Futura's 25 Favorite Albums

The soundtrack to a one-man street art revolution.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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This feature is a part of Complex's Futura Week.

There is no denying that music has played a crucial role in the artistic career of graffiti legend Futura. Our cover story, Futura: The Art Of Reinvention, details his relationships with the Clash (in the '80s) and UNKLE (in the '90s), two groups that helped expose his abstract style to new audiences. In addition to providing artwork for bands, Futura also recorded music — including "The Escapades Of Futura2000", with backing by the Clash and a video that featured Fab 5 Freddy, that stands as one of the first songs about graffiti.

At 57, Futura has seen (and listened) to a lot. From his funk fueled high school days to Punk Rock downtown parties, and from De La to Jay-Z, here are the 25 albums that have inspired Futura over his 40 years of painting.

Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique (1989)

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The Doors, The Doors (1967)

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Cypress Hill, Cypress Hill (1991)

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Daft Punk, Homework (1997)

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Jay-Z, The Black Album (2003)

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Traffic, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971)

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Funkadelic, One Nation Under a Groove (1978)

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A Tribe Called Quest,The Low End Theory (1991)

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Santana, Santana (1969)

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Devo Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978)

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Jimmy Cliff, The Harder They Come (1972)

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Talking Heads, Remain in Light (1980)

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Curtis Mayfield, Super Fly (1972)

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Marvin Gaye, What's Going On (1971)

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Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

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De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)

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Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

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Al Green, Greatest Hits (1975)

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Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks (1977)

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The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed (1969)

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Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin (1969)

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The Clash, Sandinista! (1980)

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Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

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The Beatles, The White Album (1968)

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Jimi Hendrix, Are You Experienced (1967)

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