Drake Buys Tupac's Iconic Crown Ring For Over $1 Million

Tupac Shakur’s Gold, Ruby, and Diamond Crown Ring, worn by the music superstar at the 1996 Video Music Awards, sold for $1.01 million ($1.51 million AUD) this week at a Sotheby’s New York auction, making it the highest-selling piece of hip-hop memorabilia of all time. The auction house has since revealed that Drake bought the ring.

Sotheby’s called the sale “the most valuable hip-hop artifact ever sold at auction”, going above and beyond the projected estimate of selling at up to $300,000.

“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 and Popular Culture said in a press statement, via Consequence Of Sound and Digital Music News. “We’re thrilled that this exceptional piece has entered a new chapter in the hands of another legendary artist.”

Picture via Drake’s Instagram Stories

Sotheby’s confirmed that Drake bought the ring after the Hotline Bling rapper showed it off in his Instagram Stories while promoting his collaborator, Travis Scott’s new album, Utopia - Drake has an uncredited feature on Sirens and provides vocals on Meltdown.

Tupac’s godmother Yaasmyn Fula offered the ring (designed by the All Eyez On Me star himself) for auction.

READ MORE: Tupac homicide investigation sees police search Las Vegas home

A few weeks ago, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department issued a search warrant in the suburb of Henderson in relation to the unsolved shooting death of Tupac.

The stunning development arrived nearly 30 years after the influential rapper was shot in the same suburb in September 1996.

“LVMPD can confirm a search warrant was served in Henderson, Nevada on July 17, 2023, as part of the ongoing Tupac Shakur homicide investigation,” police said, per CBS News. “We will have no further comment at this time.”

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lieutenant Jason Johansson told the Review Journal, “It’s been a while” since the shooting ended Tupac’s life at 25. “It’s a case that’s gone unsolved, and hopefully, one day, we can change that.”