Hip Hop came out the gate 40ish years ago like sonic cargo on a rocket blasting into the future at warp speed. This is evident in the electro sounds of “Planet Rock” that would continue to reverberate in both pop and underground sonic culture decades after the track premiered in New York City warehouse jams during the early ’80s. A few years later, Ultramagnetic MCs weaved Bronx linguistics and scientific jargon into rhymes that have yet to be rivaled in modern rap. If you still have doubts that b-boys were cultural futurists, then go back in time a few years before Ultra began “Egotrippin'” and deep dive into the world of Rammellzee. The graffiti writer, emcee, and Hip Hop genius delivered both visual and sonic art that was ages ahead of its time. On his first release, he joined forces with K-Rob and Basquiat for the reverb dusted “Beat Bop” single that was featured on the iconic “Style Wars” documentary. Rammellzee would continue to break barriers with space age aesthetics that permeated music, visual art and fashion. Take a look at this insightful mini-documentary by Red Bull that provides a brief glance into the mind of the astral projecting b-boy from the golden era of Hip Hop. -Israel Vasquetelle
Here’s this Hip Hop’s enigma’s collaborative groove with another graff legend.
Read about this posthumous release from the genius mind of RAMMELLZEE.
