When Timbaland posted a clip of Sailorr performing her viral single “Pookie’s Requiem” on Instagram last year, the majority of the comments had nothing to do with the music. Instead, everyone was discussing what was in Sailorr’s mouth. The Vietnamese-American R&B artist chooses to wear black grills to honour the Vietnamese tradition of nhuộm răng đen – the practice of teeth blackening. In a world where teeth are increasingly expected to be straight, white and uniform, the sight of Sailorr’s black grills came as a shock to many and the post was filled with comments calling her teeth rotten, saying she was guilty of cultural appropriation, and asking ‘what’s up with her mouth?’
Teeth blackening has been practiced for centuries across different cultures and countries, including China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as parts of northern Peru and Ecuador. The Japanese take on teeth blackening, ohaguro, where the teeth are blackened using a mix of iron filings and vinegar, has been around since 11th century, while in Vietnam, nhuộm răng đen can be traced back to the Hùng King era, 2879-258 BC.
“The practice was deeply spiritual and was said to protect a person from supernatural entities, as white teeth were associated with underworld ghouls and spirits,” explains Lenora Huỳnh, a Vietnamese-Canadian archivist. “Women with pale skin and black teeth were deemed as beautiful, feminine and elegant and it often signified their coming-of-age or was practiced by affluent women who could afford the various lacquer dye ingredients.” Ingredients used to practise nhuộm răng đen ranged from ant wing nectar powder, charcoal powder, beeswax and betel (or areca) nuts and the process could take several days.
While the tradition began to die out in the 20th century, it still survives in some areas, mostly practiced by older women and so, for Sailorr, black grills have become a way for her to pay tribute to her family and heritage while updating it for the modern era. “My dad’s mum has black teeth. I always thought she looked so striking and pretty, even when there were people around us that didn’t fully understand the custom,” she tells Dazed. “To me personally, having black grills gives me femininity, strength and protection. It reminds me of all the women that came before me, and the tribulations they had to face in order for me to live the life I have now and it makes me grateful that I get to express my culture in my own way while paying homage to all the women in my community, as well as to the place I call home – Florida.”
For Huỳnh, Sailorr’s decision to wear black grills is a way to bridge the gap between Black American beauty culture and her Vietnamese heritage. “Grills have long been associated with hip-hop culture as a way of asserting one’s social status, wealth and self-expression. And even this practice dates back to the Ancient Etruscans (circa 800-200 BC) who adorned their teeth with gold as a sign of wealth,” she explains. “There’s an interesting relationship and history between Black American culture and how Vietnamese immigrant culture has contributed to beauty in the music industry. I personally believe that black grills can be a fashion accessory. However, the intent behind wearing grills and adorning black teeth determines whether someone is culturally appropriating or appreciating.”
It’s not just Sailorr modernising the teeth blackening tradition, Japanese-American rapper Molly Santana often wears black grills, as does Qui Yasuka. Like Sailorr, the Japanese-American dancer and model wears black grills to pay homage to both her Japanese and Black heritage. Yasuka’s father is from the suburb of Alief in Houston, Texas, an area known for jewellery, grills and slab culture – centred around custom cars and hip hop – and her mother is Japanese. In a TikTok video pinned to her profile, Yasuka breaks down the origins of the word ohaguro and says that the first time she wore black grills on her feed, it got a lot of hate but also a lot of love. “Mixing the iron filings and vinegar together was essentially a dental sealant that also signified wealth, status, grace, beauty and royalty.” Yasuka also shares that she always dreamed of getting her first set of grills from Johnny Dang, a well-known Vietnamese jeweller based in Houston whose clientele includes rappers Paul Wall and Megan Thee Stallion.
Brooklyn-based grills artist Ava María of BITTER000000 says she’s excited about how these historical forms of adornment are finding new relevance. “I think it’s interesting to see more grills trends arising from ancient jewellery and dental references. Dental adornment has been popular around the globe throughout history; from drilling out teeth to implant small stones, to lacquering them red to prevent decay. I hope to see more creative projects in the future.”
Whichever way you look at it, it’s looking like Sailorr – and her jeweller, Cedric Mahaffey in Atlanta – will have the last laugh. In a recent video on her Instagram the rapper said, “Everybody called me a yuck mouf bitch when I first dropped my song and now my jeweler is calling me saying he has an influx of orders for black grills…” Is the trend set be the next big thing?
