Aunts, in China and even the world, is a very special existence, they are domineering and omnipotent, and they will inevitably usher in the attention everywhere they go.
In Chinatown in the United States, there is such an aunt, everyone in the American hip-hop circle knows and everyone knows.
When her name is spoken, the American hip-hop circle will tremble.
Some people think that she is another "godmother" who makes Americans crazy after the "old godmother" Tao Huabi.
It is also said that those with VA in their names are not easy to mess with.
Some people also say that in the "zero dollar purchase" (robbery) circle in the United States, there is a rule that does not become a rule, this Chinese aunt's jewelry store, you must not make an idea.
The New York Times, Vogue, and HYPEBEAST have all covered the legendary "hip-hop godmother."
If hip-hop people did not have a photo with this Chinese aunt, and did not consume hundreds of thousands of knives in her store, they would not dare to say that they were red.
This Chinese aunt's name is Eva Sam, the proprietress of Popular Jewelry in New York's Chinatown, known as A$AP Eva!
If you've ever met this Chinese aunt, it's hard to associate her with hip-hop, and her kind smile will only make you think that this is the lady of the Chinese restaurant.
Originally from Chaoshan Province, Eva Sam immigrated to New York in the 80s and ran a clothing business like many of the Chinese families who first immigrated.
At that time, American hip-hop culture was prevalent, and when it came to hip-hop, the first thing that came to mind was probably a group of black teenagers wearing exaggerated costumes, carrying large gold chains and gold rings, and singing songs that were difficult to understand.
Over time, the extremely pompous gold chain has become the most iconic item in the hip-hop industry.
The Chaoshan people's talent for business is obvious to all, and Eva Sam, who was only 26 years old at the time, had a keen eye for the demand for gold in the American hip-hop circle.
He borrowed $100,000 from relatives and opened a jewelry store called "Popular Jewelry" with his husband, who came from a family of goldsmiths.
The shop is small and inconspicuous on the street, but it is such a small shop full of gold necklaces and gold rings in various forms.
At first, the shop came to visit only a few Chinese, mostly to help buy wedding supplies or give gifts.
But Eva Sam never set out to open a modest gold jewellery shop, and her real career was just getting started.
Eva Sam does not just sell traditional gold jewellery, but rather develops new, trendy and distinctive jewellery to become an off-the-beaten-path jewellery shop.
At that time, there were many shops in Chinatown that bought gold jewelry, and if you wanted the store to survive, you had to find your own positioning and differentiate yourself.
Therefore, the gold jewelry produced by Eva Sam is a "hodgepodge", ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, all kinds of styles, walking into the store is either blinded by gold or dazzled by various styles.
Gold chains all over the wall, different styles, different thicknesses, different lengths and shorts.
Add Chinese elements to the tide and explosion, domineering and very personal leopards, Buddha statues, dragon heads and tai chi rings and pendants.
Western Christian elements adapted to local conditions and mythological characters come together.
Blingbling plus military elements collide with an alternative style, and the teenager with the second disease loves miserably!
There are also a variety of tailor-made and armed accessories to the teeth, large gold teeth, diamonds...
Not personal enough? You can also engrave "devil" on you, and no one dares to mess with you when you open your mouth!
Many people think that gold is very earthy, the so-called soil to the extreme is trendy, and some designs are even more exquisite and fashionable than the jewelry brands of international brands.
Eva Sam's accessories are popular not only for their variety and style, but also for their affordability.
With $10 in hand, you may not dare to walk into other gold stores, but in Eva Sam's store, you will find "miracles"!
Eva Sam's growing popularity began with the arrival of a young man.
The year after opening, in 1989, an "unremarkable" young man came to buy gold jewellery and took a photo with Eva as he left.
At the time, Eva didn't know where this spirit guy came from, but since he left the store, Popular Jewelry stores have become a hit.
It turned out that the young man was Cappadonna, a member of Wu-Tang Clan, the top group in the rap industry at the time.
Since then, Cappadonna seems to have become the "wild spokesperson" of Popular Jewelry's store, and more and more hip-hop people have come to visit.
To say how popular it is, the photos pasted on the walls of the store can be seen that this is simply a museum of hip-hop culture.
Many hip-hop people with names and surnames are Eva fans, Ayo & Teo, Tracy Morgan, CeeLo Green, Travis Scott... Countless of them have come here to take pictures with Eva.
Even Beyoncé, the diva of heaven, visited Eva to help make a necklace for the look on Formation's world tour.
If there's a "best friend of the brand" in Popular Jewelry, it's A$AP.
A$AP Rocky is said to visit 2 to 4 times a year for up to $100,000, and this is simply his happy home.
Not only that, most of the jewelry used in the A$AP Rocky shooting MV was designed by Eva herself, and the MV shooting of "Fukk Sleep" was directly moved to Eva's store, and even the lyrics mentioned "Go to Canal Street and ask for some classic-style gold chains..."
He really loves it!
Over time, Eva and A$AP Rocky formed a mother-son relationship, A$AP Rocky will also make a guest appearance as a "teller" when he is free, and Eva is also invited to become a supernumerary member of A$AP, and also likes to mention the title of 'A$AP Eva'.
Eva Sam and Popular Jewelry stores have completely conquered the American hip-hop scene.
The hip-hop three-piece set is: buy gold at Popular Jewelry, take pictures with Eva Sam, and help Eva Sam and Popular Jewelry with goods.
Soon, Eva Sam and her shop also became popular in the fashion circle, and many fashionistas also came, including Jerry Lorenzo, founder of the fashion brand Fear of God.
Trend brand Stussy asked Eva to design a gold necklace for spring/summer 2017.
A wide range of high-quality products, exquisite craftsmanship and exquisite design are just some of the reasons why Popular Jewelry stores have become popular.
More important is Eva's service attitude and sincere heart.
I have to say that Chaoshan people are really good at doing business, from the service process to the added value are first-class.
In an interview, when Eva was asked why the store was so popular, she explained:
"Our superb quality service. I treat every customer who comes to shop in the store like family, and our products have reasonable prices. At the same time, I pay close attention to the real needs and wishes of our customers. ”
"We worked very punctually and quickly. Generally, other accessories stores take one to three weeks to pick up the order. We sometimes ship overnight, and rarely need to change it, and customers like to visit. ”
In the more than 30 years of running the store, Eva treats customers like her own children, not only with them, but also with some very down-to-earth advice in life.
Drink hot water with honey and lemon, drink mung bean soup, eat a Chinese biscuit, and don't smoke. She also advised many "delinquent teenagers" to go the right way.
While these suggestions may not be adopted, it may be the first time that people who deal with the dark side of society all day have heard that someone other than their family cares about themselves.
You know, these hip-hop people are rebellious, eccentric, and alternative in the eyes of many people, and where else do you experience such care and care.
But in Eva, they are never treated as outliers, and this warmth has allowed Popular Jewelry to retain more and more customers.
Whenever a Rapper customer releases a new work, Eva also plays songs in the store or helps promote it on social platforms.
It's not so much that he conquered the hip-hop scene with his products, but that Eva attracted them with sincerity.
It is this sincerity that this unassuming little shop still attracts generations of hip-hop worship for 30 years.
Now 63 years old, Aunt Eva can be said to have witnessed the transformation of American hip-hop music from not being recognized to becoming the most influential music.
She has also witnessed many rappers go from obscurity to fame, and almost all hip-hop people regard her as a godmother.
In the year of flower armor, Eva also plans to retire and hand over the Popular Jewelry store to the next generation.
But her legendary experience has long been covered by major media outlets, and her story has influenced generations of hip-hop people.
Although she is not in the rivers and lakes, she still has her legend.
This Chinese aunt is really cool!
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