Edited by Maxwell Wolf and Jeff Mao, Text by Jeffrey Deitch and Carmela Zagari and Maxwell Wolf

The late hip-hop pioneer, seminal graffiti writer, and subversive contemporary artist RAMM:ELL:ZEE — a legend in his own time to his peers—was a profoundly transformative and influential figure across the worlds of fine art, music and graffiti.

Rammellzee was an enigmatic figure in the nexus of creative forces that defined New York City’s heady downtown scene in the late 1970s and 1980s. In the first major monograph on the multi-hyphenate artist, his inspired vision and wildly diverse artistic output are considered in depth. The oversize volume presents a treasure trove of material, providing extraordinary insight into his creative genius: a comprehensive selection of artworks (his iconic resin frescoes, paintings, sculpture, and performance paraphernalia), never-before-seen documentation of his graffiti work and performances, archival material, and ephemera. Gathered here for the first time, these materials outline this complex artist’s origin story and details his artistic evolution, re-evaluating Rammellzee’s place in the art historical canon.

Maxwell Wolf, lead curator of the much-lauded retrospective in 2018 on which this book is largely based, and co-editor Jeff Mao, convene a historic gathering of the key actors of the time to tell Rammellzee’s extraordinary story in their own words in an extensive oral history. From artists, gallerists, and filmmakers, to the close friends and family of the late artist—including Toxic, Futura, Lee Quiñones, Yaki Kornblit, Jim Jarmusch, and Henry Chalfant—each provide critical context about his life and work. This richly layered volume is a must-have for the legions of Rammellzee devotees, as well as enthusiasts of progressive contemporary art and performance, “old” New York, graffiti, and the history of hip-hop.

Published in association with the Estate of Rammellzee. Support for the publication provided by Jeffrey Deitch Gallery.