Basquiat was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His interest for art began when his mother would bring him to museums all around Manhattan. As a child, his mother enrolled him as a junior member of the Brooklyn Museum of Art. After a car accident at age 7, his mother gave him 'Gray's Anatomy' and he went on to reference the book in his future works.

Taking inspiration from the museum visits and the anatomy book, Basquiat began drawing on basic office paper. His mother noticed how creative he was, so she would encourage him to pursue his creative talents. As a teenager, Basquiat dropped out of high school early. He started to sell sweatshirts and postcards that he made on the streets. It was not until he got attention from SAMO that he really took off as an artist and able to truly express his artistic talents