“An exuberant recounting of how a culturally omnivorous kid from Brooklyn willed himself into the wider, shinier world—like Moss Hart’s Act One, but with beatboxing and cans of Krylon spray paint.” — THE NEW YORKER

More than a memoir, EVERYBODY’S FLY is an unforgettable historical snapshot of New York City’s underground art and music scene from the 1970s to today. A visionary cultural connector and the architect of hip-hop’s global rise, Fab shaped the cross-pollination of punk, rap, and downtown art, and was instrumental in elevating graffiti in the art world. As the original host of Yo! MTV Raps, he played a pivotal role in bringing hip-hop culture to mainstream audiences worldwide. His work with Blondie on “Rapture” marked the first time rap appeared on a No. 1 hit song, introducing the genre to rock and pop audiences. Fab produced the first-ever hip-hop film, Wild Style (1983), and has shot music videos for the likes of Snoop Dogg, Nas, and Queen Latifah. Today, Fab has lectured at universities and exhibited his work at galleries around the world, most recently at the Saatchi Gallery in London.

At its heart, EVERYBODY’S FLY is a blueprint of how to live a creative life, highlighting Fab’s partnerships with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, Blondie and KRS-One. As he unspools the threads that have woven together his life—the jazz consciousness and Black-centric politics of his father; the Pop Art aesthetics of Warhol; the raw brilliance of graffiti and street art; the contrarian, DIY spirit of punk and New Wave; and the cultural inventiveness of and street-level honesty of hip-hop music—Fab reveals that true genius comes from collaboration and connection.

Everybody's Fly: A Life of Art, Music, and Changing the Culture, by Fab 5 Freddy with Mark Rozzo. Published by Viking, March 2026.

About the authors:

Fred Brathwaite, also known as Fab 5 Freddy, is a pioneering graffiti artist who became one of the first to exhibit his paintings internationally helping ignite the street art movement. He co-produced, starred in, and composed the music for the cult classic film Wild Style, directed music videos for numerous hip-hop stars, including Snoop Dogg, Nas, and Queen Latifah, and was the original host of Yo! MTV Raps. Brathwaite lives in Harlem, where he continues to make visual art, produce and direct projects for film and television, and leads the social equity cannabis brand he co-founded, B Noble.

Mark Rozzo is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and the author of Everybody Thought We Were Crazy: Dennis Hopper, Brooke Hayward, and 1960s Los Angeles.

With only 107 seats, shows at Révéler are intimate and immersive. A romantic venue with exquisite sound and dreamy vibes, Révéler offers a unique selection of cocktails, wines, beers, bubbles, and non-alcoholic beverages. Our kitchen delivers small plates crafted with care.