Tupac's Ring Becomes Most Valuable Hip-Hop Artifact Ever Sold At Auction

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 20: Tupac Shakur’s Self-Designed Gold, Ruby and Diamond Sovereign Crown Ring, worn during his last public appearance in 1996, is displayed at Sotheby's on July 20, 2023 in New York City. The ring is estimated to be auctioned for between $200,000 - $300,000. Bidding, which is a week long, is open until July 25th. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
The late rapper's ring had a record breaking auction.

Earlier this week Sotheby's New York sold the most valuable Hip-Hop artifact ever sold at auction. According to People, the item was a one-of-a-kind gold, ruby, and diamond crown ring custom-made for none other than Tupac. While it was initially valued at $300,000 the ring ultimately tripled that estimate. When all was said and done it sold for a record-breaking $1,016,000. A statement made by Sotheby's about the ring reads “This one-of-a-kind, custom ring was meticulously designed by Pac and is among the final products of his boundless creative energy — a unique artifact from a period of time that is a testament to his enduring influence on Hip Hop.” The legendary rapper was sporting the ring during his last ever public appearance, at the 1996 MTV Music Awards.

Tupac has been back in the news recently as Las Vegas police have re-opened their investigation into his murder. He was shot and killed in 1996 and the investigation into his murder has technically been ongoing ever since. But recently the search has been reinvigorated. That resulted in police serving a search warrant on a house last week. They later confirmed to news sources that it was involved with the rapper's murder investigation. While nobody was arrested and nobody is currently in custody, it's the first piece of news surrounding the case in a while.

Tupac Ring Sells For Over A Million

On his new album Magic 2, Nas shared a story with fans relating to the legendary rapper. Late on the album he delivers a spoken-word outro on the track "Pistols On Your Album Cover." The story he tells is about the time he introduced Tupac to drinking Hennessy.

On a previous album in Nas' Kings Disease series, he interpolated a recording from a show. In the recording, he announces during the middle of a concert that Tupac has died. In the clip, Nas informs fans at the show while also paying respect to the rapper. What do you think of Tupac's ring selling for over $1 million at auction? Let us know in the comment section below.

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About The Author
Lavender Alexandria is a music and culture journalist based in Los Angeles, California. She’s covered dozens of musical genres and styles from the most mainstream to the most experimental and underground on her blog and accompanying YouTube channel that looks at music, pop culture, and Billboard charts since 2017: Lav’s Music Corner. Lavender has produced editorial and listicle content both in written and video form over the past far years and has also interviewed up-and-coming artists like Censored Dialogue. Her experiences covering culture have taken her from Hyperpop parties in LA to underground rap shows in Atlanta, to DIY punk shows in Charlotte. Lavender has also written for iHeartRadio, covering some of the biggest artists in Hip Hop such as Ice Spice, Drake, Doja Cat and Cardi B. She also has bylines with ScreenRant and continues to write for Ringtone magazine. Lavender is a lifelong Charlotte Hornets fan and her favorite rap artists include Clipping, Little Simz, Earl Sweatshirt, and Kendrick Lamar.
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