Sale Led by Rare Manuscript Booklet of Haikus Written and Illustrated by11-Year Old Tupac Shakur for his Godfather Jamal Joseph& Fellow Incarcerated Black Panthers Estimate $200/300,000

Also Features Original Art, Fashion, Photography, Hand-written Documents, Historic Studio Equipment & Important Artifacts, NFTs & Much More

Open for Bidding Online from Today – 30 MarchPublic Exhibition 26 – 29 MarchAt Sotheby’s New York

NEW YORK, 23 March 2022 –  Highlighted by an array of works on offer from some of the most legendary icons of Hip Hop, Sotheby’s unveils the full contents of our second-ever dedicated Hip Hop auction, open for bidding online today through 30 March. Titled The Art and Influence of Hip Hop, the auction spans art, fashion, photography, hand-written documents, historic studio equipment, important artifacts, NFTs and more, representing key moments from the late 1970s through the present, demonstrating the influence of Hip Hop on art and culture.

The selection is led by an unpublished booklet of haikus written and illustrated by Tupac Shakur when he was just 11 years old, on offer from his godfather, Jamal Joseph (estimate $200/300,000), a Black Panther activist who was gifted the booklet by Tupac 40 years ago while incarcerated with fellow Panthers at Leavenworth Prison, as well as a selection of love letters from Tupac to a cherished sweetheart, written at the age of 17 and just before rocketing to fame (lots 101-107).

A majority of the auction consigned directly from the artists on offer in the sale, including Chuck D, Jazzy Jay, Ice T + Afrika Islam, Bobbito Garcia, Crazy Legs, Sue Kwon, Roberto Lugo, Shirt King Phade, April Walker, Dan Lish, Danny Hastings, Danny Cortes, and Elena Kazi, as well from the Estate of Marcel Theo Hall (aka “Biz Markie”), and many more. In addition, works from the late Shock G of Digital Underground, MF Doom, and Ricky Powell will be represented.

The full Hip Hop exhibition, as well as the archive of the legendary birthplace of West Coat Hip Hop, Skateland U.S.A (on offer as a private sale), will be on public view in Sotheby’s York avenue galleries from 26 – 29 March as part of Sotheby’s inaugural Pop Culture week. The week will also feature a dedicated auction of Modern Collectibles.

Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Global Head of Science and Popular Culture, said: “Following the success of Sotheby’s historic first Hip Hop auction in 2020, our second sale in this series expands on the generational, geographic, and artistic scope of Hip Hop’s creative narrative. From the 70s to the present, from the East Coast to the West, The Art and Influence of Hip Hop seeks to represent and honor the voices and visionaries who continue to move the crowd and redefine culture.”

This years’ Hip Hop auction was once again organized in collaboration with Monica Lynch, former president of Tommy Boy Records (1981-1998), who helped launch the careers of legends Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Digital Underground, Naughty by Nature, House of Pain, among many others. She is widely recognized as a leading voice on the history of the culture, and has appeared in numerous documentaries and podcasts.

THE ART AND INFLUENCE OF HIP HOPAuction Highlights

TUPAC SHAKUR'S CHILDHOOD HAIKU BOOKLETGIVEN TO GODFATHER & BLACK PANTHER ACTIVIST JAMAL JOSEPH

On offer from Tupac’s godfather and Black Panther activist Jamal Joseph, this unique booklet of haikus written and illustrated by an 11-year old Tupac is a remarkable survival, and was originally sent to Joseph while incarcerated at Leavenworth Prison. Manuscript material by Tupac is incredibly rare, and this is the earliest known manuscript by him – other than this, only a small number of poetic love letters have appeared free and clear on the market. A tranche of the most important of these letters to be written will also highlight the sale (lots 101-107).

The booklet was created as a gift to Jamal Joseph and is also dedicated to three other Black Panther members: Chui Ferguson-El, Sekou Odinga, and Bilal Sunni Ali.

Nearly 40 years later, the book has remained in Joseph’s care, surviving as an extraordinary document of one of the defining Hip Hop artist’s early explorations in lyrical writing and creative expression. A singular insight into Tupac’s life and creative thinking, the manuscript showcases the artist’s early gift for wordplay and lyricism, and provides a fascinating insight into Tupac’s childhood and the influences that would shape him as an adult – using writing as a creative outlet to express complex issues of race, masculinity, family, black liberation, and incarceration.

Alongside the haikus are original drawings by Tupac, one of which depicts the young Tupac sleeping with a pen in hand (symbolizing his idealizing of writing) dreaming of the Black Panthers being freed from prison. And he closes the booklet by telling everyone be strong, signed “Tupac Shakur. ♥ Future Freedom Fighter."

NFTs

Chuck D, founder, leader, and frontman of revolutionary and critically acclaimed group Public Enemy is offering the historic open letter he wrote to the Grammys in 2020 denouncing the ouster of Grammy president/CEO Deborah Dugan. In a unique and appropriate pairing, the lot consists of the original physical letter signed by Chuck D, along with the original digitized file, and a screengrab of the letter’s first public dissemination, on Chuck D’s Instagram account, the latter two minted together as an NFT (estimate $20/30,000). In addition to his legacy as an activist and author who helped create and define politically and socially conscious Hip Hop, Chuck is also a visual artist who works in digital and paint mediums. The auction also features Chuck D’s portrait of Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello minted as an NFT (estimate $5/8,000).

Legendary Hip Hop radio personalities Stretch and Bobbito have collaborated with critically acclaimed designer and director Omar Acosta to create “NNNOOO!” a 3D animated virtual cassette paying homage to Hip Hop’s transformative era. The NFT features a digitally remastered archival audio mic break from the duo’s groundbreaking 1990s radio show, which was the launching pad for then unsigned and up-and-coming artists such as Nas, Jay Z, Wu-Tang Clan, The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, Big Pun, the Fugees, Cypress Hill, and Eminem. Stretch produced a new beat to score and enhance the comedic excerpt (estimate $3/5,000).

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Emanon’s Baby Beat Box, Inscribed by Keith Haring (creator of the cover art) to Album Producer Afrika Islam (estimate $7/9,000)Original Concept Art for Beastie Boys License to Ill Album Cover (estimate $5/8,000)Historic Drum Machines and Studio Gear Used by Afrika Islam And Ice-T (estimate $4/6,000)Jazzy Jay’s Early Hip Hop Event Flyer Collection (estimate $20/30,000), and A Hand-Selected Sacred Crate of Vinyl (estimate $6/9,000)One of the earliest works by Futura to come to auction (estimate $30/50,000)Chuck D’s Original, Tour-Worn silver Raiders Starter Jacket, Signed by him (estimate $7/10,000)A Sable Fur Coat and Hat Custom Made for The Late Biz Markie (estimate $15/20,000)Original Artwork by Futura, Keith Haring, Lady Pink, Shock G, DELTA2, DOZE, ZEPHYR, FREEDOM, Roberto Lugo, Carlos Rolón, Danny Cortes & Dan Lish, among othersOutrageous hand-made giant gilded 'Gangsta' Frame build by Shawn Brauch of Pen & Pixel, complete with integral multi-color LED lighting and sound system, and featuring a print of the original artwork by Pen & Pixel for Snoop Dogg’s album Da Game is to Be Sold Not to Be Told (estimate $5/7,000)

THE ARCHIVE OF SKATELAND U.S.A., COMPTON, CAPRIVATE SALE

Timed to coincide with the Hip Hop auction, Sotheby’s will also offer a special private sale for the archive of Skateland U.S.A. – an exciting historical record from the legendary Los Angeles roller rink that provided a critical incubator for early Hip Hop culture in Los Angeles, and where some of the biggest names in Hip Hop got their start, including Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube and N.W.A. The sale includes an impressive selection of show posters, rink signage, apparel, and audio equipment – most notably the original Technics SL-1200MK2 turntables used in every Skateland show from 1984-1988.

MODERN COLLECTIBLESOPEN FOR BIDDING 21 – 31 MARCH

In addition to the Hip Hop auction, Sotheby’s also presents the inaugural Modern Collectibles auction, open for bidding online from 21 – 31 March, and on public view at Sotheby’s New York from 26 – 29 March, as part of newly conceived Pop Culture week. Featuring an emerging group of property that is helping to define a cultural relevance in the collectibles category, the selection ranges from sneakers to sports cards to skateboards and fine leather trunks. Just in time for the 25th anniversary of Men in Black, the auction features a Will Smith screen worn t-shirt from the film (estimate $20/40,000); a Panini National Treasures 'Assistant to the Traveling Secretary’ card featuring ‘Seinfeld’s’ George Costanza (estimate $1/2,000); a 2016 ‘Back to the Future’ Nike MAG (estimate $60/80,000), and a 1986 GEM MT 10 Jordan Rookie Card, one of the most sought-after sports cards (estimate $300/500,000).