2Pac’s custom ring is scheduled to go up for auction later this month at Sotheby’s New York. The ring is made of gold, diamonds, and rubies, shaped like a crown, and was created to honor his engagement to Kidada Jones. It’s estimated to bring in between $200K-300K when it goes up for auction on July 18. The ring will be displayed at Sotheby’s New York from July 18-24.
To celebrate Hip Hop’s milestone 50-year anniversary, Sotheby’s presents its third dedicated Hip Hop sale, highlighting Hip Hop’s profound impact on art and culture across five decades, from its inception in the South Bronx in 1973 through today.
2Pac wore the self-designed ring to the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards just days before he was shot. According to Sotheby’s, 2Pac typically wore the ring on his left ring finger. It will be auctioned as part of a special series in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop.
The ring is on offer from Yaasmyn Fula, the artist’s godmother who was one of Tupac’s most trusted advisors with all of his most important matters, including commissioning a new piece of jewelry to commemorate his achievements and usher in a new era of prosperity.
Featuring original art, historic studio equipment, sneakers and jackets, archival flyers and posters, rare artifacts, and more, the auction spotlights the iconic artists and trailblazers who defined not only the musical genre as we know it, but also the global phenomenon of Hip Hop culture spanning art, fashion and much more, including Tupac Shakur, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Ice-T & Afrika Islam, Fab 5 Freddy, Big Daddy Kane, Futura, Lee Quiñones, UNKLE, and Mo’ Wax Founder James Lavelle, among many others. The sale will be presented in collaboration with entertainment company Mass Appeal, which throughout the year has curated an array of programming as part of its Hip Hop 50 initiative.
