Spotted: Kris Wu, Chained Up in Chinatown

Well a week or two have passed since we talked about Kris Wu, and to be honest we were getting kind of ancy. Then the world dropped a shining gem on our laps: it was Kris Wu’s icy new diamond Cubans.

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A post shared by 💎POPULAR JEWELRY💎 (@popularjewelry)

Ok, so he’s not wearing it all in the picture. Our picture up top was admittedly a little misleading. But according to the caption, Kris is now the proud owner of “several” new diamond Cuban links, and that’s something to be excited about.

A Cuban link, if you aren’t in the loop, is a type of chain made extra famous by members of rap group Wu-Tang Clan. Kris must be a big Raekwon fan, because he chose to get his Cubans at the same store Wu-Tang gets theirs.

Macklemore and A$AP Rocky are among Popular Jewelry’s numerous celebrity clientele.

Popular Jewelry on Canal Street in New York City is nothing short of an institution. The jewelry store was opened in 1988 by Chiokva Sam (Kris Wu’s arm candy above) after moving Stateside from Macau. Later, Popular Jewelry got its first buzz after it was discovered by Wu-Tang. It quickly became the group’s go-to outlet for jewelry.

And word spread — today, Popular Jewelry is a favorite spot for rappers from Travis Scott to Macklemore to Jaden Smith, and has been covered by major media like the New York Times and the New York Post.

Circling back, we see why Kris couldn’t go elsewhere for his Cubans. Popular Jewelry is a pioneering symbol of China-hip hop crossover. An immigrant from Macau finds sudden fame as a street savvy supplier of bling for a group of kung fu-obsessed rappers — a fame that has since put her in demand with hip hop fans of all colors, all the way to the Macklemore end of the spectrum. So for Kris Wu, a relatively new hip hop artist with a fervent desire to capture the elusive “Chinese style” of rap music, there was only one choice.

Here, have some more Kris Wu:

Tone-deaf Kris Wu Vocal Track Ravages Chinese Social Media

Article Jul 27, 2018

Kris Wu Drops Patriotic Single “Chinese Soul” Ahead of “Rap of China” Return

Article Jul 12, 2018

Kris Wu’s 5 Worst Freestyles, Ranked

Article Jul 06, 2018