Kangol Kid Dies: UTFO Rapper Was 55
Kangol Kid, the rapper who was part of influential hip-hop group UTFO, died at a Long Island hospital on Saturday morning following a battle with colon cancer, his publicist Lion Lindwedel has confirmed to the New York Times. He was 55.
Born in Brooklyn on August 10, 1966 as Shaun Shiller Fequiere, Kid rose to fame in the ’80s as part of the group otherwise known as Untouchable Force Organization, the other members of which were Doctor Ice, Educated Rapper and Mix Master Ice. Between 1985 and 1991, they released albums including UTFO, Skeezer Pleezer, Lethal, Doin’ It! and Bag It & Bone It, finding hits in such singles as “Roxanne, Roxanne” and “Ya Cold Wanna Be with Me.”
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Kid earned his moniker given his penchant for wearing Kangol hats—later striking a sponsorship deal with the company. Following his time with UTFO, he’d go on to write and produce for the rap group Whistle and other artists.
Kangol Kid was also known for his efforts to raise breast cancer awareness through his charity, the Mama Luke Foundation, which led him to become the first rapper honored by the American Cancer Society in 2012.
Plans for a memorial have not yet been disclosed.
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