Basquiat Estate Announce Last 10 Copies of Jean-Michel's 'Beat Bop' To Be Sold

The Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure© exhibition, the first exhibition organized by The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, is winding down its Los Angeles run at The Grand LA. Tickets are now on sale through January 1st, 2024 when the exhibition must close.

The exhibition has been a celebration of the many facets of Jean-Michel’s life, work, and impact by those who knew him best. In celebration of Jean-Michel’s contributions to Hip Hop culture, his friendships and support of other artists, as well as Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary, the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat released 50 of the original 500 vinyls of the landmark single Beat Bop with Rammellzee & K-Rob from the personal collection of Jean-Michel Basquiat in a special numbered edition.

The last 10 vinyl of the editions, numbers 41-50, will be sold at the King Pleasure Emporium, the exhibition's physical shop in Los Angeles at 100 S. Grand Ave, on Thursday, December 7th. The vinyl will be sold via a lottery system with pre-registration required at KingPleasureLA.com. Those interested in purchasing will need to be present at the King Pleasure Emporium on December 7th from 7-9 PM. Those whose numbers are drawn will have the opportunity to purchase one of the last 10 copies. The editions are priced at $6,000 each.

All of the vinyl are factory-sealed and come in a numbered handmade commemorative leather case with a signed certificate from the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Jean-Michel had the vinyl pressed, created artwork for it, and established his own record label Tartown Records Co. to release it. This is an incredibly rare opportunity to purchase this vinyl/artwork, and is the first time the Estate has put them up for sale. 

Beat Bop has been named one of the 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs by Rolling Stone and is one of the most rare, coveted, and expensive hip hop vinyls which has sold for over $100,000 at auction.

Number 1 in the edition was auctioned via Phillips with 100% of proceeds benefiting A Place Called Home, a non-profit organization that provides hundreds of youth in South Los Angeles with access to arts education and the space to nurture their passion for visual arts, music, dance, theater, and filmmaking. The auction raised $53,340 for A Place Called Home. Numbers 2-40 of the edition were sold on Phillips’ Dropshop and sold out in 1 minute.

On Wednesday, December 13th, the King Pleasure Emporium will host a book signing with Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux. They are the authors, curators, and executive producers of Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure©. The event is free to attend and begins at 6 PM. There will be music from DJ Monalisa and 30% off selected items at the Emporium. 

Beat Bop was made in collaboration with Rammellzee, who traveled with Jean-Michel and Toxic to Los Angeles for Jean-Michel’s first show at Gagosian. They dubbed themselves the Hollywood Africans and Jean-Michel captured the moment in his painting of the same name which is on view at King Pleasure.

The exhibition has also celebrated Jean-Michel’s friendships with a Live at the Palladium panel series featuring Tamra Davis, Kenny Scharf, Jeffrey Deitch, Toxic, Lee Quiñones, Larry Gagosian, and Fred Hoffman speaking about the experiences they shared with him. King Pleasure also hosted a Basquiat & Hip Hop event to celebrate Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary, moderated by Ari Melber with Doug E. Fresh, Rapsody, and Yo-Yo.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure© has been a vibrant presence in Downtown LA acting as a hub for the city’s communities to come together to celebrate Jean-Michel’s life and work while championing future generations.

The exhibition offers free Thursday nights to make it accessible to all and Family Art Nights with PS Arts with free activities for families. It has also collaborated with the city’s artists and activists including a Ride for Black Lives in partnership with the organization to spread a message of peace across the city. Tickets are available at KingPleasureLA.com.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure©’s limited engagement in Downtown Los Angeles at Related Companies’ The Grand LA runs through January 1st. Don’t miss a once in a lifetime chance to see rare works and gain an intimate perspective on the life of Jean-Michel from those who knew him best.

Weekday tickets are $32 and weekend tickets are $35 with discounts for seniors, students, and groups. There is also a weekday special of $28 tickets Mondays 12:20-1:40 PM and Wednesday through Friday from 12 noon to 1:40 PM. Tickets are available at KingPleasureLA.com. 

The landmark run at the Grand LA has been met with widespread public and critical acclaim, including the Los Angeles Times, Variety, NBC, FOX, CBS, ABC, PBS, Forbes, Hollywood Reporter, Smithsonian Magazine, LA Weekly, Rock the Bells, Talk Art, Yahoo, and many more.

The exhibition’s accompanying book was authored by the family and is available via the King Pleasure Emporium online and at the exhibition’s physical shop, the King Pleasure Emporium, which is open at The Grand LA and does not require a ticket for entry. 

Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure© is produced by The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, with his sisters Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux serving as executive producers and curators, in collaboration with Ileen Gallagher and ISG Productions Ltd. It offers an unprecedented and singular opportunity to see the evolution of Jean-Michel's art from teen drawings to what is believed to be his last painting.

The exhibition features nearly 200 rarely seen paintings, drawings, ephemera and artifacts, all from the family’s estate, as well as recreations of his NYC artist studio on Great Jones St., the Basquiat family home, and the Michael Todd VIP Room of NYC’s iconic Palladium nightclub, for which Jean-Michel created two large scale paintings. It details and sheds light on not only Jean-Michel’s life in NYC but also his time spent living in Puerto Rico as a child, his travels to the Ivory Coast, and his time working in Los Angeles and at his Venice Beach studio. The exhibition gives the foundational point of view that only his family can. 

ABOUT A PLACE CALLED HOME

A Place Called Home is a transformational youth and community center offering proven programs in the arts, education, and wellness. Founded in 1993 as an oasis for youth facing poverty and systemic adversity, our mission is to inspire, encourage, and support the young people in South Los Angeles to achieve social, emotional, and economic success.

Photo: Courtesy of Phillips

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