What’s Banksy’s Real Name? Identity Of Graffiti Artist May Be Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja

A world-famous artist whose identity has been a mystery for decades may have just been unmasked, seemingly unwittingly.

Musician DJ Goldie was being interviewed for a podcast when he referred to the elusive artist Banksy as ‘Robert’.

Many have taken this as a confirmation that Banksy is Robert Del Naja — a member of the band Massive Attack.

Del Naja — known as 3D — is a friend of Goldie and they were both graffiti artists in the same circles in the late 1980s.

It’s been rumored for years that Banksy could be a single, prolific street artist, or a conglomerate of creators using a shared moniker. But Goldie seemingly dispelled this myth.

Referring to Banksy, whom he called a “brilliant artist… [who] flipped the world of art over,” Goldie dropped the name “Robert.”

Banksy murals have frequently appeared in locations where Massive Attack have recently played, which makes the rumor even more likely.

However, Del Naja denied this, saying it would be “a good story but sadly not true.” “Wishful thinking, I think,” he said.

Banksy opened the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem in the West Bank in March to protest the Israeli boarder wall.