Kangol Kid was an American songwriter, breakdancer, hip-hop producer, and master of ceremonies. He was famous for being a member of the American old-school hip hop group UTFO (Untouchable Force Organization) based in Brooklyn, New York City.
Wiki/Biography
Shaun Shiller Fequiere [1] aka Kangol Kid was born on Wednesday, August 10, 1966 (age 55 years; at the time of death), in Brooklyn, New York. He was brought up in East Flatbush, New York City, New York. He has his roots in Haiti. [2] His zodiac sign is Leo.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
His father, Andre Fequiere, was a taxi driver in New York. His mother, Jean Fequiere, worked as a housekeeper at a hospital. Kangol had three brothers named Joel Fequiere, Andy Fequiere, and Alix Fequiere.
Wife & Children
He had three sons named T.Shaun, Dré Fequiere, and Yusuke Vacant (aka Giovanni) from his first wife, Christine. All his sons work in the American music industry.
After separating from his first wife, Kangol got married to Tajiri Swindell, and the couple has a daughter named Amancia Fequiere.
Career
As a Member of UTFO
While he was in school, he followed his passion for dancing, and along with his dance partner Doctor Ice, he started performing as a breakdancer on the stage shows and named the duet “The Keystone Dancers.” The duo then worked as dancers for the American hip-hop group ‘Whodini.’ Kangol and Doctor Ice then formed their own hip hop group ‘UTFO’ (Untouchable Force Organization;’ earlier UFO). In 1984, the music label Select Records signed UTFO and released its debut single “Roxanne Roxanne.” At that time, Kangol did not have any legal representative.
One of the most popular albums of UTFO was released in 1987 named ‘Lethal.’ UTFO’s debut single gained immense popularity and was voted as the best rap song at the 1988 Urban Music Awards. UTFO then performed at various stage shows and live events. The group became the first rap group to perform at the Harlem’s Apollo Theater, New York City, New York.
Kangol had worked as a music producer and songwriter too. He composed and wrote the single “Private Property” in 1985. In the same year, he managed and worked as the producer for the American rap group ‘Whistle.’ Kangol left UTFO in 1989.
As an Actor
He acted in a few English films like ‘UTFO: Roxanne, Roxanne’ (1984), ‘UTFO: Leader of the Pack’ (1985), and ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ (2021).
Other Work
He had been working as the president of the music production company ‘Kangol’s Kreations, Inc.’ and was the CEO of ‘Kreative Media Group,’ a Public Relations firm. He was invited as the guest lecturer at various schools and colleges. Kangol scored the music for an independent film ‘Nightmare,’ and he won an award for the Best Movie Score for the film. He also worked as a voice-over artist and was a columnist for magazines like Black Beat magazine and AllHiphop.com. He worked as a voice-over artist for various TV commercials and jingles. He used to write a column with the name Yo Kangol.
Autograph
Death
On December 18, 2021, he lost his long-time battle with Colon cancer and at around 3 a.m. At the time of his death, he was hospitalised in Manhasset, New York. In his last Instagram post, he wrote,
I stepped out of the recovery-room…and was greeted by this guy. Maybe you’ve heard of him??? 😂😂😂 Ladies and Gentlemen, the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. G.O.A.T. himself L.L.COOL J @llcoolj @rockthebells visited me and elevated my healing energies in ways doctors can never duplicate. Thank you Baby Bro. I love you, man.”
Facts/Trivia
- In the early 1980s, his friends used to call him The Kangol Kid as he used to wear Kangol hats. His signature hat has been included in the Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. [3]
- In an interview, Kangol said that he was well-versed in language arts, and he was an Ebonic Scholar.
- He used to follow a non-vegetarian diet. [4]
- He was honoured by the American Cancer Society in 2012 for his social services towards cancer patients (as a co-founder of the Mama Luke Foundation). He organised various fundraising programs to help cancer patients, especially the patients who were suffering from breast cancer.
- In 2019, he received the ‘Honorary Real Dad Award’ by Real Dads Network, Inc.