You may have heard of Ben Baller and his big personality.
The jeweler to the stars has worked with everyone from Paris Hilton to Pusha-T and everyone in between. He is currently the star of his very own television show, Ben Baller’s Insane Bling, where we get a chance to see Ben’s interaction with the celebrities he encounters. The most recent episode features Rob Kardashian and can be seen below.
VIDEO: Pusha-T Gets Some New Ice From Ben Baller During Premiere Episode Of “Insane Bling”
We managed to get a chance to speak to Ben about everything from his new iPhone to his new baby boy. Have a look at our exclusive interview with the King of Bling right here.
I hear you got that new iPhone 5. How’s that working out you?
It’s been beautiful, you know. They sent it to me so it’s been like fantastic, so…They gave it to me a day early too. They gave it to me on Thursday. It was pretty cool, you know.
How’d you end up getting into doing a show?
Wow. This is a long one. I had a show on network TV. On FUSE. And FUSE TV – they lost everything. They lost their funding. They lost the whole nine. So, they got bought out by, I think it might have been Viacom or MTV. So, they got bought out. So, as soon as we got our show, we did a pilot and our show just got green lit for a series. At the time it was about the fifteenth person that approached us – So, you know, we had a big show, and the company went down, and I said, “You know what?” – I didn’t get discouraged I was just like, “You know, my business is successful now. I don’t really need it. I’m not really trippin.’”
And my manager is like, “Nah, fuck that! You need to go out there and, you know, people need to see you, you know? It should be done.” And you know, we had people like Paris Hilton and Fabolous ready to be on the show and I was just like, “Man, I’m just like over it.” And then he found us a home with one of the biggest executive producers in all of Hollywood, Ben Silverman, you know, executive producer of “The Office,” “The Biggest Loser,” VH1’s “Mob Wives.” You know, huge shows. So at the time Google bought 100 channels on YouTube and they spent a hundred-fifty million dollars – and they started launching these premium channels. People were putting content on it and everyone from Nicole Richie to different people. And every networks have their own little channels like the National Geographic, the History Channel and Bravo. So, there’s a channel that they own called “Loud” and they were the first channel to launch so we did full production television shows. In fact, when I was on the network, my shows weren’t shot with as big of a crew or as professionally as my show now is. So, people think, “Oh, you’re on the internet.” No, dude, we shot for real, you know what I mean? Like, we got a camera crew, sound, two or three camera guys, you know? We had – I mean – professional team, you know? I had, a real soundtrack. All our scoring was done by The Stereotypes. They’re multiplatinum, Grammy award winning producers. So, you know we went full blown. The shows did really well and debuted number one. It was the biggest show in the channel’s history so far, debut wise. They have like seven or eight shows on the channel.
Do you ever want to do a full length show? Because we feel like at the end of six or seven minutes, we want more!
We shot 30-minute shows – well, technically 22 minutes and then 8 minutes in commercials but it all get edited down to what you see and split up amongst episodes.
But, it’s hard to do a 30-minute show on the Internet, you know what I’m sayin’? So, these are like seven minute – this show today was supposed to be eight and a half, ten minutes but I don’t know, a couple things may be wrong on the internet and it got cut down. But, on average, we’re like about eight to ten minute shows and these are basically like eight to ten minute commercials for each one of for my business. Basically, just a bunch of big commercials to, promote my brand.
Speaking of your brand, you’re a jeweler – jeweler to the stars – how’d you get into jewelry… because I know you started with music?
Started in music, but my cousin was doing jewelry and, they say I talk too much or whatever. And my uncle had started a business, 35 years ago and then my cousin didn’t want to do anything else, so he went in and started doing the business with my uncle. And then he started when he was 12. So, he got his GED and said, “Man, fuck this! I’m about to be a jeweler.” He started running my uncle’s shop and basically, when he was 18, he started running everything and then after a certain point, my uncle was kind of just there and, he’d break him off a little bit. So, my uncle taught me a lot of the pointers in the game. My cousin taught me a bunch of things. And everyone was kind of self-taught. None of us went to school for it. My uncle is a better jeweler than, 90% of the people who work at Harry Winston or Tiffany & Co.
We just started and I just think I blew them away with my marketing and everything and then I started understanding the craft, how to make things, how to set stones, how to put fire to, you know, to a welding machine, everything. And, basically, after that, you know, my uncle just said, “I’m just gone. I’m done. Just break me off here and there. I’m done with the business. I don’t want to deal with this.” All he does is go fishing now. Me and my cousin, you know – my other cousin – we just do our thing, you know?
Oh man, you know I been grindin’ for years, you know? This show and where I’m at today is like 20 years plus in the making.
Speaking of jewelry and teaching yourself, have you ever gotten a piece that someone else wanted you to make that you just thought was way too overboard and you weren’t able to do it? Or is it always pretty doable?
Yeah, I mean, overboard as far as work? No. There’s nothing I could ever not do. But, Lil’ B The Based God, he wanted me to make a chain that said “Faggot” and I just couldn’t do it, dude. Number one, the budget wasn’t like exactly the greatest and number two, you know I got a lot of gay people I work with and other people. You know, my sisters are fucking huge in the fashion world. I just couldn’t, you know what I mean? It’s like whatever. I have nothing personally against any of them and even if I did, I don’t need, you know, the fucking world coming – That ain’t even promotion I need so, it just was stupid. I thought it was ridiculous so I didn’t want to do it.
I got you.
That’s a perfect question. No one ever asked that ever to me. No one’s ever asked that question at a hundred interviews I’ve done with every major media. So, that’s perfect you asked that. It’s fucking hilarious.
Do you think that coming from LA has kind of helped you with the whole jewelry business because you’re in like a – Where are you located in LA?
We’re not necessarily in a humble location. We’re in a really really crazy infamous hood location. We’re in the Slauson swap meet. We’re in the Slauson Supermall, which is like world-famous, you know what I mean? Every rapper from Dre to Snoop and all the classics, you know, they talked about it. Even the OG hip-hop dudes, from Ice-T and all them, they talked about it. People forget that the amount of rent cause the same rent as Supreme does, as Diamond Supply, as Crooks and Castles. My rent is expensive there, you know. It ain’t like it’s cheap.
We’re still in a mall. We still have a lot of foot traffic, but I’m more of a diamond concierge, you know? We decided not to be in the diamond district because there’s just too much competition over there. Even though we shit on them anyway, it’s just so much haters? It’s like walking down the track and seeing a bunch of ugly ass bitches and seeing one bitch and it’s like even if the pretty bitch might get picked up every single time, you know you got a bunch of motherfuckers like, “Hey, come here! Come this way! Hey!” It’s just like horrible, you know. It’s like – It’s so not worth it, you feel me? So, it’s like we’re good where we are. We almost moved to Beverly Hills, but the recession hit and I just didn’t want to sign the 10-year lease at sixty-grand a month. It just didn’t make sense at that point, especially since I’m still in it without that. But, you know being in LA doesn’t really matter – because you know I lived in New York for a couple years, I’m bicoastal and New York just wasn’t going to be where I wanted to be. New York was the Mecca. That’s where it started, like the custom jewelry shit and everything that we’re known for. But really, no one in New York could even fuck with me, so it doesn’t matter where we are, you know? I got clients from, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Tokyo and all over the place.
You brought up Supreme and Diamond earlier. I know you’re big into sneakers & the whole kick game, right? So if you had one pair of sneakers to wear, if everything got lost and you only had one pair, what pair would you want that to be?
Well, I mean, what does that mean though? Like am I wearing that every single day?
Alright. Give me your top 5.
My top 5? I would say the Jordan I – the OG. Nothing after that. No retro. Not even the original retro, you know, the one that was like ’94 or something. No, just the original 1985 Jordans. Maybe the 1986 Jordan AJKO with the canvas, the original one. I hate the retro shit. And then it would be a toss up between the III and the IV – Jordan III’s and IV’s.
You know, I love the Vans, the authentics. That’s just my go-to. That’s one of my favorite every day, just unbelievable shoe, you know what I mean? And then in a way I’m kind of boring, man. I’m endorsed by Supra and I love all their shoes, but to say all time favorite is a strong word. You know, currently I really love a lot of their shoes they have there, but to make it a all time favorite is tough. You know, I haven’t worn a pair of Nike’s in eight years. I wore one pair just because, you know, Nike was being nice and they sent me something. And I was the biggest Nike person, or the most famous at least, for a long time. So, it’s hard to say but those are definitely up there. The I, the Jordan III, the IV, and the Vans. – I like the Christian Louboutin shoes a lot, but they’re just too goddamn…They just became too trendy in a bad way almost.
I saw you got a lot of KAWS stuff. Man, I’m a big KAWS fan, myself. Do you have a favorite artist? Is he your favorite artist?
He’s probably my favorite. You know, I’ve known KAWS for like 15 years now. So, you know, I definitely was put up on him early. But, it’s between him and Murakami are my favorite living artists, you know? But, you know, I’m a giant Warhol fan. You know, I own a few Warhol’s. I’m a giant, you know, Basquiat fan. I love Keith Haring. I love a lot of pop art. There’s some other artists that I like, in different ways. But, you know, KAWS is definitely more up my alley. And plus, you know, he’s a cool dude and I know him.
What is an average day for Ben Baller like?
Well, average today? Because – I just had a baby so, I mean now that I have a son my whole life has changed. I can’t even leave the house as much. It’s not about having a baby sitter or anything, it’s too early for me – I don’t even want to have a nanny for the first year. I don’t really trust anybody with a newborn. It’s just I’m so particular, you know?
How different is it, now that you got somebody else to totally take care of?
It changed my life from the moment I had him. Like, straight out the womb right there in the delivery room, it changed my life at that moment. Everyone says, “Oh, I have kids…” You never understand it. You can raise a kid from even six months. You can take care of someone else’s kid. It’s not the same until that genetic DNA is right there in the room. You see it coming out. You created that baby. And it’s crazy, but, you know on a regular day basis, since I have a baby now, everything is more handled through second hand. I have to have a handle a lot of things. But on a regular, on the west coast, I wake up at about eight in the morning I get up. The first thing I do is I check my phone. After that, I go upstairs to my office. I check out some emails. I follow up on what I have to do that day and everything else. I start on my blog if I have a couple entries. I look over some pictures and start editing a few things. I start going over some designs on photoshop, taking care of things like that and then from there, almost every day like routine, I go to the bank. I usually go to the bank and I’m either making a deposit or I’m making a withdrawal. I’m always at the bank. Then, from there I go to my personal office, that’s in my store and I see what kind of deliveries and other things there are. I leave there, make a couple rounds of some of my endorsements, which is Supra and Diamond Supply Co. I check out my things with them. See what’s going on. Have a quick little chop-up with them. Then, I finally get into my store around twelve or one o’clock. And unless I have delivery, I go to my store, and I’m there usually about two hours. Never there any longer because being at my store ends up being a distraction for people there. People just go there just, not even to buy jewelry, they just come there to just talk to me. And it’s kind of ends up being crazy. So, I go down there and handle all the business. Like, I take care of – I look at the books. I take care of whatever, any finishes I need to make up on something. Sometimes, I need to make corrections on pieces that are being made. I oversee what’s going on from there, you know, the whole nine. And then from there, I leave. I usually do all my meetings unless they go in between. Like, you could have a client that you have to meet, that’s got to do something or whatever. And then, just to avoid traffic, I try to get home around five o’clock. And then, when I get home. All over again, you know, I’m on the blogs. I’m on the emails. I’m on everything all day long, just checking shit. And then, basically, always looking for any inspiration I can for a new piece of something else.
Oh, I also did have one question about your Hypebeast essentials.
Oh, man, that was legendary.
Obviously, you don’t carry all of this with you all the time, right?
Yeah, no. When I said essentials, I meant there’s essentials I have to have and then there’s like things need for work – see, when I had the gold coins it was because I do have to melt gold every single day and I do have to transport it ‘cause I have to use it, you know? And it’s currency. It’s my trading chips here and there. But, for the most part, real shit, I carry that in my backpack almost every single day.
Except my guns. Those are locked crazy you know what I mean? But, I carry two guns. I have one in the trunk of the car and then I have one that I carry on my person.
It’s nuts man. People freak out. They’re like, “You must be fucking crazy.” I mean, I wouldn’t have put Tums in there. I wasn’t trying to be funny. That’s what was in my pocket, you know? Like, I got Carmex and shit, you know, I got a sharpie ‘cause sometimes the pen don’t work. I want to write shit down. I keep my square. I got my iPad. You know, the battery wears out on my phone. I always have something and it was definitely a lot of shit in there, you know like – I don’t carry three watches with me.
