Old school hip hop will be at the forefront of the Sotheby’s auction on September 15, as legendary items integral to the culture are placed on sale at the world-famous auction. Some of the more noteworthy items on sale include Notorious B.I.G.’s (aka Christopher Wallace) “King of New York Crown” and some letters written by the beloved Tupac (2Pac) Shakur.
The “King of New York” crown was immortalized by the rapper and photographer Barron Claiborne, who captured the rapper wearing the crown only three days before his murder on March 9, 1997. This crown was signed by Claiborne and Wallace and has remained in Claiborne’s possession ever since. This iconic image has been featured on numerous magazine covers, mixtapes, t-shirts and murals across the country. This item is expected to go for $200,000 to $300,000 at the auction
“I’m very excited to share this iconic piece of hip-hop history with the public,” Claiborne said in a statement recorded by NME. “The image transformed Biggie Smalls into an aristocratic or saint like figure, forever immortalised as not only the King of New York, but a king of hip-hop music and one of the greatest artists of all time.”
The 22 love letters written by Shakur were sent to Kathy Loy during their time as a couple at the Baltimore School for the Arts in the late 1980s. These letters document the beginning of their relationship all the way until their eventual break-up, along with a letter of regret sent a year later. These letters discuss Shakur’s doubts about succeeding in a hip hop career and also contain references to his classmate and future actress Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Some of the proceeds from this event will go toward the Queens Public Library and the Building Beats non-profit. Some of Shakur’s classic work with Death Row was recently re-released on Bandcamp as part of a fundraiser earlier this year.
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