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.