Jean-Michel Basquiat was captivated by his rapping style, leading him to produce the artist, design the cover for his single “Beat Bop” (1983), and even create a portrait of him. The artist’s music featured prominently in the acclaimed documentaries on the early hip-hop scene in the United States, namely Style Wars and Wild Style, both released in 1983. He also took part in the collective exhibition New York/New Wave at MoMA PS1 in 1981. In 1982, he joined the New York City Rap Tour, a global tour. Jim Jarmusch included him in a scene of his film Stranger Than Paradise in 1984, the same year he was invited to perform at Valentino’s 25th-anniversary show during Milan Fashion Week. Rammellzee (1960-2010) shone brightly throughout the 1980s before fading from public view.
“He is an artist who is both iconic and obscure, celebrated yet often misunderstood. His absence in the narrative of art history is a significant oversight,” remarked Hugo Vitrani, who, alongside Cédric Fauq, is curating a dual exhibition in France. This exhibition will first take place at the Palais de Tokyo in 2025 and later at the CAPC Musée d’Art Contemporain de Bordeaux in 2026. This two-part retrospective, the largest of its kind in Europe, pays tribute to a visionary and unconventional artist.
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