Rammellzee, Hip Hop Pioneer, Visionary Artist, Dead at 49

By
Manny Faces
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Rammellzee, hip hop pioneer known for his 1983 “Beat Bop” and a prominent role in the classic film Wild Style, has died, according to several reports, echoed by a posting on Fab 5 Freddy’s Twitter page. According to publicly listed birthdate, he was 49.

Rammellzee was a sonic and visual artist, and his self-described “future gothic” works of art have been displayed in galleries worldwide, according to HipHopDX. The cover for “Beat Bop” was created by the late painter Jean-Michel Basquiat.

We started catching wind of this loss yesterday, and lack of in-front-of-computer-time has held me back from fact-checking/posting about this, so please check out some other sources who have written about Rammellzee’s passing. We just felt this should not be overlooked.

Remembering hip-hop visionary Rammellzee [Washington Post]

‘Wild Style’ Star Rammellzee Passes Away [PrefixMag]

Pioneering Hip Hop Icon Rammellzee Passes Away [HipHopDX]

R.I.P. Hip-Hop Visionary Rammellzee [Pitchfork]

R.I.P.