Tupac Shakur’s gold, ruby, and diamond crown ring, which he wore during his final public appearance, sold for $1 million at auction in New York on Tuesday.
The winning offer exceeded Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate of $200,000 to $300,000, making it the most costly hip-hop relic ever sold, according to the auction house.
The ring was worn by the New York-born rapper at his final public appearance on September 4, 1996, at the MTV Video Music Awards.
On September 13, he was shot dead by an unnamed assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. He was 25.
Shakur, whose hits included “California Love,” crafted the ring over a few months, according to Sotheby’s.
He did so through his godmother Yaasmyn Fula, who put the ring up for sale.
Shakur was influenced by the political manifesto “The Prince” by 16th century Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, which he studied while imprisoned on s** abuse accusations.
According to Sotheby’s, he based the design on the crowns of medieval European kings.
The ring has the inscription “Pac & Dada 1996,” a reference to Pac’s girlfriend Kidada Jones.
A diamond-encrusted gold ring holds a gold circulet with a central cabochon ruby surrounded by two pave-cut diamonds.
The auction was part of a dedicated hip-hop auction to commemorate the genre’s 50th anniversary, which occurs in August this year. Shakur is widely regarded as one of the best rappers of all time, having sold 75 million records.
He was a key role in the West Coast hip-hop culture in Los Angeles, which feuded with rival East Coast rappers in New York.His assassins were never apprehended, and rumors about who killed him have long circulated.
Six months after Shakur’s assassination, East Coast rapper Christopher “The Notorious BIG” Wallace was gunned down.Many believe they were murdered as part of a feud between their music labels, Death Row Records in Los Angeles and Bad Boy Entertainment in New York.
However, some music historians believe the coastal rift was exaggerated for economic purposes. Las Vegas police searched a home last week as part of their investigation into Shakur’s death.
In June, Tupac was honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, nearly three decades after he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting, How Africa reported.