10/14/2026
Basquiat made an unplanned cameo as a DJ on the set of Blondie’s 1981 hit music video for “Rapture” in New York City’s East Village.
• How it happened: A 20-year-old Basquiat—then an unknown graffiti artist writing under the tag SAMO—was brought in at the last minute to stand behind the DJ decks when Grandmaster Flash failed to show up for the shoot.
• Connection to the Band: Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein were deeply plugged into the downtown NYC art and hip-hop underground. Harry had already bought one of Basquiat’s early paintings, Cadillac Moon, directly from him for $200.
• Other Figures: The video also featured fellow graffiti legends Fab 5 Freddy and Lee Quiñones.
• Cultural Impact: “Rapture” became the first song with rap vocals to hit number one on the U.S. charts and the first rap video ever broadcast on MTV, serving as a major milestone bridging Basquiat from local street-art obscurity into mainstream cultural visibility.
