'King of bling' Jacob Arabov jailed

By Iain Mackenzie
Newsbeat's US reporter

Arabov began his career on a market stall in New York

The man who makes ‘bling' for some of rap's biggest stars has been jailed for his part in a drug ring.

Jacob the Jeweller – real name Jacob Arabov – has supplied jewellery to the likes of Jay Z, Fifty Cent and Pharrell Williams.

A judge in Detroit sentenced him to two-and-a-half years for falsifying documents and lying to federal investigators.

The 43-year-old was arrested in 2006 as part of an investigation into the Detroit-based Black Mafia Family.

The BMF ran a massive drug-running operation during the 1990s.

They were regular customers at Arabov's Manhattan jewellery store.

Arabov was originally charged with helping them launder $270m of drug money.

Those charges were dropped in October 2006 after Arabov agreed a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to lesser charges.

As his sentence was handed down, Arabov (who is originally from Uzbekistan) said: "I am ashamed that I broke the laws of this country. A country that has been good to me.

"I will carry this shame for the rest of my life."

Arabov began building his jewellery empire in his teens, selling his creations from a market stall on the streets of New York.

Famous for his diamond-encrusted watched and necklaces, he has become known as the jeweller to the stars.

His nickname, Jacob the Jeweller, is mentioned in tracks by many artists, including Kanye West, The Game and Beyonce.