PHOTOS: Jill Scott Rocks Dental Bling

Jill Scott hit the 2013 Essence Festival stage Friday night and like you'd expect she dazzled the crowd with her sultry voice and heartfelt tunes. But the Grammy Award-winning singer, who was dressed in a mint green jumpsuit and a colorful printed wrap, decided to add an extra dose of shine via a gold grill.

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"My grill is intended to be discreet," Jill said during a press conference after her performance. "It's there because I enjoy jewelry."

The glitzy dental accessories are adored by rappers not R&B songstresses like Jill. But we've gotta say, she looked dope with the flash of solid gold covering her bottom row of teeth. And the 41-year-old said she has several of the Paul Wall-designed baubles.

"I've been enjoying playing with fashion--gold grills and diamond grills have just become a part of that," Jill said.

And when asked what has influenced her style, Jill pointed to the movie classic "Mahogany." Taking cues from Diana Ross's glamorous portrayal of Tracy is way better than those Cirque Du Soleil-esque getups we've seen the "Golden" singer rock. Jill also made sure to shoutout her glam squad: stylist Steven Kinlock, and hairstylist Felicia Leatherwood

"I just think fashion is about enjoying yourself and being comfortable in your skin and allowing you to be you--all the way live," Jill explained. "I'm going to keep playing with it because it's a lot of fun. You'll see thirty different hairstyles, at least, in the next year."

We can't wait to see! Check out Jill's gilded smile in the photos below. What do you think of the look?

Shout out to @paulwallbaby for making my grillz. Love you bay pic.twitter.com/xGZYv5iLM1

? Jill Scott (@missjillscott) July 6, 2013

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Rainesford Alexandra: What the Bling Ring Asks: Do We Think We're Celebrities?

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Recently, I have become obsessed with some of Hollywood's most obsessive: The Bling Ring, the now-infamous group of California teens who launched themselves to stardom by burglarizing the homes of the likes of Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, and Orlando Bloom. There's been enough hype surrounding the Louboutin-wearing, Chanel-snatching brigade to produce a box office success, and the rumors run rampant about what, and even more intriguing, how much, the clique stole: About three million dollars worth in cash, drugs, and belongings. But compared to what they were really chasing, that was chump change. The Bling Ring wanted the lives of celebrities, and the wardrobe to match. They were obsessed.

But sitting there in the audience, watching The Bling Ring flaunt their stolen wealth via Facebook and photograph after photograph, I was left with a probing aftertaste presented in the form of a question: Are we all obsessed? With ourselves?

Aside from the carelessness and utter delusional the members of The Bling Ring operated under, I wondered how much their world mirrored the worlds of thousands of young adults across the country, simply on an amped-up, more diabolical scale. That's what stuck with me: Not what they stole, not who they were, but how much they had to say about it. And how they said it.

That, to me, was easily the most disturbing facet of the story. They didn't care if you knew about what they took from Paris'...they cared if you knew about them. Who they were. How they dressed. What they did. What they got away with. What they had to say. Burglaries and heavy drug usage aside, how are we much different?

We often stray from social media use to downright self-advertising, a line that becomes more and more blurred as technology advances. The benefits of the Internet and social media are virtually limitless; there are young artists, writers, athletes, and thinkers around the world who get their start learning the invaluable skill of self-marketing, something that could arguably benefit any future career endeavor. But where oh where is the space where we drift away from showing the best of ourselves to our "followers" and "friends" -- our work, our funniest anecdotes, our best stories -- to merely being obsessed with ourselves, and assuming everyone else is too?

Most would argue that celebrity enthrallment is now a cultural staple, something that fuels us and intrigues us, something we all engage in. That's true. But I would argue back that the standard for being a "celebrity" has sunk lower and lower, to the extent that our culture no longer idolizes celebrities; we act as if we are celebrities.

With the invention of Vine and the rise of the seflie, it is now possible for the formerly-average human being to become a walking, talking, posting version of US Weekly. Vine is essentially offering the opportunity for every user to produce their own 15-second reality show. Instagram lets users publicize a daily "Who Wore What" edition, outlining their every outfit and accessory. Twitter, slowly but surely, has led us to believe that our every thought must be interesting.

It sounds as though I am against social media, or making an argument against the use of it. I am not; you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and I am active on all three accounts. But I am curious about how we, as a collective whole, are using it. Some think that we're a population that looks at, and thinks about, ourselves far too much. But I disagree, and I don't think that's the cause of our obsession. I don't think we look at ourselves enough, and I do not mean through a filter on Instagram or in a full-length mirror.

We live in a world of trend and obsession. Not all these trends will be materialistic, just as not all obsessions are negative. Things with power, like social media, are a fascinating blend of virtue and vice: the ability to be an incredible thing or a profoundly bad one. But we live in just that: A world. A world of problems, chaos, and exceptionally bad things. That same world is also full of good, compassion, and notably amazing things. Through social media, we have the power to show who we are to the world. We have the power of our own self-image, but I think we forget to use it. Just as The Bling Ring fell so far down the rabbit hole of glitz and glamour that they seemed to forget their actions were illegal, we've gotten lost between ourselves and our celebrity-selves, the ones we show the world.

It's strange, because you can officially have a record without being arrested. Misunderstandings come and go, celebrity fades away, but social media is forever. And in a sense, so are we. When the whole world is watching... what do you want them to see?

Follow Rainesford Alexandra on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@Rainesford

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The Best Of The Real Alexis Neiers & Tess Taylor From 'The Bling Ring'

In this weekend's "The Bling Ring," audiences will get reacquainted with Alexis Neiers and Tess Taylor, the "sisters" who inspired Emma Watson's Nikki and Taissa Farmiga's Sam respectively in the the Sofia Coppola film. But in addition to all the Burglar Bunch drama, the girls made names for themselves on E!'s 2010 reality series "Pretty Wild."

The show, which Richard Lawson of Gawker at the time deemed "the worst television show ever made," only lasted a season (it was canceled reportedly due to photos that leaked of Alexis and Tess doing drugs). But it has certainly left a legacy.

From excessive Adderall ingestion to home schooling lessons about Angelina Jolie to the most legendary voicemail in reality TV history, relive some of the best (worst?) moments from "Pretty Wild," featuring then 20-year-old Tess, a model and Playboy Cyber Girl; then 18-year-old Alexis, a model and pole dancing, pilates and hip-hop instructor; then 16-year-old Gabby Neiers; and their mom Andrea Arlington, a former lingerie model, Tess and Alexis' manager, and a minister in the Church of Religious Science (a.k.a. The Secret), who inspired Leslie Mann's character Laurie in "The Bling Ring."

1. Andrea on home schooling ... about Angelina Jolie.
Best quote: "OK, the bod is not a characteristic." -Andrea

2. Andrea on her best advice.

(credit: notoriousgifs on Tumblr)

3. Alexis on preparing for court.
Best quote: "I'm so stressed. Can I have a 5 milligram Adderall please? Oh shoot, I dropped it down my crotch." -Alexis

4. Alexis on grocery shopping.

(credit: whitneyhouston on Tumblr)

5. Alexis and Tess on party planning.
Best quote: "This is my 16th birthday, not some kind of whore party!" -Gabby

6. Alexis on why she, and not Tess, should be in a video for rapper Mickey Avalon's "Rock Bitch."


(credit: crentistarchive on Tumblr)

7. Andrea and Gabby on mother-daughter bra shopping.
Best quote: "I'm going to try it on too, but I think maybe we should have matching bras!" -Andrea

8. Alexis on doing press.

(credit: kathybethterry on Tumblr)

9. Alexis on her side of the story (as told to Vanity Fair's Nancy Jo Sales).
Best (most foreboding) quote: "I feel like me and Nancy Jo, we really connected ... She understood my life and me." -Alexis

10. Alexis on going to jail.

(credit: femalevillain on Tumblr)

11. Alexis's lawyer on good news!
Best quote: "Oh, trust me. It's my life too." -Andrea

12. Alexis on the haters.

(credit: mavisgarys on Tumblr)

And ... we saved the best for last.

13. Alexis on Nancy Jo Sales, whom she confronts via voicemail. (This moment is also known as the infamous "Nancy Jo, this is Alexis Neiers calling" clip.)
Best quotes (because how can you choose?):
"Every time you yell, I have to f***ing re-record it!" -Alexis
"There's many things that I read in here that were false, like you saying I wore six-inch Louboutin heels to court with my tweed skirt, when I wore four-inch little brown Bebe shoes." -Alexis
"I am petrified -- petrified with this story." -Alexis
"That was beautiful."- Andrea

"Pretty Wild" is now streaming on Netflix.

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Emma Watson attends a screening of "The Bling Ring" on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actor Israel Broussard attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actress Claire Julien attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actress Taissa Farmiga attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actor Israel Broussard (L) and director Sofia Coppola attend 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actress Katie Chang attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actress Katie Chang attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actress Emma Watson attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Director Sofia Coppola attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actress Claire Julien attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actress Emma Watson attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Director Sofia Coppola attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actress Emma Watson attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Actress Emma Watson attends 'The Bling Ring' screening at Paris Theatre on June 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actor Israel Broussard arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actors Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, Claire Julien, Emma Watson and Israel Broussard arrive to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Director Sofia Coppola, director Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola arrive to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actors Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, Claire Julien, Emma Watson and Israel Broussard arrive to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Emma Watson arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actors Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, Claire Julien, director Sofia Coppola, actors Emma Watson and Israel Broussard arrive to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actors Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, Claire Julien, Emma Watson and Israel Broussard attend the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Claire Julien and actor Israel Broussard attend the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actors Gavin Rossdale, Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, Claire Julien, director Sofia Coppola, actors Emma Watson and Israel Broussard arrive to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actors Emma Watson and Israel Broussard arrive to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Katie Chang attends the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Paris Hilton and River Viiperi attend the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Paris Hilton and River Viiperi attend the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Paris Hilton and model River Viiperi arrive to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Claire Julien arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Claire Julien arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Taissa Farmiga attends the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Katie Chang arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Taissa Farmiga attends the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Director Sofia Coppola attends the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Katie Chang and director Sofia Coppola arrive to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Paris Hilton arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Paris Hilton arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Emma Watson arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Emma Watson arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Emma Watson arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Emma Watson arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Emma Watson arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Emma Watson arrives to the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at the Directors Guild Theater on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Claire Julien attends the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Paris Hilton attends the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Paris Hilton attends the premiere of A24's 'The Bling Ring' at Directors Guild Of America on June 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

British actress Emma Watson blows kisses as she arrives on May 16, 2013 for the screening of the film 'The Bling Ring' presented in the Un Certain Regard section at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes, one of the world's top film festivals, opened on May 15 and will climax on May 26 with awards selected by a jury headed this year by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE (Photo credit should read VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images)

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 16: (L-R) Actresses Claire Julien, Taissa Fariga and Katie Chang, actor Israel Broussard, actress Emma Watson and director Sophia Coppola attend 'The Bling Ring' premiere during The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2013 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 16: (L-R) Director Sophia Coppola, actor Israel Broussard and actresses Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Taissa Fariga and Claire Julien attend 'The Bling Ring' premiere during The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2013 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

British actress Emma Watson blows kisses as she arrives on May 16, 2013 for the screening of the film 'The Bling Ring' presented in the Un Certain Regard section at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes, one of the world's top film festivals, opened on May 15 and will climax on May 26 with awards selected by a jury headed this year by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE (Photo credit should read VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images)

BLACK AND WHITE VERSION British actress Emma Watson poses on May 16, 2013 as she arrives for the screening of the film 'The Bling Ring' presented in the Un Certain Regard section at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes, one of the world's top film festivals, opened on May 15 and will climax on May 26 with awards selected by a jury headed this year by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. AFP PHOTO / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT (Photo credit should read ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images)

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