Phase 2, hip-hop pioneer and graffiti legend, dies at 61

Phase 2, born Lonny Wood, a foundational figure in New York graffiti and hip-hop culture, has died at 61. Active since the early 1970s, he invented the 'bubble letter' style (softies) and later developed 'wild style' lettering, transforming aerosol art. He practiced all four hip-hop disciplines: writing, b-boying, rapping, and DJing. In 1982, he performed at the legendary Roxy Club show organized by Kool Lady Blue and joined the first international hip-hop tour. He released singles with Material and collaborated with Italian artists on albums by Neffa, Chief, and Gente Guasta. In 1974, he co-founded the United Graffiti Artists collective. In Italy, he participated in the 1984 exhibition 'Arte di Frontiera: New York graffiti' at the Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna in Bologna, curated by Francesca Alinovi. He created murals in Quattordio (1984, with Delta 2 and Ero) and at the Link in Bologna (1994), and exhibited at the Museo della Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci in Milan (1995). In 2012, he returned to Bologna for the 'Frontier' project. He is survived by his mother, sister, five children, and a nephew.