboration came to be that you would be willing to share?
Rap and I already had a genuine friendship and mutual respect for each other, so when she told me about God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops, I got it immediately. God is in all of us, and God and gold hoops? That was easy for me to understand! [laughs]
We both love jewelry, especially hoops, so the collaboration really made sense. It felt organic. It was two women who love the culture, love jewelry and love hoops coming together to create something special around this album and this moment in her career.
3. The collection features three distinctive hoop styles: the Raveen, the Coil, and the Heritage. What are the inspirations for each design and do you have a favorite?
All three designs were inspired by our culture, especially Black hair and the things I remember growing up with.
The Heritage Hoops incorporate cowrie beads. Cowrie shells have been worn in our hair and as jewelry for generations. Growing up for me, it was cornrows, box braids and beads. That was us. So there’s a lot of nostalgia and culture in the Heritage.
The Coil Hoops were inspired by those flexible hair rods we use in our hair. We took something so familiar to us and turned that shape and movement into a hoop.
And the Raveen Hoops are almost self-explanatory when you look at them. They were inspired by the old-school Afro pick. Even the name Raveen comes from the Raveen hair products we remember from back in the day.
So every hoop tells a different story, but they all come back to the same place—our Black culture, our hair, our beauty and the things we grew up with.
And don’t make me pick a favorite! [laughs] I’m a hoop girl. I love all three for different reasons.
4. “God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops” is Rapsody’s fifth album and this collaboration commemorates the occasion. In what ways do you feel this collection properly represents the message behind Rapsody’s music?
First of all, Rap is truly one of the ILLEST female emcees. Period. Her music has substance. She talks about who we are, where we come from, our beauty, our strength, our struggles and our culture. And she does it without compromising who she is.
That’s what I love about her, and I think that same energy is in this collection. These hoops are bold, strong, feminine and rooted in our culture. Just like Rap’s music, they tell a story.
And I love that with this collaboration, you can listen to the music and actually wear a piece of the story.
5. Are there any fond memories you are willing to share that contribute to your love of hoops and your pride in your own cultural style?
Oh absolutely. Growing up in Queens, being fly was everything! [laughs] We didn’t necessarily have a lot, but we knew how to put ourselves together. Your hair was right, your outfit was right and your hoops were right.
Then hip-hop became the soundtrack to all of it. The music, the fashion, the hair and the jewelry all went together. Door knockers, bamboo earrings, big gold hoops—that was our style, and we wore it proudly.
Those memories are a huge part of why I love hoops today. When I design, I’m still inspired by that girl from Queens and everything I grew up seeing and wearing. I’m just blessed that now I get to take those memories and turn them into jewelry for another generation.
6. Is there a significance to using gold as part of the design for the collection and if so, what is it?
Absolutely. Gold has always been a part of our culture. There’s something regal about gold—it represents beauty, value, strength and celebration. And when you talk about hip-hop, you can’t tell that story without talking about gold jewelry.
And for me personally, my faith is in Jesus Christ. That’s who I am and that’s the foundation of my life. So when you put God, an Afro and gold hoops together, I connected to it immediately. The afro and the gold hoops represent Black beauty, pride, culture and self-expression, and God is at the center of it all for me.
7. Do you have any additional thoughts or sentiments that you would like to share with us involving the future of this collaboration?
I definitely hope this is just the beginning. This collaboration is bigger than jewelry to me. It’s friendship, sisterhood, music, culture and two women coming together to create something authentic to who we are. I’m so proud of Rap and everything she’s doing. And I love when we can support each other, celebrate each other and create something meaningful at the same time.