Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Kings Of The Mic (First edition)”?
Artist Statement
KINGS OF THE MIC I was asked to create the poster for the “Kings Of The Mic” tour stop at the Greek Theatre in LA. The tour features some of my all-time favorites from hip-hop, plus my favorite DJ is Z-Trip, so I was incredibly hyped(believe the hype on this one!) to work on the project. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a lineup featuring acts this strong from hip-hop’s golden era. I’m tight with Z-Trip and I know LL so I think they are both going to sign the print. The price will depend on which signatures I can get, so stay tuned for that and the release date, but it will be sometime around the show on July 7. Word. -Shepard 18 x 24 inch screen print. Print will be signed by Shepard Fairey, LL Cool J and Z-Trip $65 Release date: Tuesday, July 11, 2013
Summary
Kings Of The Mic is a 2013 Obey Giant screen print, 18 x 24 inches, in a numbered first edition of 500. Fairey created it as the tour poster for the 'Kings Of The Mic' hip-hop tour stop at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, a lineup he describes as drawn from hip-hop's golden era and featuring his favorite DJ, Z-Trip. The print celebrates the music and performers he admired, framing the concert event in his signature bold poster idiom. According to the source, the print was planned to be signed by Shepard Fairey, LL Cool J, and Z-Trip, with pricing tied to which signatures could be secured.
Why It Matters
This print sits at the intersection of Fairey's lifelong devotion to music and his roots in the poster-as-promotion tradition. Commissioned for an actual concert, it documents a specific cultural moment: a tour bringing together acts from hip-hop's golden era, a genre Fairey repeatedly credits as foundational to his aesthetic and worldview. The source emphasizes his personal enthusiasm and his friendship with DJ Z-Trip, which grounds the piece in genuine fandom rather than detached commission work. For collectors, the planned multi-signature element (Fairey plus performers LL Cool J and Z-Trip) gives the print added provenance interest, though the source notes pricing and signatures were still being finalized at announcement. As a tour poster tied to a documented event, it carries the kind of music-history specificity that distinguishes Fairey's concert work from his studio editions. It exemplifies how Fairey uses the gig-poster format to honor artists he respects and to spotlight music subcultures, a recurring thread across his catalog of band and tour collaborations.
Collector Perspective
This appeals to collectors who focus on Fairey's music and concert-poster output, as well as hip-hop fans who value memorabilia tied to specific tours and performers. The Greek Theatre origin and golden-era lineup make it a natural fit for a music-themed wall or a collection organized around gig posters. At an accessible original price point and a moderate edition of 500, it sits in the approachable tier of Fairey's catalog. The potential for performer signatures (LL Cool J, Z-Trip) alongside Fairey's gives it crossover appeal to music-autograph collectors. It pairs well with his other tour and band prints, anchoring a section devoted to Fairey's engagement with live music culture.
Historical Context
Kings Of The Mic belongs to Fairey's prolific 2013 run of music and collaboration prints produced through Obey Giant. By this point in his career, Fairey had long used the screen-printed tour poster as a vehicle to celebrate musicians he admired, extending the gig-poster lineage that shaped his early visual language. The source frames the commission around hip-hop's golden era, a period Fairey repeatedly cites as influential, and around his personal ties to DJ Z-Trip. This places the print within the music-focused strand of his mid-career work, distinct from his overtly political editions of the same period. It reflects his ongoing role as a poster artist documenting live-music events while maintaining his recognizable graphic style.
FAQ
What is Kings Of The Mic?
It is a 2013 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in a numbered first edition of 500. Fairey created it as the tour poster for the Kings Of The Mic hip-hop tour stop at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, celebrating a lineup he describes as drawn from hip-hop's golden era.
Who was the print planned to be signed by?
According to Fairey's source description, the print was planned to be signed by Shepard Fairey, LL Cool J, and Z-Trip. He noted that final pricing would depend on which signatures he could secure, so the exact signing arrangement was still being confirmed at announcement.
What are the dimensions and edition size?
The print measures 18 x 24 inches and was issued as a numbered first edition of 500 screen prints. It was published by Obey Giant with a release date of July 11, 2013, at an original price of $65 per the source.
Why did Fairey make this print?
He was asked to create the poster for the Kings Of The Mic tour stop at the Greek Theatre in LA. The source explains he was a longtime fan of the hip-hop acts on the bill and is friends with DJ Z-Trip, making the commission a personal project tied to music he loves.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.