Drake bought Tupac Shakur’s Crown Ring at a recent auction at Sotheby’s in New York. Drake, in addition to being a musician, is also involved in business and selling valuable works of art. The world-leading auction house, Sotheby’s, organized hip-hop sale on Tuesday, and sold the ring $1.02 M.
Drake Revealed as Buyer on Instagram
Sotheby’s estimated ring’s value at $300,000, but the ring managed to sell for more than triple its estimated value. Tupac’s gold, diamond, and ruby ring is the only piece of hip-hop jewelry to sell for more than one million. The identity of the buyer was not immediately known to the public, but Drake soon changed the situation when he published a photo of the ring on his Instagram profile.
Shortly after, Sotheby’s confirmed that Drake bought the ring, when they held a press conference on July 28. “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”, Sotheby’s global head of science and popular culture, Cassandra Hatton, said in a press statement.
“We’re thrilled that this exceptional piece has entered a new chapter in the hands of another legendary artist”, she also added. The ring is engraved with “Pac & Dada 1996”, indicating his relationship with Kidada Jones. The hip-hop musician’s mother, Yaasmyn Fula, decided to put the ring up for auction.
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Musician’s Curiosity for Collecting
Shakur designed the gold ring over several months after signing a deal with Death Row Records and serving eight months in prison. According to Sotheby’s, Fula said Shakur’s design draws inspiration from the crowns of the medieval kings of Europe. It is “an act of self-coronation” to celebrate his survival of a tough year. The rapper wore it during the MTV Video Music Awards in New York in 1996.
It would be the hip-hop artist’s last public appearance before he was fatally shot in Las Vegas three days later. Even before, Drake showed interest in rare collectibles and art, chasing a LeBron James triple Logoman card for months. He collaborated with with Sotheby’s in 2015, and performed in Miami Beach during the 2017 edition of Art Basel Miami Beach.
He also invested $100 million in the restoration of the avant-garde carnival Luna Luna. An Architectural Digest profile in 2020 also revealed that Drake’s 50,000-square-foot home in Toronto features two sculptures by KAWS, an iteration of Lobmeyr’s iconic Metropolitan chandelier, and a bespoke Bösendorfer concert grand piano designed by the interior designer Ferris Rafauli and the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.
