Hip Hop artist and social justice advocate Niko Brim conceptualized the collectible kicks with inspiration drawn from the nation's foremost Juneteenth ambassador, 93-year old Ms. Opal Lee who has spent the last four decades campaigning to get congress to mark Juneteenth as a federally observed holiday. The unique pair, signed by Ms. Lee and designed by famed sneaker customization artist Sierato, features a red, white, and blue color scheme, incorporating a unifying theme of freedom for all while honoring the African-Americans' contributions, who "built the country."

The bold sneakers are adorned with song lyrics from Brim's single, "Hard to Believe" and symbolic imagery, which includes: the official Juneteenth flag, and the raised black power fist logo, a nod to timeless, silent protest at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City when sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos hoisted their clenched fists while accepting their medals. The number "2.23" is written across the toe box in memory of Ahmad Arbery, the unarmed African-American man pursued and fatally shot while jogging in Georgia.

Judith Leiber Custom Couture Handbags

The renowned American luxury brand Judith Leiber Couture has created two one of a kind crystal minaudières made exclusively for Sotheby’s to be offered in the Hip Hop auction. The Disco Boombox and the Brick Phone (Don’t call me. I’ll call you.) combine Hip Hop and 80’s nostalgia with the brand’s signature luxury details. Estimated at $7/10,000 each, the custom Italian made clutches come with a removable jeweled shoulder chain and feature over 9,000 dazzling handset crystals per bag that each took over 100 hours for artisans to hand place.

Style & Modern Luxury

The auction also includes several significant pieces of Hip Hop style, modern luxury, and unique fashion pieces. Among them are the “Shiny Red Suit” worn by Dr. Dre both on stage and on the cover of the World Class Wreckin' Cru's album Rapped in Romance, ca 1985-1986 (estimate $25/35,000); “Ladies First – Mt. Rushmore Reimagined,” a one of a kind, 14k gold four-finger ring made especially for this sale by jewelry designer Johnny Nelson, depicting Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Lady Rage, and Roxanne Shanté (estimate $22/24,000); a series of Louis Vuitton x Supreme pieces, including a monogram malle courrier 90 trunk (red), 2017, (estimate $70/100,000), a boite skateboard trunk, with decks and trucks (estimate $60/80,000), and a box logo hoodie from 2017 (estimate $4/6,000); Shirt King Phade Gucci hoodie (estimate $3/4,000); Baby D of JJ Fad Tony Alamo jacket (estimate $2/3,000); and an unreleased Drake Air Jordan IV Retro Prototype/Sample, Size 11 (estimate $10/12,000).

HIP HOP ARCHIVES, PUBLICATIONS, POSTERS & MORE

The auction will feature a rare full run of IGTimes, the highly influential ‘80s publication that was the first devoted to street culture (estimate $4/6,000); vintage concert posters for Run-DMC ($1,000/1,5000), Grandmaster Flash (estimate $1,500/2,500), LL Cool J ($1,500/2,500), and many more; all physical issues of The Source magazine, from No. 1 (1988) to No. 275 (2019) (estimate $12/18,000); and several collections of early Hip Hop flyers dating to the 1970s (estimates range).

NOTORIOUS B.I.G.’s CROWN & TUPAC SHAKUR’S TEENAGE LOVE LETTERS

As previously announced, the sale will also include the crown worn and signed by Notorious B.I.G. during the iconic 1997 ‘K.O.N.Y. (King of New York)’ portrait session taken by photographer Barron Claiborne, the rapper’s last recorded photoshoot (estimate $200/300,000); and an archive of love letters written by teenage Tupac Shakur (estimate $60/80,000). A separate press release is available for more information on both lots.