To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Jay-Z’s iconic debut album Reasonable Doubt, he teamed up with Sotheby’s to auction off a NFT with original artwork from Derrick Adams.
Originally released on June 25, 1996, Reasonable Doubt launched Jay’s wildly successful rap career 25 years ago, and the new one-of-one animated artwork repurposes the original. It will be sold on Sotheby’s through a single-lot auction, and it’s the only official event celebrating the album’s landmark anniversary to be authorized by Jay himself.
Titled Heir to the Throne, a reference to the original title of Reasonable Doubt, the auction opens on July 2 at 10 a.m. ET with a starting price of $1,000.
"Over the years Jay has collected and supported my work, and so this collaboration is particularly fulfilling,” said Derrick Adams. “With this NFT project, we jointly embrace the opportunity to further the conversation about how artists of different mediums contribute to a more inclusive society. Jay’s album Reasonable Doubt changed the game 25 years ago, and continues to influence so many of us. It tells the story of someone from Brooklyn occupying the urban space—a place that is as central to my own work as it is to his. My portraits aim to capture the sensibility, optimism and beauty of urban life, and in JAY’s work I’ve found tremendous kinship."
“It’s an extraordinary honor for Sotheby’s to present Heir to the Throne in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Jay-Z’s debut masterpiece, Reasonable Doubt,” Cassandra Hatton, the global head of science and popular culture at Sotheby’s added. “It’s fitting that Jay-Z’s pioneering lyrical brilliance is commemorated through the iconic vision of acclaimed artist Derrick Adams in a bold new medium. The release of Heir to the Throne marks the continued influence of Reasonable Doubt and its deep legacy of cultural importance.”
The announcement of the NFT comes not long after Dame Dash attempted to auction his own Reasonable Doubt NFT. Roc-A-Fella records sued Dash earlier this month, alleging that he was attempting to sell virtual ownership of Reasonable Doubt copyrights in the auction. A warning letter was sent to the SuperFarm sale platform through which Dash attempted to sell the NFT, but no action was taken and ultimately its sale was blocked in court.
The block was only a temporary restraining order, however, meaning that he could attempt to sell it again in the near future.
