Baller, not Humble. It’s an apt description for the foremost jeweler in the game. Since founding his company IF&Co, Ben Baller has been the go-to jeweler for hip-hop cognoscenti-and more recently celebrities in general. Your “favorite jeweler’s favorite jeweler,” Baller has climbed his way to the top of the chain game, one diamond-encrusted piece of bling at a time. With a laundry list of clients including damn near every famous person you can think of, Baller has built an unparalleled rolodex and parlayed a jewelry company into a full-on lifestyle brand including numerous endorsements, sneaker deals and even vape pens. From his fleet of exotic cars to his massive contemporary art collection, today nearly everything Baller touches turns to, well, gold.
That was not always the case. Born Ben Yang, Baller began his career in the music industry, first as a DJ then later as a producer working with Dr. Dre at Priority Records and eventually at Aftermath. Still, Baller felt stifled working for others. With a cousin and uncle in the jewelry business, Baller decided to finally work for himself in 2004 when he transformed his family business into IF&Co. Parlaying his music industry connections, personal style and family know-how, the untrained jeweler quickly became the most recognized name in Los Angeles, with clients ranging from Kanye West to Mariah Carey and Pharrell. Over the past 15 years, his client list has only grown more impressive. Whether it’s Lil Uzi Vert, Kid Cudi, Frank Ocean or John Mayer, if they need a chain, Baller is the first name on their list. More than just a purveyor of diamonds and precious metals, Baller is a lifestyle impresario, with a cult following who worship his style, vehicles, watches and, of course, his notoriously brash personality. We caught up with Baller to discuss his career, jewelry, streetwear and why he’s deciding to sell some of his more prized possessions exclusively on Grailed.
His sale, "Ben Baller Did The Drop," goes live on October 4th at 12PM PST/3PM EST. It's the only place to cop rare Supreme, Bape and more, directly from the jeweler's closet.
1 окт 2019
