The lot, which was put up for sale by the photographer Barron Claiborne, who took the famous portrait of Biggie for the magazine Rap Pages just days before his untimely death, was the most recognizable item in the auction for rap fans, in an auction which offered a huge array of rare and collectible objects from the golden age of hip-hop.

For aficionados of classic ’90s rap, some of the most intriguing lots on offer were love letters penned by Tupac Shakur, with whom Biggie famously shared a bitter feud before he too was murdered in a drive-by shooting in 1997. The letters, which were written to a fellow student at the Baltimore School of the Arts, were described as “incredibly sweet” and sometimes “steamy” by the auction house, according to CNN, and as offering an “introspective look” to the highly influential rapper. The letters sold for an impressive $75,600.

Other lots included a drum kit previously owned by The Roots drummer Questlove, a wine-tasting experience with Big Daddy Kane, and one of Slick Rick’s signature diamond eyepatches.