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Drake is a certified gamer boy with Pharrell Williams’ gold PSP

Drake is a certified gamer boy with Pharrell Williams’ gold PSP

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Drake dropped his new music video, Jumbotron Shit Poppin, which features Pharrell’s old belongings as props, including jewelry and a customized PSP-1000 system.

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A close-up of a gold PSP and Pharrell Williams’ chains / medallions in the hands of Drake, who is holding it all right in front of his face.
Drake shows off all the cool stuff, including a solid gold PSP-1000 that used to be owned by Pharrell Williams.
Image: UMG

Drake dropped a new music video this week for his song “Jumbotron Shit Poppin,” and he’s playing with a classic PSP in it. But it’s not just any PSP; this is a real gold-shelled one that was, until recently, owned by Pharrell Williams (via Kotaku).

The custom PSP-1000 was sold on Pharrell’s auction site, Joopiter, in November for nearly $20,000. According to the listing, its case is made of 14-karat solid gold that weighs 659.7 grams and was personally commissioned by the NERD member in 2008 to complement his gold BlackBerry. Pharrell tweeted last year that selling his jewelry and other belongings (including a gold BlackBerry) was about setting himself free “for the beginning of a new era.”

The end of an era for Pharrell is apparently the beginning of a new one for Drake, who is seen in the music video showing off Pharrell’s old jewelry and chains and playing the gold PSP while leaning against a red Ferrari Enzo. It’s not clear if Drake personally purchased these items (including the probably $2 million-plus car) or if he’s just borrowing it for the video — but he certainly seems to enjoy it as his treasure.

The PSP itself isn’t visibly powered on in the video, but the auction doesn’t say anything about its functionality other than it’s in used condition. “It shows some signs of use, particularly on the backside,” the listing reads — and hell, it really does look scratched up in the back. It also includes a custom Goyard PSP carry case.

The finish doesn’t seem quite that refined, but at least that joystick nub looks fresh.
The finish doesn’t seem quite that refined, but at least that joystick nub looks fresh.
Image: Joopiter
Hope the rear of the gold PSP got a good polish after purchase for the video.
Hope the rear of the gold PSP got a good polish after purchase for the video.
Image: Joopiter

I’d imagine Drake got the PSP polished up for the video, and with any luck, the hardware has stayed in good running order. According to PSP enthusiasts on Reddit, some common issues that could come up on PSP-1000s include loose UMD doors, read errors, and drifting sticks. Hopefully, Drake knows some good game repair shops in his hometown just in case, or maybe he could further customize the PSP by adding a new IPS screen and modding it with emulators (which would be even nicer if it were a PSP Vita).

In terms of craftsmanship, Pharrell’s PSP doesn’t look as cleanly done as the gold Nintendo Wii intended for the late Queen Elizabeth II. It also doesn’t look as smooth as the excessive limited-edition 24-karat Analogue Nt NES system. But nonetheless, it’s still a gold PSP, and that joystick nub still looks like it’s in good enough condition to keep playing.