The crown worn by the Notorious B.I.G. in his last recorded photoshoot has sold for almost half a million pounds.
The plastic crown worn by the rapper in the iconic "King of New York" picture - three days before his death - was expected to go for about $300,000.
It fetched $594,670 in Sotheby's first-ever auction dedicated to hip-hop items.
The auction also included love letters written by Tupac Shakur at 16.
Described as "incredibly sweet and at times steamy" by the auction house, a total of 22 handwritten letters sold for $75,600.
The "King of New York" portrait may be famous now, but not everybody thought it would hit the heights it did. Diddy, who was Biggie's label boss and was with him at the shoot, was reportedly worried it looked more Burger King than hip-hop king.
The crown was signed by photographer Barron Claiborne and Biggie - who was shot dead on 9 March 1997.
Sotheby's senior specialist Cassandra Hatton told Reuters the crown "is one of the most recognisable symbols of hip-hop".
"Everybody around the world recognizes this crown. You see it on T-shirts. You see it on coffee cups and prayer candles. It's huge."
Comentarios