Born 1971 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Bates began writing graffiti in his early teens and  soon became one of the most prolific artists within Copenhagen’s budding hip-hop scene of the mid 1980-ties.
 Already in 1989 he was considered among the leading elite of European graffiti artists. With the internationalization of the European graffiti of the early 1990-ties the rumor of Bates stylistic elegance spread even further and he soon became one of the most sought after artists for the big venues around the continent and overseas. 
He has been invited to paint in more than 30 countries, on all five continents.

He is a much wanted live performer and lecturer and has done several public appearances. Bates artworks is represented in both private and corporate collections across the globe in cities like Copenhagen, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Paris, Stockholm, Malmo, Berlin and Dubai.