Jesse James
Just three days before his untimely death, Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G. had his iconic “King of New York” photoshoot. The images from that shoot have become an important piece of hip-hop history, as is the crown he was wearing during the shoot. Since the photos were released 23 years ago, the crown has been in the possession of photographer Barron Claiborne.
Claiborne created the images and the shoot concept, elevating Biggie’s status in the rap game in the process. Now the legendary “King of New York” crown is up for sale. The legendary crown comes inscribed on the interior with “Crown from Biggie KONY Shot NYC 3-6-97.” It also features both Wallace’s and Claiborne’s signatures and will be accompanied in the lot by three 36″ x 40″ prints from the shoot. If that isn’t enough, the crown will also feature the contact sheet once it goes up for auction.
The Notorious B.I.G.’s KoNY Crown will be sold as part of Sotheby’s Hip Hop auction on September 15th. Take a closer look at the crown in the images below and head over to Sotheby’s to find out more about the auction right now. In the meantime, keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more from the intersection of lifestyle and entertainment.
Photos via Sotheby’s
