Grill (jewelry)
In hip hop culture, a grill (most commonly referred to as grills or grillz), also known as fronts or golds, is a type of dental jewelry worn over the teeth. Grills are made of metal and are generally removable. They began to be worn by hip-hop artists in New York City in the early 1980s, and upgraded during the 1990s in Oakland. They became even more widely popular during the mid-2000s due to the rise of Southern hip hop rap and the more mainstream pop culture status hip hop attained. Characteristics and wearer demographics Grills are made of several types of metal (often silver, gold or platinum) that are sometimes inlaid with precious stones; they are generally removable, though some may be permanently attached to the teeth. Gold grills can be made from 10-karat, up to 24-karat gold. The gold can be tinted yellow, white and rose color. Grills can cost anywhere from one hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on the materials used and the number of teeth covered. As of 2006, grills were most often worn by 18- to 35-year-old African-American male hip-hop listeners. Grills received mainstream attention, including on network television, when, during the 2012 Summer