Independent wrestler Tommy Grayson, one half of the tag team The Nu Graysons alongside brother JP, is no stranger to taking on challenges both inside the ring and out. The duo has even won its fair share of tag team titles! But outside the ring, Tommy has a seriously impressive hip-hop collection. Wrestling and hip-hop go hand in hand. From entrance music to musical artists doubling as wrestlers, these two worlds blend extremely well together.

We were lucky enough to have Tommy answer a few questions.

What do you collect?

Everything (Hip Hop)

How did you get into that?

Growing up in NY, my dad was a Drummer, so I was raised around a lot of Rock Music. The stuff that always stuck out was the Grunge/NÜ metal that was out at the time that somehow my Dad was into. Eventually, that led to Hip Hop and Rap; and I've been addicted ever since.

What’s your favorite item in your collection?

My favorite item would have to be My signed Funk Volume 2015 Tour Poster. This Tour was from 2015, and would actually be the final tour before FV would dissolve a mere months after this concert, making the poster, a unique collector's item. I had seen Hopsin once before (and performed with him that night on stage which I would go on to do again in 2016 at a later concert) but this was the first time I would see Dizzy Wright (nephew of Layzie and Flesh N Bone of BTNH) Jarren Benton, and DJ Hoppa. Very awesome concert, but sad in hindsight

Do you have a holy grail item?

Recently, I purchased my first classic Vinyl. My girlfriend and I would go on to attend the Wu-Tang/Nas NY State of Mind Tour, so while in a local shop, I found an original Single for Ice Cream of Raekwon's Only Built for Cuban Linx.

What artist, dead or alive, is on the top of your concert list?

Bone Thugs N Harmony. I'd love to one day attend the Gathering of the Juggalos. For dead, definitely Biggi, Tupac, Easy E, and ODB.

Any advice for someone just getting into collecting Hip-Hop?

Don't! Just kidding, I'd say do your research. Have a few select artists to follow and keep up with. What's old is new.

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Vinyl records are extremely collectible and can go for serious money. Scarcity and limited runs are common in collecting records, so you really need to be on top of collecting them. Hip-hop vinyl itself is big with collectors, with many going for thousands of dollars.

Mac Miller's GO:OD AM white vinyl exclusive is one of the more expensive vinyl in the late artist's catalog. Two sold in October of 2022 for $1300 and $1000, while a third sold in September of 2022 for $1000. Wu-Tang Clan's Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers from 1993 routinely sells between $70 - $130, with first presses going on the higher end. The legendary 2Pac's R U Still Down? (Remember Me) is both a great album to listen to and collect. Early pressings of the album go between $60 - $135, depending on the condition.

With vinyl becoming popular again, you can find albums at Target, Barnes and Noble, and local record stores. Of course, if you don't have a local store nearby, there's always the internet!

Thanks to Tommy Grayson for the interview! Check him out on Instagram!

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.