The legacy of Tupac Shakur aka Makaveli has been, is, and will definitely be living long after the rapper's tragic death. Currently, the one-of-a-kind cover for Tupac’s iconic album titled The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, which was released shortly after Makaveli's death in 1996, has been put up for auction paired with a 1:1 NFT.
Thus, the authentic 29" x 47" canvas in airbrush/mixed technique was painted by the prolific hip-hop visual artist Riskie Forever back in 1996 to become the cover of the groundbreaking album. The artwork, featuring the artist's signature in red paint saying: By Riskie / Death Row / Art Dept. / 1996 in a Very Good Plus condition, with a couple of scratches on the frame and the upper part of the canvas, is now available with a starting bid of $125,000.
Today, almost 28 years after the album’s release, Riskie Forever has partnered with the Zelus NFT wallet and Heritage Auctions to sell the iconic art piece to the highest bidder alongside a one-and-only NFT.
“I remember giving ‘Pac the painting officially, I knew then this was something special,” Forever said, recalling the good old times, adding, “Now to be able to celebrate that legacy while creating something truly new and unique — that’s something I’m incredibly proud to be a part of.”
Riskie said the inspiration for The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory's cover came from Tupac himself. "The concept [for the artwork] was all his, with the different cities on the cross showing he was the most hated wherever he would go. His crucifixion was supposed to be a statement about race and what it felt like to be young, rich, and black in America."
The auction was launched on May 17th and will be running till June 17th. While there's still much time until the lucky winner's announcement, you can be among the first to participate, thus, paying tribute to Makaveli's genius!
