Before the standard for chalice-flexing was set at stacking styrofoam cups, there existed a more eye-catching display of luxury beverage containers; the “Crunk Cup.”
Known to some as a “pimp cup,” the handheld piece of art was invented by Debbie “The Glass Lady” Harrison. A Chicago native, Debbie had an affinity for making jewelry and glass-blowing and created the ornate goblets that became popular in the early and mid-00s.
In the pimp era of Snoop’s career, he spent much time with a self-proclaimed pimp, Bishop Don “Magic” Juan. Hailing from Chicago, Bishop introduced Snoop to the custom cups he had commissioned from Debbie. Snoop began getting his own customs, rapped a line referencing the grail as a “pimp cup,” and the name stuck from there.
Though Snoop Dogg was one of the first to incorporate these cups into his image, plenty of other rappers were purchasing their own custom designs from Debbie the Glass Lady. None, however, had done more to popularize the cup than the King of Crunk, Lil Jon.
At one point, Lil Jon owned over 200 custom Debbie pieces, with one of the more iconic appearances being on the “Kings of Crunk” album cover. Lil Jon was at the height of his career, and as his music and the Atlanta scene excelled, so did the cups he carried everywhere with him.
As the trend grew, more personalities were seen in public with their own crunk cups. Eventually, criticism surrounded Debbie and her cups for appearing to promote pimping due to the popular term for the pieces. The desire for designer cups has since dwindled from the mainstream, but they are still a staple at Bishop Don Juan’s annual Player’s Ball, and it seems to be a rite of passage for one’s rap career.
Who knows, the desire for an iced-out cup may triumphantly return to the mainstream one day, and Debbie will be ready for that moment.
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