Lil Uzi Vert has finally decided to let fans know why he bought his $24 million pink forehead diamond. Uzi first revealed the 10-carat gem at Miami’s 2021 Rolling Loud Festival, and ever since, fans have wondered why he purchased the absurd accessory. However, he did once let his followers know.
In a 2023 interview with fashion magazine 032c, the emcee (real name Symere Woods) unveiled that a child’s cartoon inspired it. The ‘XO Tour Lif3’ musician explained that from a young age, he has always been a fan of Cartoon Network’s ‘Steven Universe.’ Detailing how it inspired the diamond, Woods highlighted that his favourite character from the show was Steven Quartz Universe.
However, one of the defining features of Steven is that he had a pink quartz stone in place of a navel. Still, Woods didn’t want a navel piercing but desired something more visible, so he opted for a forehead piercing. Elaborating on his love for the show, Uzi explained: “I used to watch this show called Steven Universe, and one of the characters in the show had a pink diamond in his belly button. I didn’t have my belly button pierced, so I decided to put it on my forehead.” He concluded: “That was my favourite cartoon. It’s really that simple.”
When Uzi first revealed his look in 2021, hip-hop figures weren’t too keen on what many considered a highly bizarre and oddly feminine look for a rapper. The choice of colour was off-putting for many, and how it appeared embedded into his head disturbed people. Furthermore, Woods would often embellish the stone with fake blood. Many fans and onlookers began to speculate if it was associated with a type of religious, spiritual or even satanic regime.
Furthermore, questions were raised concerning whether it was actually inside his head. However, speaking to GQ magazine, Sean Dowdell, who assisted Woods with the piercing, explained how it was attached and revealed that by “using small metal posts with a thin, wide base that gets anchored under the skin”, one can achieve Uzi’s aesthetic. Dowdell later confirmed the Eternal Atake act had what is called a microdermal or transdermal implant.
Upon revealing the inspiration behind the gem to 032c, the Philadelphia artist also got asked if there was any hesitation before he decided to change his pronouns to They/Them, to which he responded, “No, I never hesitated. But I did take my time to learn as much as I could about this before I was able to proceed. Taking the time to figure out who you are is a big part of what it means to be alive.” He continued, “Once you figure out whether you’re here with it, there with it, or both, you’re not alone anymore.”
The Philadelphia rapper is currently on tour, touring across 6 countries with several dates in Europe including London’s Wireless Festival. The ‘Money Longer’ lyricist will also be performing a 20-city North American tour.
