Brooklyn rapper Shaun Fequiere, known as Kangol Kid because of his hat of choice, died Saturday after battling colon cancer. In a Twitter tribute via his festival Rock the Bells, LL Cool J, a close friend of the hip-hop artist, said: “Hip-Hop lost a legend today with the transitioning of @yokangol but his legacy will forever serve as a source of inspiration, courage, and love.” The rapper was 55, and first revealed his struggle with cancer in February.
Fequiere’s hip-hop group UTFO was best known for initiating an iconic rap rivalry in the 80s known as the “Roxanne Wars” with its hit song “Roxanne, Roxanne” about rapper Roxanne Shante. As reported by Rolling Stone, the poppy song sparked somewhere between 30 and 100 comeback songs. UTFO’s “Roxanne, Roxanne” was included in Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of All Time list.
