It was all a dream . . . Certainly seems that way now. It’s been nearly 27 years since the Notorious B.I.G. released the video for Juicy, which was featured in the new Netflix documentary on the late rapper’s life, Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell.
As he spits the first bars on his chart-topping single, “It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine,” he is standing on the rooftop of the house at 984 Noyac Path in Water Mill. The home featured in his rags-to-riches rap off his debut album, Ready to Die, is fondly known as “Island in the Sky” because of its unique pool and hot tub that sit atop the roof on one of the highest points on the East End.
While it may be an indelible moment in ’90s hip hop and Biggie is still be celebrated 24 years after his death, the home has not been an easy one to move on the market.
“I found that people who were unfamiliar enjoyed learning that fun fact about the home, but it doesn’t help or hurt when trying to sell it,” says Noel Roberts of Nest Seekers, who last listed the house for $5.95 million in spring 2020.
Ito masterfully imagined the unusual design with a 5,000-square-foot deck, topped by a structural steel pyramid that rises 32 feet into the air with a pool at the center. “Short jetties for basking in watery proximity divide it into arrow-shaped bays, allowing a 60-foot stretch for lap swimming,” The New York Times described it in April of 1994.
“Lunches, brunches, interviews by the pool
Considered a fool ’cause I dropped out of high school
Stereotypes of a black male misunderstood
And it’s still all good”
Other scenes show a crowd of people partying by the pool and lounging under the pyramid. Ito boasted to The Times that 100 people could gather by the pool without feeling cramped.
In 2007, Ito priced the home at a staggering $30 million. The property later sold for just $3 million. By 2012, it was back on the market for $10.975 million.
Roberts listed it for the current owners in April for $5.95 million. But the nine-acre parcel came off the market in late June.
“We wanted to pull it off market and work confidentially behind the scenes with some best-in-class designers to reimagine what could be constructed there,” Roberts explains. “There were tentative plans to bring it back to market, but there’s the possibility the property won’t make it back to market, and could trade without a public listing.”
Roberts, who starred last summer in the Netflix show Million Dollar Beach House, is now the the head of Private Client by Nest Seekers, a boutique practice at the brokerage for high net-worth buyers.
It’s certainly an estate to be seen — whether you are into hip hop or not.
The seven-bedroom, six-and-a-half bath home has been on and off the market with various agencies and brokers for years. The ground floor begins with a dramatic entry, a living room, gallery and a dining atrium. The kitchen has been renovated to feature white-glass flooring, custom contemporary cabinets, white stone counter tops, and chef-caliber appliances.
The mezzanine level offers a workout room, three-bedroom suites, and a media room. Upstairs, a large bedroom suite features a spa-like bathroom, as well as access to a second-level pool cabana.
An adjacent 6-acre parcel is also available, making it possible to create a total 15-acre compound.
A dream, for sure.
Email tvecsey@danspapers.com with further comments, questions or tips. Follow Behind The Hedges on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
