Dr. Dre‘s mixing console, which he used on records for N.W.A., Eminem and Kendrick Lamar among others has been sold at auction.
The SSL 4000 G+ mixing console was auctioned off for the huge price of $165,000, which is a new record for a piece of Hip Hop memorabilia, easily topping the $69,000 paid for RZA’s drum machine used on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
The console was purchased by Ryan Zurrer who said on social media: “Grateful to pick up the signature instrument that Dre took the time to perfect the beat…brought the oldies, taught you to smoke trees…still DRE. This iconic part of hip hop history will be available to the public @thhmuseum because it ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none.”
Dre’s console is currently on display at the Grammy Museum but there are plans to move it to the Hip Hop Museum when that opens in New York next year.
There were a number of West Coast Hip Hop items in the stacked auction including original handwritten lyric sheets from Snoop Dogg, DJ Yella’s various gold and platinum plaques and Xzibit’s script for XXX: The Next Level.
Kid Cudi recently raised an eye-watering amount by auctioning off some unique items he had in his possession.
In total, the auction brought in $857,439, with the biggest sale being a custom Jacob & Co 14-karat N.E.R.D. pendant that was originally commissioned by Pharrell in 2005.
Cudi bought it at a previous auction but opted to put it back up for sale, with the winning bid coming in at $243,750 — more than double the estimate.
A one-of-a-kind Ben Baller x Takashi Murakami x Kid Cudi chain also collected $187,500, which was below its $200,000 guide price.
Another eye-catching item on the auction block was a pair of Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 Low sneakers designed by Virgil Abloh, which went for $82,500.
The Lonely Stoner also parted ways with a Ben Baller chain that depicts the rapper in 18-karat gold, diamonds, sapphires and rubies. That piece went for $43,750.
Fans with deep pockets also got their hands on Cudi’s rare collection of vintage music T-shirts, which included original items from the likes of Eminem, Michael Jackson and Nirvana.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
