Notorious B.I.G crown to be auctioned for $200,000

An iconic piece of hip-hop history is up for auction – the crown worn by the Notorious B.I.G. in his last recorded photoshoot.

The “King of New York” picture, as it came to be known, has featured on magazine covers, mixtapes, T-shirts and  murals.

It’s part of a Sotheby’s auction celebrating the impact of hip-hop that also includes love letters written by Tupac Shakur at the age of 16.

Some of the money raised by the 120 items will go towards community projects in New York City.

Biggie wore this crown just three days before he was shot dead on 9 March 1997.

The rapper and the photographer Barron Claiborne signed it at the time, and Barron has kept it in his possession ever since.

“I’m very excited to share this iconic piece of hip-hop history with the public,” he says.

Enudi Golden: