Jean-Michel Basquiat was a neo-expressionist painter during the 1980s in New York City. He is most known for his raw formed painting style, use of many multimedia supplies, strong political and social topics, being part of the “27 Club,” and collaboration with legendary pop artist Andy Warhol.

He was born on December 22nd, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York to his Puerto Rican mother and Haitian father. His parents' cultural backgrounds had influenced his style when Basquait was young. Being self-taught, he would draw on his father’s work he would bring home from his job as an accountant.

His first rise to fame was in the late 1970s as a graffiti writer under the name “SAMO” in New York City. SAMO stood out from other artists at the time due to the social-political, and economic issues he would bring up in his work. He would incorporate a crown in his work that symbolized celebrating Black people and deeming them as saints.

He dropped out of school in 1977 and sold postcards and sweatshirts with his artwork on it, only making enough money to get by. Around 1980 he was featured in a group show. His work was recognized, critically acclaimed, and purchased the following year.

Basquait would get inspiration from music as he painted. His collection of records reached around 3,000 albums that spanned from blues, classical, soul, disco and even zydeco, a type of popular music from southern Louisiana. He also made his own music as the leader of Gray, an experimental art noise quartet.

During his peak of popularity he was dealing with an addiction to heroin which had caused his paranoia and isolation from the world. Wanting to get clean, he headed for Hawaii and returned months later stating he was sober and changed his habits.

August 12th, 1988, Basquiat died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27 in his apartment in New York City. Having died at the age of 27, Basquiat is part of the infamous “27 club.” His name is recognized with many other influential people in the club such as Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Amy Winehouse who all passed at the young age of 27.

After his death, he was brought into the spotlight after a Japanese billionaire purchased his untitled skull painting for $110.5 million at Sotheby's Auction. It set a record for being the highest sold price of a painting that was produced after 1980.

With a short lived career Basquiat had become an icon and is credited with introducing African American and Latino culture into the art world and without his influence we most likely wouldn’t have the cultural output we see from today's artists.