It's a NY respect thing...
That became a rap culture everywhere thing becaus at one time, NY life influenced hip hop culture heavily.
The whole I had to get such and such chain back for him, is another side of the NY shyt... supposedly showing how much power a person has in his hood.
But usually that part ain't happening.
U just ain't getting ur chain back...
Theres another part about a nikka being able to wear ur stolen chain, after he robbed u of it, around ur hood...
Smh...
wearing chains is an NY thing
Snatching chains is a LA thing
there’s a long history of that in Los Angeles, especially when traveling to a hood that’s not yours, tuck your chain or get it snatched, back then cats would have chains with their hood engraved, snatching somebody else chain was not only a come up but a direct slight at their hood
lot of these Crip hoods started off by taking leather coats by force, that eventually evolved into jewelry etc giving these hoods names like Rich Rollin referring to having paper from robberies and bank licks
the chain snatching culture in rap definitely came from Los Angeles, since it was a place of money and entertainment, local hoods would prey on entertainers and athletes.... there’s a old news story of the 60s robbing the old r&b group the commodores back in the day