UTFO

Not to be confused with UFO (band).

UTFO
OriginBrooklyn, New York City, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Years active1983–1992
Labels
Past members
  • Doctor Ice
  • Educated Rapper (EMD)
  • Kangol Kid
  • Mix Master Ice

UTFO (an abbreviation for Untouchable Force Organization) was an American hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York City.[1]

The group consisted of Kangol Kid (born Shaun Shiller Fequiere; August 10, 1966 – December 18, 2021), Educated Rapper (EMD) (born Jeffrey Campbell; July 4, 1963 – June 3, 2017), Doctor Ice (born Fred Reeves on March 2, 1966), and Mix Master Ice (born Maurice Bailey on April 22, 1965).[1] The group's best-known single is "Roxanne, Roxanne",[1] a widely acclaimed hip hop classic, which created a sensation on the hip hop scene soon after it was released and inspired a record-high of 25 answer records in a single year (Roxanne Wars),[2][3][4] with estimates ultimately spawning over 100.[5] The most notable remake was done by Marley Marl's protégée Roxanne Shanté, which led to hip hop's first rap beef.[6][2] "Roxanne, Roxanne" was originally the B-side of the lesser-known single "Hangin' Out".[4] Due to personal issues, Educated Rapper was absent for its second effort, Skeezer Pleezer (1986), which produced one notable track with the song "Split Personality". EMD was, however, on one album track, "Pick Up the Pace", also featured in the movie Krush Groove.

In 2008, "Roxanne, Roxanne" was ranked #84 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.[7]

  1. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 350. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
  2. ^ a b "Yo Kangol!: INDUSTRY ADVISOR". All HipHop. September 1, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  3. ^ Palmer, Robert, ed. (August 14, 1985). "THE POP LIFE". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  4. ^ a b MacInnes, Paul, ed. (June 12, 2011). "The Roxanne wars". The Guardian. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  5. ^ Hess, Mickey, ed. (November 25, 2009). Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide. ABC-CLIO. p. 36 (xxxvi). ISBN 9780313343216. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  6. ^ Wilkinson, Dan, ed. (August 13, 2015). "The story of the first ever rap beef". RedBull. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  7. ^ "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. June 2, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2017.