Audio By Carbonatix
The plastic gold colored crown that American rapper Notorious B.I.G wore on the last photo shoot before his death fetched $600,000 at the first-ever hip hop auction held by an international house, Sotheby’s said on Wednesday.
The auction was a celebration of the history and cultural impact hip-hop has had on art and culture from the late 1970s through mid-1990s, and up to the present, Sotheby’s said.
After highlighting sneakers and handbags in recent years, Sotheby’s in New York dedicated its September auction to hip-hop culture, featuring some 120 lots that included boomboxes, photos of Snoop Dogg and Louis Vuitton luggage.
The auction house has said it was the first auction staged by an international house anywhere devoted entirely to hip-hop.
The signed crown, which was just a plastic prop from a party shop, worn by the rapper in the 1997 “King of New York” photograph was offered on sale for the first time, and was expected to fetch $200,000 -$300,000 at the Sept. 15 auction, Sotheby’s had said earlier.
The New York rapper, also known as Biggie Smalls, was shot dead in Los Angeles at the age of 24 three days after the photo shoot as part of a feud between east and west coast rappers that also took the life of Tupac Shakur, 25, in 1996. Both crimes remain unsolved.

In the auction, a series of 22 love letters written by a 16-year-old Shakur to his high school sweetheart Kathy Loy between 1987-1988, were sold for $75,600.
The sale comprised of unique artifacts, contemporary art, photography, vintage and modern fashion, historic and newly designed jewelry and luxury items, rare ephemera including flyers and posters.
This follows the 270-year-old auction house’s recent forays into collectible sneakers, space memorabilia, pop music lyrics and designer handbags.
Latest Stories
-
JOY FM gave me the platform for my voice to be heard in Ghana and beyond – Reverend Sam Korankye Ankrah
31 seconds -
Our ambition is to win the WAFCON – Kurt Okraku
3 minutes -
IMF clarifies $214m figure as accounting cost, not GoldBod loss
7 minutes -
How Sedina Tamaklo misappropriated state funds leading to her 10-year jail term
17 minutes -
Community Police Assistant arrested over assault on patient at Assin Health Centre
32 minutes -
Connecting faith and music: Dennis Nii Noi’s impact on Ghana’s gospel scene
59 minutes -
CIB Ghana reinforces ethics, skills development as it charts 2026 growth
1 hour -
Ghana and Japan explore new investment opportunities at Accra B2B reception
1 hour -
Shatta Wale says he made $3m from music catalogue sale
1 hour -
APN launches logo design competition for “Make Africa Borderless Now!” campaign
1 hour -
Effective regulation and pricing frameworks of the NPA key to consistent fuel price reductions – Finance & Energy Analyst
2 hours -
UG SRC, GRASAG defend student levy increase to fund accommodation projects
2 hours -
Esther Smith refutes claims Pastor Elvis Agyemang charged for prayers
2 hours -
Seven canoes seized as Navy cracks down on fuel smuggling in Keta–Aflao
2 hours -
Energy Minister petitions IGP to probe alleged assault on ministry staff by police
2 hours
