Mass Appeal and Whatnot to Host Hip-Hop at NYCC with Nas, Lauryn Hill, Busta Rhymes

Mass Appeal and Whatnot are merging hip-hop, comics, art, fashion, sports and collectibles at this year’s New York City Comic Con.

During the four-day convention, the sprawling 5,000-square-foot shopping mall-inspired Whatnot Liveplex will be the “Home of Hip-Hop Collectibles” featuring live shopping events, auctions, artist appearances, cultural programming and exclusive merch from Anderson .Paak & Cordae , Busta Rhymes & J Dilla , Nas and the Fugees .

“Last year at Comic Con was a special moment for us,” Nas said in a press release. “The response to the ‘Legend Has It’ panel showed how much love there is for Hip Hop, art and storytelling in that community. We’re excited to be back this year with Whatnot and share some of the new projects we’ve been creating with Marvel.”

Ms. Lauryn Hill will have a couple things going on during the installation. She and Wyclef Jean will commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Score with an exclusive, limited-edition superhero-inspired art print and they will be signing collectibles for fans. She also will celebrate her and Nas’ classic song “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” with a limited edition 30th anniversary t-shirt and hoodie.

You can check out some of the other exclusive product drops below:

- Heavy Is The Crown: A special edition of the Marvel comic collaboration from Anderson .Paak and Cordae, sharing its title with the artists’ forthcoming album. The release features exclusive cover artwork by celebrated Japanese comic artist Peach Momoko.

- Incredible Hulk #1: A new edition of the landmark 1962 comic that introduced the Hulk to the world. Its exclusive cover recreates the original issue’s iconic artwork, with Hip Hop legends Busta Rhymes and J Dilla stepping into the roles of Bruce Banner and the Hulk.

- Marvel Hip Hop Covers Anniversary Set: A 10-comic collection celebrating the 10th anniversary of Marvel’s popular Hip Hop variant-cover series, which reimagined classic album artwork using Marvel superheroes. Curated by hip-hop journalist Rob Markman, the set brings back 10 fan-favorite covers with premium metallic-foil finishes and will be available exclusively through Mass Appeal live shopping streams.

New York Comic Con 2026 will take place Oct. 8–11 at the Javits Center in New York City.

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/culture/events/mass-appeal-whatnot-hip-hop-new-york-comic-con-nas-fugees-1236352187/)._