UTFO

{{Short description|American hip hop band}}

{{distinguish|UFO (band)}}

{{more citations needed|date=June 2017}}

{{use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = UTFO

| background = group_or_band

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| origin = Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.

| genre = Hip-hop

| years_active = 1983–1992

| label = {{hlist|Select|Jive/RCA}}

| associated_acts = {{hlist|Full Force|The Real Roxanne|Whodini|Whistle}}

| 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.{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1998|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0252-6|page=350}}

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). The group's best-known single is "Roxanne, Roxanne", 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),{{cite web|url=https://allhiphop.com/2008/09/01/yo-kangol-industry-advisor/|title=Yo Kangol!: INDUSTRY ADVISOR |date=1 September 2008|publisher=All HipHop|access-date=7 October 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/14/arts/the-pop-life-188726.html|title=THE POP LIFE|editor=Palmer, Robert|date=14 August 1985|work=The New York Times|access-date=7 October 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/13/utfo-roxanne-wars|title=The Roxanne wars|date=12 June 2011|editor=MacInnes, Paul|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 October 2017}} with estimates ultimately spawning over 100.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XkCncJ7j744C&pg=PR36|title=Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide|editor=Hess, Mickey|page=36 (xxxvi)|date=25 November 2009|isbn=9780313343216|publisher=ABC-CLIO|access-date=7 October 2017}} The most notable remake was done by Marley Marl's protégée Roxanne Shanté, which led to hip hop's first rap beef.{{cite web|url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/roxanne-shante-and-the-first-rap-beef |title=The story of the first ever rap beef|editor=Wilkinson, Dan|date=13 August 2015|publisher=RedBull|access-date=7 October 2017}} "Roxanne, Roxanne" was originally the B-side of the lesser-known single "Hangin' Out". 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.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time-w435246/too-hort-freaky-tales-w440318|title=100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time|date=2 June 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=7 October 2017}}

History

The group formed in the early 1980s and were originally known as UFO. However, the name was taken by an English rock band so they were forced to change it to UTFO. Kangol Kid and Doctor Ice were originally known as The Keystone Dancers and were a dance duet, before going on to be back-up dancers for Whodini. Eventually, they went on to form UTFO in their hometown of Brooklyn, New York City, New York. In 1984, the group signed with Fred Munao's Select Records, and, in the same year, it released its hit single, "Roxanne Roxanne".{{cite web|last1=Prato|first1=Greg|title=Artist Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/utfo-mn0000181375/biography|website=AllMusic|access-date=12 December 2021}} The group's debut album was produced by R&B group Full Force. Full Force brought in New York's sound and sampling wizard, Gary Pozner, to help create the sounds and the beats. This was one of the first instances of the new sampling machine, the E-mu Emulator, used on a commercially released record.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

The members of UTFO were the first breakdancers to appear on The Phil Donahue Show.{{Cite web |url=http://www.oldschoolhiphop.com/headlines.htm|title=OldSchoolHipHop.Com - Old School News|access-date=2006-04-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060319052833/http://www.oldschoolhiphop.com/headlines.htm|archive-date=2006-03-19|url-status=dead}}

On June 3, 2017, Educated Rapper died following a battle with cancer.{{Cite news|url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/educated-rapper-aka-emd-of-utfo-has-passed-away-at-the-age-of-54-news.33263.html|title=Educated Rapper aka EMD of UTFO Has Passed Away At the Age of 54|date=June 3, 2017|website=HotNewHipHop.com|access-date=June 4, 2017}}

On December 18, 2021, Kangol Kid died of colon cancer, at age 55.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kangol-kid-utfo-rapper-dead-obit-1273675/|title=UTFO Rapper Kangol Kid Dead at 55|first=Daniel|last=Kreps|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=December 18, 2021|accessdate=December 18, 2021}}

Discography

=Studio albums=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:23em;" | Album details

! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US
{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/audio-two/chart-history/TLP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130003059/https://www.billboard.com/music/Audio-Two/chart-history/TLP|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 30, 2020|title=Audio Two Chart History|work=Billboard 200|access-date=2021-10-19}}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US
R&B
/HH

{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/audio-two/chart-history/BLP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130150341/https://www.billboard.com/music/Audio-Two/chart-history/BLP|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 30, 2020|title=Audio Two Chart History|work=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|access-date=2021-10-19}}

scope="row" | UTFO

|

|align="center"|80

|align="center"|11

scope="row" | Skeezer Pleezer

|

  • Released: 1986
  • Label: Select (US)
    Cooltempo (UK)
  • Formats: CD, LP, Cassette

|align="center"|142

|align="center"|14

scope="row" | Lethal

|

  • Released: 1987
  • Label: Select
  • Formats: CD, LP, Cassette

|align="center"|67

|align="center"|2

scope="row" | Doin' It!

|

  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Select (US)
    Accord (FRA)
    Injection Disco Dance Label/Select (NED)
    BCM (EUR)
  • Formats: CD, LP, Cassette

|align="center"|143

|align="center"|30

scope="row" | Bag It & Bone It

|

  • Released: February 5, 1991
  • Label: Jive/U.T.F.O. Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, Cassette, digital download

|align="center"|—

|align="center"|—

colspan="4" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

= As lead artist=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of singles and selected chart positions, showing year released and album name

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year

! scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US Dance
{{cite web|title=UTFO Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography |url=https://www.musicvf.com/UTFO.art|website=Music VF|access-date=12 December 2021}}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US R&B

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK
{{cite web|title=U.T.F.O. - full Official Chart History |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/4571/u-t-f-o/|website=Official Charts Company|access-date=12 December 2021}}

scope="row"| "Hangin' Out/Roxanne, Roxanne"{{cite AV media notes|others=UTFO With Roxanne|date=1984|title=Roxanne Meets UTFO|type=track listing|publisher=Streetwave|id=MKHAN 40}}

|rowspan="5"| 1984

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

|rowspan="3"| UTFO

scope="row"| "Roxanne, Roxanne"

| align=center | 77

| align=center | 40

| align=center | 10

| align=center | 72

scope="row"| "The Real Roxanne"
(with The Real Roxanne)

| align=center | —

| align=center | —

| align=center | 44

| align=center | —

scope="row"| "Roxanne Meets UTFO" (Limited Edition)
(with The Real Roxanne)

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

|{{N/A|Non-album single}}

scope="row"| "Beats and Rhymes"

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

|rowspan="3"| UTFO

scope="row"| "Bite It"

|rowspan="4"| 1985

| align=center | ―

| align=center | —

| align=center | 79

| align=center | ―

scope="row"| "Leader of the Pack"

| align=center | —

| align=center | 43

| align=center | 32

| align=center | ―

scope="row"| "Pick Up the Pace"

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

|rowspan="4"| Skeezer Pleezer

scope="row"| "Fairy Tale Lover"

| align=center | ―

| align=center | —

| align=center | 36

| align=center | ―

scope="row"| "Split Personality"

|rowspan="2"| 1986

| align=center | ―

| align=center | —

| align=center | 50

| align=center | ―

scope="row"| "We Work Hard"

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

scope="row"| "Ya Cold Wanna Be with Me"

|rowspan="2"| 1987

| align=center | ―

| align=center | —

| align=center | 43

| align=center | ―

|rowspan="3"| Lethal

scope="row"| "Lethal"
(featuring Anthrax)

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

scope="row"| "Let's Get It On"

| 1988

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

scope="row"| "Wanna Rock"

|rowspan="2"| 1989

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

|rowspan="2"| Doin' It!

scope="row"| "Rough & Rugged"

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

scope="row"| "If You Don't Wanna Get Pregnant"

| 1990

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

|rowspan="2"| Bag It & Bone It

scope="row"| "I'm a Dog"

| 1991

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

| align=center | ―

scope="row"| "Lollipop"
(with The Real Roxanne, featuring Syncere){{cite AV media notes|others=UTFO|date=1998|title=Lollipop / Roxanne, Roxanne|type=track listing|publisher=Black Jam|id=050-16835}}

|1998

|align="center"| —

|align="center"| —

|align="center"| —

|align="center"| —

| The Best of U.T.F.O.

colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

=Compilation albums=

See also

References

{{Reflist}}