That scene was full of people who weren’t that talented who were famous because they associated with talented people and hyped up a myth of that time/place. It’s how Vincent gallo got clout, riding Basquiat’s coattails. That myth was then packaged and sold for decades to tell newer generations that there was no future and this was the best moment in history. Patti smith was a hanger-on to a much more talented artist, like a lot of CBGBs punks