This beautifully illustrated exhibition catalog explores the powerful connection between Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art and music during the late 1970s and early 1980s in downtown New York City. Amid financial crisis and social upheaval, NYC’s flourishing no wave, hip-hop, disco funk, and club culture profoundly shaped Basquiat as both a visual artist and musician.

Featuring rare photographs and archival images, this compelling volume examines how Basquiat’s painting mirrored musical techniques like sampling, cut-up methods, and rap, while also highlighting his work as a writer and poet within the emerging hip-hop movement. It offers new insight into Basquiat’s creative process and his identity as a Black artist in America, deeply connected to contemporary culture and the underground music scene.

Essential for collectors of Basquiat books, contemporary art history, hip-hop culture, Black art, and New York art scene photography, this catalog is a vital addition to any modern art library.