100 Most Influential People in Fashion

Fashion Influential #98: Eddie Plein

Flavor Flav in 2008 Vh1 Hip Hop Honors - Arrivals

Flavor Flav attends the 2008 VH1 Hip Hop Honors at the Hammerstein Ballroom on October 2, 2008 in New York City. (Getty Images)more pics » EDDIE PLEIN
Born:
Dutch Guiana, Surinam
Famous grills:
OutKast, Goodie Mob, Ludacris, Lil Jon, Slick Rick, Kool G. Rap, Kanye West, Cam'ron, Nelly
Price of a grill:
From about $50 up to $30,000
Beginnings.
Eddie Plein decided to go to dental school after he had a broken tooth fixed in South America. Ten years later, he opened Eddie's Gold Teeth in Atlanta. He made gold crowns for rapper Flavor Flav in the mid-1980s; from there, his business boomed, with other rappers and hip hop stars asking for the same thing.

Career Highs.
After Flavor Flav, Plein created grills for Big Daddy Kane, Just-Ice, Outkast, Ludacris and Lil Jon, to name a few. The stars wore their grills in music videos, performances and public appearances, and as a result, the grill trend spread across different races and sexes. Even stars like Johnny Depp and Kendra Wilkinson of E!'s "The Girls Next Door" hopped on the grill train.
The last couple years have been about the ‘ice age’, you know what I’m sayin’? Everybody wants ice. And I’m kinda tired of it a little bit. But I put the teeth into hip-hop, you know what I mean?
- Eddie Plein

Grill master Eddie Plein.
Career Lows.
Predictably, the American Dental Association had to comment on this fad, claiming in 2006 that grills could cause allergic reactions, gum disease and cavities. Also, in the early 2000s, jewelry makers started selling universal-fitting grills which were more convenient and more affordable than the original, giving custom grill-makers like Plein real competition.

Legacy.
Plein says it best himself in the quote above: he put the teeth into hip-hop. Through his musical clients, Plein created a standard in the hip-hop industry that was not only a fashion statement, but a status symbol. Since custom grills like the ones he makes are very expensive (Plein charges a minimum $100 per tooth), only the incredibly wealthy could afford them. Much like gold chains and other "ice," grills are an audacious statement, a way for these guys to flaunt their monetary success.

Rapper Nelly showing his grill.
Get the Look.
With grills, a good guideline is to choose one that's as outrageous as possible. If you have the cash, pick a metal like gold, silver or platinum, and you can also ask for precious stones like diamonds and emeralds to be included for a truly indulgent statement.

- Olivia