Sotheby’s, one of the world’s largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewelry, real estate, and collectibles, will sell Notorious B.I.G.’s crown that was worn during his King of New York photoshoot.
The broker will hold an auction that will reflect how hip-hop has impacted art and culture over nearly 40 years. According to their press release, the event will also serve as the first hip-hop auction to be presented at a major international auction house. Monica Lynch, former president of Tommy Boy Records, organized the event.
Biggie wore the crown in his last photo shoot, just three days before his murder in 1997. Up until now, photographer Barron Claiborne had possession of the crown before offering it to Sotheby’s. Also included in the lot are three specially sized prints of the Brooklyn legend’s photograph, the 10th-anniversary K.O.N.Y. photograph, and the contact sheet, with an estimated value of $200,000 to $300,000.
In total, the auction will showcase over 120 items, including the archive of 22 autographed love letters written by 16-year-old 2Pac to Kathy Loy, his high school sweetheart and fellow student at the Baltimore School for the Arts. The letters are worth an estimated $60,000 to $80,000.
Part of the proceeds will go to the Queens Public Library Foundation, which will help support their Hip-Hop Programs and Building Beats, a nonprofit organization that uses D.J. and music programs to teach tech, entrepreneurial, and leadership skills to the youth.
Cassandra Hatton, Vice President & Senior Specialist in Sotheby’s Books & Manuscripts Department, released a statement calling the auction a “celebration” of hip-hop and its influence.
“Since its birth in the Bronx in the 1970s, Hip Hop has become a global cultural force, whose massive influence continues to shape all realms of culture: music, fashion, design, art, film, social attitudes, language, and more. This sale is a celebration of the origins and early eras of that influence. We are pleased to announce the auction with two renowned and beloved icons whose lives and lyricism continue to resonate—Biggie and Tupac—with lots that offer an introspective look, in their own way, at the personalities behind their respective public personas.”
The auction will take place on on September 15th in New York.
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