Kangol Kid was a rapper with the old school hip-hop group UTFO, known for their 1984 hit “Roxanne, Roxanne.”
- Died: December 18, 2021 (Who else died on December 18?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Manhasset, New York of complications of colon cancer at the age of 55.
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Hip-hop pioneer
Born Shaun Shiller Fequiere, Kangol Kid got his start as a breakdancer, half of the duo the Keystone Dancers. They appeared on “The Phil Donahue Show,” the first breakdancers featured there. Kangol Kid got his nickname early, for the hats he liked to wear, and he went on to influence hip-hop culture as the first rapper to make an endorsement deal when he signed with Kangol. He and his dance partner, Doctor Ice, cofounded UTFO – the name was an abbreviation for Untouchable Force Organization – along with Educated Rapper and Mix Master Ice. Their 1984 song “Roxanne, Roxanne” was a sensation, spawning dozens of answer songs that riffed on the original’s story of a woman who rejected the rappers’ advances.
UTFO went on to release five albums, including 1987’s “Lethal,” featuring the metal band Anthrax on its title track. After UTFO’s 1980s fame, Kangol Kid continued writing and producing music for other artists, and he wrote a column for Black Beat magazine and AllHipHop.com. He also co-founded the Mama Luke Foundation, fundraising in support of the fight against breast cancer.
Kangol Kid on his signature hat
“Prior to being in high school, I was at a Catholic school, in which I had to wear a uniform every day. …I hated it. When it was time to go to high school, I begged my mom, ‘Can you put me in a public high school, so I can at least wear what I want to wear?’ And I finally convinced her to do so, and so I purchased my first Kangol hat as a sign of liberation. …I put that hat on and I wore it every day.” —from a 2017 interview for AllHipHopTV
Tributes to Kangol Kid
Full obituary: The New York Times
