Rammellzee

Rammellzee was an American artist, hip-hop musician and performance artist, whose mixed-media, graffiti work pushed the boundaries of urban culture and contemporary art. Born in 1960 in Queens, New York, Rammellzee developed a unique style that combined street art, science fiction and philosophy, making him an influential figure in the New York City art scene of the 1980s.

Initially studied dentistry, Rammellzee briefly attended the Fashion Institute of Technology to study jewellery design and worked as a model. A self-taught artist, Rammellzee began tagging New York subway trains in the late 1970s and was featured in Charlie Ahearn’s 1982 movie Wild Style. He soon became known for his self-titled ‘Gothic Futurism’ style with bright colours and barbed letters as symbols against standardisation and systems of language.

Rammellzee became a friend and collaborator of fellow artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and had appeared in several of Basquiat’s paintings alongside another graffiti artist, Toxic. In 1983, Basquiat produced and created the cover art for Rammellzee’s single ‘Beat Bop’, in collaboration with rapper K-Rob.

Beyond the realms of street art and hip hop, Rammellzee’s paintings and sculptures, often made from found objects and repurposed materials, reflect his interest in futuristic themes and his obsession with the power of letters. These works are highly regarded for their originality and their ability to blur the lines between different artistic disciplines.

Rammellzee died in 2010 at the age of 49. His works now belong to the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Museum of Graffiti in Miami.