Sotheby's is set to host its first fully hip-hop auction, where some of the most iconic cultural pieces in music history will be up for sale.
Cassandra Hatton, a senior specialist at Sotheby's, organized the September 15 event and told Cheddar it's been in the works for seven years.
"It really started in earnest when I met Monica Lynch, who is formerly the president of Tommy Boy Records," she said. "We've hand-curated the sale, hand-selected each item, to help tell an overarching story about the culture."
The goal of the auction, according to Hatton, is to celebrate hip hop's cultural impact on the world. Likewise, Sotheby's plans to give a portion of the auction's proceeds to two programs: Building Beats, a youth program which uses DJ'ing to teach kids entrepreneurship and leadership, and other programs spearheaded by hip hop pioneer "Uncle" Ralph McDaniels at the New York's Queens Public Library.
So what will be hitting the auction block?
Among the items slated for sale are contemporary art pieces, music-related items, and fashion pieces. But, the auction's "crown jewel," Hatton said, is late rapper Notorious B.I.G.'s iconic King of New York crown, worn on the cover of Rap Pages magazine in 1997.
"It's the greatest object that I can think of in the category of hip-hop," she noted. "It's one of the most iconic portraits of all time. It's absolutely gorgeous and I think it's almost gained this religious symbolism. It's turned Biggie into an icon."
The auction will also include more than 20 love letters written by a then 15 or 16-year-old Tupac to a girlfriend in the late 1980s.
"I think the thing that really stood out the most was how respectful he was. How he really wanted to communicate and talk about the parameters of the relationship and define the relationship, that was very important to him," Hatton said.
While these iconic pieces of hip-hop history are for sale, it's hard to predict just how much they could potentially sell for since this is the first auction of its kind at a major auction house, Hatton explained.
"There are no market precedents and the best way to find out what something is worth is to offer it at auction where you have competitive bidding," she continued.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
