The blazing Nigerian sun beats down upon the backs of workers. They diligently sift through the water in search for what society labels as "bling" or "ice." A corrupt militant group will often mistreat workers who were usually kidnapped and forced to labor for little to no pay. When a diamond is found, the laborer then surrenders his findings to the military leader. They in turn, sell the product and obtain all profit without any regard for the workers. Although not all diamond manufactures acquire diamonds through illegal means, many manufacturers do. This process allows the manufacturer to save money, therefore resulting in a heftier profit. Money in our day and age seems to signify much about a person’s status in society. For example, jewelry seems to be a growing trend among famous singers and artists. One only has to open the latest issue of Vogue or People magazine to see the unbelievable displays of diamonds from draping earrings and broaches to diamond studded grills. Rap stars and hip hop culture in particular have taken heed of the new trend and have even made their own name for it: "BLING BLING". It can be agreed that diamonds are beautiful, but how far and at what cost will society go for beauty and status? If indeed hip hop culture has crossed the line of integrity it has been founded on for so many years, then can this in fact mean that hip hop has "sold out"?
The media has made it quite easy to gain access to the lives of celebrities. It has become obvious that a guilty pleasure of celebrities is jewelry; not just any type of jewelry, but the finest jewelry from platinum to diamonds. In a reading by Anna Elizabeth Moore entitled "Black Market," she explores the marketing world and its methods on obtaining underground trends. She defines "selling out" as the exchange of money for trends or characteristics of the underground. Despite this, it is hard to define selling out when marketing has transformed and developed drastically over time. She...