Block rockin' beats: Sotheby's preps up first hip hop auction

The signed plastic crown worn by rapper Notorious B.I.G. for the photoshoot titled 'Notorious B.I.G as the K.O.N.Y' by Barron Claiborne is pictured in this handout photo supplied by Sotheby's.

It started out as just a plastic prop from a party shop but the gold coloured crown that rapper Notorious B.I.G wore on the last photo shoot before his death could fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at an auction dedicated to hip hop culture.

After highlighting sneakers and handbags in recent years, Sotheby's in New York is branching out again for the September auction, which will feature some 120 lots representing hip hop artefacts, jewellery, fashion and fine art.