Jean-Michel Basquiat's graffiti in Lower Manhattan was mistaken for a CIA operation. He was the toast of the New York art world while sleeping on floors in squalid apartments. He sold his first painting to Blondie's Debbie Harry for $200. Less than a year later, his paintings were going for more than $20,000. And decades later, the debate over what is and what is not a real Basquiat rages on. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including a depiction of police brutality. This episode was originally published on April 25, 2024. Basquiat excelled at both visual art and music. What other musicians excelled in a second skill, art form, or sport? Tell Jake at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ????www.disgracelandpod.com????. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ????disgracelandpod.com/membership????. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - ????GET THE NEWSLETTER???? Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: ????Instagram???? ????YouTube???? ????X???? (formerly Twitter) ????Facebook Fan Group???? ????TikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices