Johnny Dang - The Vietnamese-born jeweler king in the US, the father of "diamond-encrusted teeth" Grillz

Johnny Dang is not a strange name to famous artists in the US, as he is the "father" of Grillz (a set of gold crowns studded with diamonds and precious stones... teeth) of world famous rappers Kanye West, Lil Wayne...

Johnny Dang is a big figure in the jewelry world, especially with rappers. In music and popular culture, this name is also mentioned a lot through the hit songs of Migos, Gucci Mane, Lil Pump, Keith Ape, Chief Keef...Forbes even had an article. to explain what makes a Vietnamese immigrant so famous.

Watchmaker at flea market changed his life in America

Johnny Dang was born in Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province in 1974. As a teenager, Dang studied jewelry on the advice of his father, who came to the US in 1987. And nine years later, both Dang's family left Vietnam for the city of Houston, Texas under the guarantee.

"I don't know anything about hip hop," Dang told NBC News. The 47-year-old jeweler admits that the only thing he sees in Houston (USA) is a great opportunity to get rich. Dang was born in Dak Lak. In 1987, his father left Vietnam for the US. Previously, Dang's father had told him to learn more about jewelry. In 1996, father and son met again in Texas, USA."

It was my first time going abroad. When I saw a two-story highway, I couldn't believe my eyes," Dang said. Dang's relative has a small jewelry repair shop at a flea market in Houston, so he works as a watch repair assistant. page with a salary of only about 100 USD (about 2.3 million VND)/month, according to NBC News.

However, Dang quickly realized there are many differences between the way jewelry is made in the US and what he learned in Vietnam, according to Forbes. According to Dang, most jewelry in Vietnam and Asia is usually made by hand, while the jewelry manufacturing industry in the US is more automated with modern equipment. After arriving in the US, Deng quickly taught himself how to use these new tools.

With his industrious and hardworking nature, Dang opened his own small jewelry store in 1998. In the first 6 months, he made a profit of $500. Johnny said "my customers are very loyal, they have been with me since the beginning of my business, it is thanks to the prestige and devotion that I always keep in mind".

Four years later, Dang's big break came when he ran into Paul Wall at a flea market in Houston and collaborated with the famous rapper, according to Forbes.

At that time, grillz (tooth jewelry) became a global trend with rappers. Wall went to Dang's shop and was impressed by how to make grillz without grinding his teeth - a style that was not really popular at the time.

With his connections and knowledge, Wall brought Deng deeper into the hip hop scene. On the other hand, thanks to the influence of Wall, many rappers also come to the shops of Vietnamese-born jewelers. Their partnership lasts until now.

According to NBC News, rapper jewelry is a big lucrative market. In this industry, fanfare is unlimited and that drives product prices to skyrocket.

In his more than 20 years of career, Johnny has served thousands of clients, including some of the world's biggest artists. American media called him "jewelry king". Every day, his production facility serves from 200 to 450 customers around the world, in 2015 Johnny fulfilled his dream when he put into operation a jewelry center with a total area of more than 12,000 square meters in Ho Chi Minh City. Houston, Texas.

The jewel king of the country of chess always brings surprises

The idea from a Vietnamese gold-plated tooth made him decide to create a special jewelry - "jewelry for teeth". Johnny said, "In the past, Vietnamese people used to cover their teeth with gold to protect their teeth and beautify their teeth as well as to keep their possessions, America is a multicultural country, Africans and Asians all have a culture of dental crowns. gold, and most importantly, if you have an idea, want to make it happen, and are willing to work hard for it, you're bound to succeed."

According to Forbes, Dang's success comes from a constant innovation mindset. The jeweler's unique ideas and ability to keep up with fashion trends have helped his clients make a mark in the rapper world.

From day one, Dang wanted to create "one-of-a-kind" items. He uses round diamonds or diamonds of strange colors to make items. Customers, especially rappers, when wearing them will become "brand ambassadors" for Dang.

The name of Vietnamese-born jeweler Jonny Dang suddenly "pops up like alcohol" when he and Wall and rapper Nelly collaborated to release a song called Grillz in 2006. This song contributed to creating the trend of wearing Grillz in young people in the US and European countries. Orders "flooded" to Dang and of course, revenue increased rapidly.

In 2019, the Vietnamese-born jeweler made rapper Quavo the world's first emerald grillz.

"As with any business, it's always important to bring something new to your customers. You have to make them want to come back. No one buys two exactly the same thing. If you buy a ring, except a couple ring, it doesn't matter. who wants them to look the same and so does grillz.

I have tested many styles of grillz, a few of these were successful. I still continue to do more research to know what the market needs. Constantly trying new things and learning more techniques is what makes it impossible for competitors to imitate me," Dang told Forbes.

Dang's loyal customers are superstars in the American music scene such as Kanye West, Jay Z, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Cardi B, Rick Ross... It seems that in the hip hop movement, artists often flaunt expensive jewelry and accessories.

Even they are willing to pay very high prices to get personalized products, with their own colors. The dental crowns that Johnny Dang sells range in price from $300 to $200,000, with the most expensive being crafted from high-quality diamonds. Besides dental crowns, his other jewelry is also favored by many rappers.

The Vietnamese-born jeweler shared with the Houston Chronicle that music stars often love dental crowns to film MVs or touring. He even completed an order from Beyonce overnight. He also appeared in the MV of rapper Nelly or DJ Khaled... The American press even called Dang "the king of jewels".

Currently, Johnny Dang's business has more than 50 employees specializing in handling orders, helping him quickly complete products. Dang's net worth is estimated at 27 million USD (about 626 billion VND).

Working rules shape success

One of the things that made Deng famous in the world was his manners. Deng believes that celebrities and ordinary people should not be distinguished, both in terms of price and waiting time.

A long line of celebrities booked an appointment to have jewelry from Dang's store. However, he trained his staff to treat all customers like celebrities. This fairness helps Dang's shop have loyal customers for more than 15 years.

On the other hand, Deng also removed the idea of "eating money" from the famous world. He is adamant not to increase the price of his products just because the customer is a celebrity.

"Some craftsmen will double charge for a $30,000 piece just because they know the customer is a star. I'm not. They're all my regulars. You shouldn't charge a customer double for that. is a celebrity," he said.

Today, Johnny Dang owns one of the most famous jewelry store chains in the US. But it seems Johnny is a very humble person. Despite being a supplier with relationships and serving most of the top stars, the real name Johnny Dang is rarely heard outside of the elite. Johnny has always been the one who worked hard behind the scenes.

In an interview, when asked Johnny Dang about his hometown, he said "I miss and love my hometown very much, that's where I was born, all of you, if you have a chance, come to Vietnam once to feel your child. people and culture here".

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