The iconic New York photographer, Barron Claiborne, paints a thousand words with his camera. Among his treasures is his “The King of New York” (KONY) masterpiece, featuring the hip-hop legend Biggie Smalls adorning a crown in 1997.

KONY is set to be in focus yet again, framing collectors into Biggie’s legacy like never before with the launch of ‘THE CROWN’ NFTs on June 15.

Quick Takes: 

• Claiborne celebrates his renowned KONY photograph featuring Biggie Smalls through ‘THE CROWN’ NFTs launching June 15.
• These NFTs are priced at $47.37 (0.025 ETH) apiece, offering ownership of hip-hop history and opening augmented reality filters for collectors to wear Biggie’s crown on social media channels virtually.
• Besides these digital assets’ historical value and fun features, 5% of the proceeds will contribute to the global effort of providing clean water to those in need.

Hidden Gems Behind ‘THE CROWN’ NFTs

The original KONY photograph fetched a royal $600,000 during a Sotheby’s auction in 2020, gracing top publications like Rolling Stone and The New York Times and securing a place in Encyclopedia Britannica thanks to having Claiborne’s name etched into it.

Reinventing hip-hop history in collaboration with Keiyo Art, KONY is now available via ‘THE CROWN’ NFTs, for just $47.37 (0.025 ETH) apiece. All owners will be granted a golden ticket to an enticing augmented reality filter, allowing collectors to virtually don Biggie’s crown via Instagram and Facebook filters and share their royal avatars across social media platforms, including TikTok.

What’s more, these NFTs include rotation functionalities, comprehensive edition details, and genuine signatures of Biggie and Claiborne, introducing an extra layer of enjoyment, exclusivity and authenticity.

Claiborne will also donate 5% of the collection’s proceeds to Charity : Water, to assist in bringing clean water to families across the globe.

Biggie’s Blockchain Background

Claiborne isn’t the first to bring Biggie to the blockchain. The photographer’s decision to launch ‘THE CROWN’ NFTs comes short of a year following 3,000 Biggie Smalls NFTs, ‘The Sky’s the Limit‘, selling out in under ten minutes.

All owners of ‘The Sky’s the Limit’ assets gained rights to the song ‘Fulton Street Freestyle’ alongside the opportunity to own unique imagery of the legendary rapper. The majority of proceeds also went to the Notorious B.I.G’s community-focused charity.

For those who missed out, it’s finally time to adorn your virtual Biggie crown, take place in hip-hop history, and contribute to a good cause.

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