The Career & Life of Al Diaz Al Díaz has had a remarkable career spanning over five decades. Growing up in New York City as a Puerto Rican, his artistic journey began early. By the age of 15, he gained prominence as a first-generation subway graffiti artist, earning recognition under the name 'BOMB-ONE. His artistic partnership with fellow high school peer Jean-Michel Basquiat on SAMO©, an avant-garde graffiti project from the late '70s, is widely recognized in contemporary art history for its significance. Later on, Díaz made notable contributions to various musical recordings and performances, including Basquiat's 1983 album titled 'Beat Bop,' an early cornerstone in the history of hip-hop albums. Díaz is highly regarded as an authority on New York City counterculture art. He is frequently featured in publications and serves as a prominent speaker for panel discussions at various prestigious institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, The Brooklyn Museum, The New School, and Christie’s Education. Additionally, he has been featured in multiple films, including Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat, BBC’s American Masters — Basquiat: Rage to Riches, and Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child. Recent Artwork & Other Projects from Al Diaz Díaz’ current creative practice in Brooklyn includes gathering the standard “WET PAINT” signage used throughout the NYC MTA, and reconstructing them to create clever, poignant anagrams in various mixed media and public art formats. His work is shown and privately collected internationally. In 2018, Díaz authored SAMO©...SINCE 1978, an in-depth, color illustrated history of the street art legacy that he began with Basquiat in the late 70s. A notebook that Díaz made with Basquiat in his teens is currently held in the collection of the Yale University Beinecke Library. In 2018, Díaz authored 'SAMO©...SINCE 1978,' offering a detailed, color-illustrated account of the street art legacy he initiated with Basquiat in the late '70s. Notably, a notebook created by Díaz and Basquiat during their teenage years is now part of the esteemed collection at Yale University's Beinecke Library.