Tupac’s Crown Ring Sells for Record $1.02 Million At Sotheby’s Hip-Hop Auction

Sotheby’s in New York recently auctioned off a unique crown-shaped ring worn by the late Tupac Shakur just before his passing, fetching an astonishing price of nearly $1.02 million. This sale set a new record for the most valuable hip-hop artefact ever sold at auction.

The gold ring, adorned with diamonds and rubies, bears an inscription on its side that reads “Pac & Dada 1996,” symbolizing his engagement to actress Kidada Jones, as confirmed by Sotheby’s. The ring was provided to the auction house by Yaasmyn Fula, the godmother of the renowned rapper, who revealed that it was custom-designed for Tupac in New York City after his release from jail and his signing with Death Row Records.

The creation of Tupac’s gold crown ring was a product of his vivid imagination, meticulously crafted to meet the icon’s precise specifications. Inspired by Niccolo Machiavelli’s political manifesto “The Prince,” which influenced him during his incarceration and led him to adopt the moniker “Makaveli,” Tupac fashioned the design after the crowns worn by medieval European kings in what he described as an “act of self-coronation,” as disclosed by Fula according to Sotheby’s.

The rapper proudly wore the ring on the ring finger of his left hand during his final public appearance on September 4, 1996, at the MTV Video Music Awards, as documented by Sotheby’s. Prior to the auction, the ring was expected to fetch between $200,000 to $300,000, but its ultimate selling price far surpassed those estimates.

The auction at Sotheby’s also included other hip-hop artefacts such as letters from Tupac and a demo tape of his single “Trapped,” all commemorating the 50th anniversary of the musical art form. Additionally, memorabilia from other pioneering figures in the genre, such as Mos Def, De La Soul, and Wu-Tang Clan, were also part of the event.

Apart from the auction’s success, Tupac has been making headlines due to a recent search warrant executed by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at the residence of a man claiming to have witnessed the 1996 drive-by shooting that tragically claimed the rapper’s life, as reported by ABC News. Magazine articles relating to Tupac’s life and death were among the items confiscated during the search.