Tamra Davis examines the mercurial life of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960 to 1988), a Brooklyn-born artist who started with graffiti in the 1970s and became a rock star-like art figure by 1983, only to flame out from a heroin addiction at age 27. Centered on an archival interview with Basquiat, the film features remarks from his girlfriend Suzanne Mallouk; filmmaker Julian Schnabel, hip-hop artist Fab 5 Freddy; art dealers Diego Cortez, Jeffrey Deitch and Larry Gagosian; and writer Glenn O'Brien.