British DJ Goldie Probably, Definitely Just Revealed Banksy’s True Identity

There are a few things most musicians learn when they get media training: don’t swear too much, don’t incriminate yourself, and don’t accidentally reveal Banksy’s secret identity.

But hey, we all mess up sometimes — just ask Goldie. While appearing on the podcast Distraction Pieces, the British DJ seemed to let slip the real first name of the world’s most famous anonymous street artist.

“Graffiti, which has inspired the world… at its centre it is still misunderstood,” he said. “[But] 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.”

Oops.

Have a listen to the clip below at the 34.40 mark.

Whoops. Goldie might have outed Banksy as “Robert” (Del Naja) on a podcast. Fast-forward to 34 mins here https://t.co/wtL1vPKHBg.

— Kosso ? (@kosso) June 22, 2017

The slip lends more credence to the theory that the Bristol street artist is actually Robert Del Naja, frontman of Massive Attack. Del Naja had previously called Banksy “a close friend” in an interview with the UK Telegraph in 2008, and last September a Glasgow masters student discovered a direct correlation between Massive Attack’s tour dates and appearances of new Banksy works around the world. 

Another theory says Del Naja is actually the leader of a collective of artists masquerading as Banksy, while another points the finger at local Bristol artist Robert Gunningham. In short, no one actually has the faintest clue who Banksy actually is, but Goldie’s slip is the most concrete evidence we’ve ever really had.

Which isn’t saying much.