Drake Purchased Tupac Shakur’s Crown Ring for $1.01 Million and Made Hip-Hop History in the Process
usmagazine.comMove over “Hotline Bling,” because Drake has a new piece of jewelry to admire — and it’s the iconic ring that wasowned and designed by the late Tupac Shakur.Drake, 37, purchased the one-of-a-kind bauble during Sotheby’s Hip-Hop Auction earlier this month. “UTOPIA out now meltdown,” he captioned a Friday, July 28, Instagram Story photo of his new accessory while promoting fellow rapper Travis Scott’s latest LP.The ring — which featured gold, rubies and diamonds and sold for $1.01 million — was auctioned off by Sotheby’s earlier this week thanks to Tupac’s godmother and trusted advisor, Yaasmyn Fula.
Drake’s bid made the ring the most valuable hip-hop artifact that has ever been sold at auction — and the only one that was purchased for more than $1 million.“This one-of-a-kind, custom ring was meticulously designed by Tupac 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 both Hip Hop and global contemporary culture,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Global Head of Science & Popular Culture, said in a statement on Friday. “We’re thrilled that this exceptional piece has entered a new chapter in the hands of another legendary artist.”Tupac, who died in September 1996 at the age of 25, originally donned the ring for his final public appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards.
The starring facet of the rock is the gold circlet, which is studded with a cabochon ruby and two pavé-cut diamonds to form the “crown,” which sits on a diamond-encrusted gold band.
The custom ring also features a “Pac & Dada 1996” inscription on the band, a nod to his relationship with his fiancée, Kidada Jones.Tupac designed the jewel for months in early
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