In an interview for a podcast, drum and bass musician Goldie made a slip of the tongue and revealed who hides behind the nickname of the renowned street artist.
People have been trying to reveal the identity of the legendary Bristol street artist for many years, but all attempts were unsuccessful. Full-scale investigations were conducted, naming different persons as Banksy based on indirect signs. The hunt for the elusive artist gave birth to many versions and conspiracy theories. But what fans really needed to do was to wait until one of Banksy’s friends lets slip his true identity.
Talkinhg to British poet and hip hop musician Scroobius Pip on his podcast Distraction Pieces, Clifford Joseph Price,, known as Goldie, touched on the topic of the commodification of Banksy’s art. Speaking on the subject, he accidentally called the artist by his name, which confirms one of the most likely theories on Banksy’s identity.
“Give me a bubble letter and put it on a t-shirt and write ‘Banksy’ on it and we're sorted. We can sell it now. No disrespect to Robert, I think he is a brilliant artist. I think he has flipped the world of art over,” the musician said.
After that slip of the tongue, Goldie hurried to change the subject, but listeners understood he meant Robert Del Naja, a member of Massive Attack and street artist known as 3D.
Some earlier suggested that he was Banksy. Journalist Craig Williams wrote last year that Banksy is actually a team of artists, one of them being Del Naja. Attentive fans noticed that Banksy’s works popped up in towns that Massive Attack visited on tour.
The theory has enough proofs to let people say that Banksy’s true identity has been revealed. Del Naja was a famous Bristol street artist who worked closely with Goldie. He and Banksy often refer to each other throughout their careers. Del Naja describes the anonymous artist as his close friend, but denies that he is Banksy. Banksy wrote the foreword to Del Naja’s book 3D & the Art of Massive Attack, in which he admitted that Del Naja had influenced him. Now, Goldie’s slip gives grounds to suggest that Robert Del Naja is indeed the elusive Banksy.
Photo: goldie.co.uk
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