Tupac, Biggie Memorabilia Up For Grabs In Queens Benefit Auction

QUEENS, NY — Personal items belonging to two rappers slain in their prime will be up for grabs next month at an auction benefiting Queens Public Library's Hip-Hop Programs.

In its first ever auction dedicated to hip-hop music, Sotheby's will sell more than 120 items — including those owned by Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. — on Sept. 15 in New York.

In a news release, Sotheby's said among the items to be sold is a crown worn by Biggie in a 1997 photo shoot in Los Angeles just three days before he was killed. The crown is autographed.

The Sotheby's sale also features 22 autographed love letters that a teenage Shakur wrote to his high school sweetheart.

All told, the sale includes artifacts from Hip Hop's "Golden Age," ranging from the late 1970s to present. The full roster of items had not been released as of Tuesday.

In addition to the Queens Public Library Foundation, some proceeds will also be donated to Building Beats, a nonprofit organization that uses music and DJ programs to teach underserved youth tech, entrepreneurial and leadership skills.

Sotheby's Books & Manuscripts Vice President and Senior Specialist Cassandra Hatton said the sale intends to celebrate the influence Hip Hop has had worldwide since it began in New York in the 1970s.

"We are pleased to announce the auction with two renowned and beloved icons whose lives and lyricism continue to resonate — Biggie and Tupac — with lots that offer an introspective look, in their own way, at the personalities behind their respective public personas,” Hatton said.

Auction items can be viewed by appointment in Sotheby's York Avenue galleries from Sept. 11 to 15 and online through Sotheby's digital gallery.