Biz Markie's Fur Coat, 2Pac's Autographed Letters + Chuck D's Raiders Jacket Among Items Up For Sotheby's Auction
New York, NY – Sotheby’s Auction House has opened bidding on its latest Hip Hop collection. Curated by former Tommy Boy Records executive Monica Lynch and Cassandra Hatton, the collection includes several historic Hip Hop artifacts ranging from Biz Markie’s golden sable fur coat and hat and famed B-Boy Crazy Legs’ adidas track jacket to Chuck D’s original Raiders jacket (autographed) and a DJ Quik gold record for “Quik Is The Name.”
According to an Instagram post from the National Hip Hop Museum, the auction is part of Pop Culture Week. As the caption explains, “This March, Sotheby’s is thrilled to present its first ever Pop Culture Week featuring Hip Hop which celebrates the art and objects that have been inspired by and that have in turn inspired contemporary culture.”
Bidding is currently open and expected to close on March 30.
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Sotheby’s held its first Hip Hop auction in September 2020 and fielded numerous offers on 120 pieces of memorabilia — from original Beastie Boys’ Licensed To Ill Tour posters and vintage Hip Hop flyers designed by Buddy Esquire and Van Silk to Salt-N-Pepa “Push It” jackets and Slick Rick’s multicolored diamond eye patch.
Most notably, the crown The Notorious B.I.G. wore for his iconic “King of New York” photoshoot for Rap Pages in 1997 sold for over $500,000.
Sotheby’s tweeted a photo of the item and Biggie wearing the crown with the caption, “#AuctionUpdate Following a bidding battle, one of the most iconic symbols of Hip Hop’s heyday: the crown worn and signed by Notorious B.I.G. from #BarronClaiborne’s iconic 1997 ‘King of New York’ photoshoot for Rap Pages Magazine soared to $594.8k.”
The auction also netted over $126,000 for the Rammellzee vs. K-Rob “Beat Bop” 12” vinyl with Jean-Michel Basquiat artwork, while Tupac Shakur’s love letters sold for $75,600. Check out the current collection here.