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Kanye West made a decision to transform his smile into a work of art, said to hold more value than diamonds.
The rapper took to Instagram Story on Wednesday (January 17), to show off his new grill, which appears to have drawn inspiration from the James Bond villain, Jaws.
Kanye West’s Unique Smile
The father of four shared a follow-up screenshot of the character, who appeared in the films ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ and ‘Moonraker.’
While fans would’ve probably assumed these to be nothing more than a set of grills you can take out whenever you like, the Daily Mail claims otherwise.
While we all know that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, in this case, it seems Kanye has found a companion in titanium. The strength and durability of this metal are unmatched, just like the controversial rapper himself.
The publication reports that Ye had his actual teeth removed to accommodate the titanium dentures, rumored to have cost him around $850,000.
Dr. Thomas Connelly, whose dental office is located in Beverly Hills, perfected West’s desired smile, with one source revealing that the implants are much more expensive than diamonds.
Kanye west has removed his teeth and replaced them with titanium dentures pic.twitter.com/bHYxhUOPmI
— 🌕 (@alilmoonn) January 17, 2024
“Ye was a pleasure to work with every step of the process,” Connelly told the news outlet. “His vision for designing unique art transcends the dental progression. The marriage of his vision with dental science has created a new look that is epic!”
Kanye West’s Long-Standing Love For Grills
While his new smile already has fans buzzing on social media, West’s love for grills seems to go beyond their aesthetic appeal and represents an aspect of his identity.
Grills have long been a part of hip-hop culture for decades, symbolizing success and status, according to High Snobiety.
Deeply rooted in this culture, West has consistently embraced grills as an important element of his artistic persona throughout his career.
For instance, during an appearance on ‘The Ellen Degeneres Show’ in 2010, he sported a diamond-encrusted grill that was suggestive of his successes.
At the time of their chat, the former talk show host quizzed West about his sparkly smile, per the New York Post.
When Ellen Degeneres asked, “You just put it on top of your teeth?” West replied “No, It’s, like, replaced my bottom row of teeth. I guess there’s just certain things that rock stars are supposed to do.”
[THROWBACK]
KANYE ON THE ELLEN SHOW IN OCT. 2010 TALKING ABOUT HIS ‘DIAMOND TEETH’ pic.twitter.com/0U2yGqyJkM
— GoodAssSub (@GoodAssSub) January 17, 2024
The rapper’s fascination with grills also reflects his desire to gain (or regain) control over his own body.
Ye could be making a statement of individuality by choosing to adorn his teeth with grills in a world where publicists and stylists often tightly control the appearances of celebrities.
Roomies, would this be something you’d consider if you had close to a million dollars to spare?